Summer Spaghetti Bolognese
Summer Spaghetti Bolognese is made with beef, mushrooms, and a white wine sauce. It tangles the taste buds, garnished with fresh tomatoes!
Easy recipes is what makes cooking so fun. This bolognese sauce is served on a beautiful Italian summer spaghetti dish. This light summer pasta sauce can be made ahead, and is freezable, too.
Summer Spaghetti Bolognese
I love the first ingredient in this recipe: one pound of pasta. To me that says, let’s invite someone over! This Summer Pasta with Bolognese Sauce recipe is a great place to start. Try serving with this Summer Avocado Pasta Salad or Orecchiette Pasta Salad or this fabulous Greek Pasta Salad recipe. You can make our hot herb bread, or here’s how to make garlic bread with regular bread (easy tip!)
Why we love this recipe
- It’s summer fresh (use fresh tomatoes and herbs on top)
- The sauce is easy to make ahead and freeze.
- It’s a super easy recipe to serve for company!
What is bolognese sauce?
Bolognese sauce originated from Bologna, Italy, and is a meat-based sauce served with your favorite pasta. Mix it with pasta? SO good.
Pasta says “comfort” and is inexpensive, and you can make some delicious meals.
Ingredients to make a light summer pasta sauce
- Pasta: We use Delallo spaghetti
- Mushrooms: we use cremini mushrooms
- Carrot
- Ground beef
- Olive oil
- Garlic + Chili flakes + Oregano
- Dry white wine: we use Chardonnay
- Tomato paste
- Sugar: you won’t believe how 1 tablespoon of sugar makes a difference
- Lemon
- Red wine vinegar
- Fresh tarragon (or you can use dried)
- Salt and pepper
- Kalamata olives
- Cherry tomatoes: summer fresh are the best
- Fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh thyme, basil
How do you make a bolognese recipe?
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add in salt, then add in the pasta.
- When the water comes back up to a boil, begin the timer and cook the pasta al dente. Remove from heat, drain noodles, then place back in pot with a cover to keep warm—do not add oil.
- Coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil. Heat oil on medium, then, when oil is hot, add in the mushrooms. Allow mushrooms to brown, then add in the grated carrot, garlic, oregano, tarragon, beef, chili, salt, and pepper. Brown the beef.
- Next, add in tomato paste, and sugar. Stir until paste is evenly dispersed, then add in the pasta, wine, vinegar, and lemon juice. Allow to simmer.
How do you serve bolognese sauce with summer spaghetti?
- Mix beef and pasta together and serve warm, garnished with kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, basil, thyme, and lemon zest.
- Serve with fresh Parmesan cheese!
White wine tops it off, simmered to perfection. I could just eat the sauce with no pasta! HA.
Tips and substitutions:
- Use your favorite pasta!
- Cook the pasta al dente. This is the secret to a good bolognese recipe. And a good pasta is everything!
- Play around with summer ingredients, like fresh herbs, tomatoes, kalamata olives, and lemon zest.
- And don’t forget the fresh grated parmesan cheese! SO GOOD!
Why host in summer
The last month of summer is a great time to start.
- Eat outside. You don’t have to clean your house!
- Make one big pot of Summer Bolognese Pasta.
- Ask your guests to bring either a salad or a dessert.
- Grab a baguette from the local farmer’s market or store.
- Open a bottle of wine.
You have the best summer party ingredients right there! ENJOY!
More pasta recipes to try:
Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup
Get the Recipe:
Summer Spaghetti Bolognese
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti, we use Delallo Foods brand
- 4 cups sliced cremini mushroom
- 1 large carrot, grated
- 1 pound ground beef
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp garlic
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- ½ Tbsp oregano
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp fresh tarragon
- Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish the dish:
- ½ cup Kalamata olives, sliced
- 2 cups sliced cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh thyme
- Fresh basil
- Lemon zest
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add in about 1/4 c of salt, then add in the pasta. When the water comes back up to a boil, begin the timer for about 7 minutes—this will cook the pasta al dente. Remove from heat, drain noodles, then place back in pot with a cover to keep warm—do not add oil.
- Coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil. Heat oil on medium, then, when oil is hot, add in the mushrooms. Allow mushrooms to brown for about 4-5 minutes, then add in the grated carrot, garlic, oregano, tarragon, beef, chili, salt, and pepper. Brown the beef for about 5 minutes.
- Next, add in tomato paste, and sugar. Stir until paste is evenly dispersed, then add in the pasta, wine, vinegar, and lemon juice. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Mix beef and pasta together and serve warm.
- Garnish with kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, basil, thyme, and lemon zest. Serve with fresh Parmesan cheese!
Notes
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
Sounds super yummy!