A good bolognese is worth it’s weight in gold. Having a crowd over for dinner? Make a bolognese. Need something yummy that even your picky toddler will eat? How about bolognese. Craving something warm that will fill the house with delicious-ness for Sunday supper? Bolognese is your answer. The only thing about bolognese is that, made from scratch, it takes a good long time to make properly and tbh most days, I just don’t have that kind of time. But I learned a trick ten years ago that has transformed this dish for me, going from just marinara and meat sauce, to a delicious bolognese that you could have sworn took me hours to make. Except, it only took 20 minutes. 🙂 Curious? Read on, my friend.
Back when I was in college, I went to an away football game with some friends. It was a cold, rainy game, and afterwards, some friends had us over for dinner. It was there in a college apartment, that a couple of guys made us spaghetti and meat sauce, and as soon as I tried it, I knew was hooked. I asked what their secret ingredient was and they said brown sugar. Now I don’t make Bolognese without it.
So here’s the deal, this bolognese is a doctored jar-marinara, but if you don’t tell, no one will know the difference. Enjoy!
The Best and Easiest Bolognese
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 jar classic Marinara sauce
- 1 lb pasta of your choice
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Brown ground beef in a large pot, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Drain grease and return to pot.
- While ground beef browns, heat another large pot of salted water and cook pasta according to instructions until al dente.
- Add marinara sauce, diced onion and brown sugar to pot with browned ground beef and let simmer until warmed through. Add a little salt to taste until it *sings*
This is really helpful! I will try this. Thank you!
I’m glad! I hope it’s delicious for you guys!