Updated 30 September 2026
Spaghetti bolognese is the dish most British kitchens cook every week, and it is only ever as good as the mince that goes in it. Use a lean beef mince, brown it properly, and give the sauce time to simmer, and you get a rich, meaty bolognese rather than a thin, watery one. This is how we make it.
Quick answer: serves 4 · prep 15 minutes · cook 1 hour 15 minutes · 800g lean beef mince.
Spaghetti bolognese ingredients
- 800g lean beef mince (two 400g packs, such as Fresh Lean Beef Mince - 2x 400g)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 celery stick, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 150ml red wine or beef stock
- 1 beef stock cube
- 1 tsp dried oregano and 2 bay leaves
- Salt and black pepper
- 400g dried spaghetti
- Parmesan or Cheddar, to serve
The onion, carrot and celery (a soffritto) are what give a traditional spaghetti bolognese its sweetness and body, so do not skip them. If you are short of time, onion and garlic alone still make a good sauce.
Why lean beef mince makes a better bolognese
Fattier mince releases a lot of fat and water as it cooks. That stops it browning, leaves a greasy layer on the sauce and shrinks your 800g of meat noticeably. Lean mince browns faster, gives you more meat in the finished sauce, and means you do not have to drain anything away.
Our Lean Beef Mince 400g is £7.49 a pack, and Fresh Lean Beef Mince - 2x 400g (£14.99) is exactly the right amount for this recipe. Cooking for the freezer? Fresh Lean Beef Mince - 5 x 400g (£36.99) is five packs for batch cooking.
How to cook spaghetti bolognese
- Brown the mince in batches. Heat a large, heavy pan until it is properly hot, add half the oil and half the mince, and leave it alone for two to three minutes so it browns rather than steams. Break it up, brown the other side, then tip it into a bowl. Repeat with the rest. Those brown bits are where the flavour comes from.
- Soften the vegetables. Turn the heat down to medium, add the onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt, and cook gently for 8–10 minutes until soft and sweet. Add the garlic for the last minute.
- Cook the purée. Stir in the tomato purée and cook it for a minute or two until it darkens. This takes away the raw, tinny taste.
- Deglaze. Pour in the red wine or stock and scrape the bottom of the pan. Let it bubble for a couple of minutes.
- Simmer. Return the mince, then add the tomatoes, crumbled stock cube, oregano and bay. Half-fill one tomato tin with water, swill it out and add that too. Bring to a simmer, partly cover and cook gently for at least 45 minutes, ideally an hour, stirring now and then. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick.
- Season. Taste, then add salt and plenty of black pepper. A pinch of sugar helps if your tomatoes are sharp.
- Cook the pasta. Boil the spaghetti in well-salted water for a minute less than the pack says. Save a mugful of the water, drain, then toss the spaghetti through the sauce with a splash of the pasta water so it clings.
Serve with grated cheese and black pepper. Beef mince must be cooked all the way through: the Food Standards Agency advises cooking mince until it is steaming hot with no pink meat left.
The secrets of the best spaghetti bolognese sauce
- Time. Twenty minutes gives you mince in tomato sauce. An hour gives you bolognese. The mince softens and the flavours come together.
- Milk. A traditional trick: stir in 100ml of whole milk after the wine and let it cook away before adding the tomatoes. It makes the sauce softer and rounder.
- A little fat for flavour. If you use very lean mince, finish the sauce with a knob of butter or a spoon of olive oil.
- Rest it. Like a stew, bolognese is even better the next day.
Batch cooking and freezing
Bolognese is one of the best things to batch cook. Double the recipe with four packs of mince, cool the extra sauce quickly (spread it in a shallow container), and freeze it in portions for up to three months. Defrost it in the fridge overnight and reheat until piping hot all the way through. The same sauce works for lasagne, cottage pie with a mash topping, or stuffed peppers.
Other ways to use beef mince
If you like this, try our beef chilli con carne or cottage pie with lean beef mince. For cooking times, see how long beef mince takes to cook. You will find every pack in our beef mince range and the wider beef range.
Spaghetti bolognese FAQs
How long should you simmer spaghetti bolognese?
At least 45 minutes, and ideally an hour, on a gentle simmer with the lid partly on. The longer, slower cook softens the mince and deepens the flavour. Add a splash of water if the sauce gets too thick.
What are the ingredients for a classic spaghetti bolognese?
Beef mince, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, red wine or stock, herbs such as oregano and bay, salt and pepper, and spaghetti. Some cooks add a splash of milk for a softer sauce.
How much mince do I need for spaghetti bolognese for 4?
Allow 150–200g of raw beef mince per person, so 600–800g for four. Two 400g packs give a generous, meaty sauce.
Should I drain the fat from bolognese mince?
With lean beef mince there is very little to drain. With fattier mince, spoon off excess fat after browning, before you add the vegetables.
Can you freeze spaghetti bolognese?
Yes. Cool the sauce quickly, freeze it in portions for up to three months, defrost it in the fridge and reheat until piping hot throughout.