Easy Pork Bolognese Recipe
This easy pork bolognese is a quick and comforting family dinner made with pork mince, streaky bacon, passata and herbs for a rich, silky sauce. Ready in just 40 minutes, it's perfect served over spaghetti with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan, and the sauce freezes brilliantly for easy meals another day.
Servings 4
Calories 748kcal
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Equipment
- Knife
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Onion finely chopped
- 2 Garlic Cloves finely chopped
- 1 Carrot finely chopped
- 1 Celery Stick finely chopped
- 500g Pork Mince
- 3 Streaky Bacon Rashers chopped into pieces
- 400 ml Passata
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Puree
- 200 ml Milk
- 1 Chicken Stock Pot or stock cube
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 teaspoon Thyme leaves chopped
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 300 g Spaghetti
- 4 tablespoon Parmesan grated
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large, shallow casserole or frying pan. Add the onion, garlic, carrot and celery and cook gently for five minutes until softened. Stir regularly and keep the heat fairly low so the vegetables soften without browning.1 tbsp Olive Oil, 1 Onion, 2 Garlic Cloves, 1 Carrot, 1 Celery Stick
- Turn up the heat and add the pork mince and chopped bacon. Break the mince up with a wooden spoon and cook for two to three minutes, or until the pork is no longer pink. Allow the mince to sit against the hot pan for short periods rather than stirring constantly so that it begins to brown instead of steam. If the pork releases a lot of fat, carefully spoon off the excess before adding the remaining ingredients.500g Pork Mince, 3 Streaky Bacon Rashers
- Stir in the tomato purée and cook for one minute. Add the passata, milk, chicken stock pot, bay leaf, thyme and black pepper. Remember that the stock pot or cube should be added directly to the sauce without first dissolving it in water. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.400 ml Passata, 1 tbsp Tomato Puree, 200 ml Milk, 1 Chicken Stock Pot, 1 Bay Leaf, 1 tsp Thyme, ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- Simmer uncovered over a medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The finished pork bolognese should be thick enough to coat the pasta rather than pool at the bottom of the bowl. Remove the bay leaf and taste before adding any extra seasoning. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pan of salted boiling water according to the packet instructions.300 g Spaghetti
- Drain the spaghetti, reserving a small cupful of the pasta cooking water. Serve the pork bolognese over the spaghetti and finish with freshly grated Parmesan. If the sauce has become too thick, stir in a splash of the reserved pasta water before serving.4 tbsp Parmesan
Notes
- Finely chop the onion, carrot and celery so they soften quickly and blend into the sauce. A mini food processor makes this easy.
- Brown the pork mince well before adding the sauce ingredients to develop the best flavour.
- Add the chicken stock pot or crumbled stock cube directly to the pan—there's no need to dissolve it in water first.
- If the sauce is too thin, simmer it uncovered for a few extra minutes until it thickens naturally. If it's too thick, stir in a splash of the reserved pasta cooking water.
- The sauce freezes well for up to 3 months. Freeze the bolognese on its own and cook fresh pasta when you're ready to serve.
- Nutrition is calculated using the stated quantity of spaghetti and Parmesan cheese.
Nutritional Information (Approximate)
Calories: 748kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 218mg | Potassium: 1138mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 3222IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 181mg | Iron: 4mg
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