Fusilli Bolognese in a Dutch Oven
I have a few tricks that make this Fusilli Bolognese sauce in a Dutch oven the best you will ever try. I have made this recipe countless times and my guests always rave about it. I am confident you will fall in love with this slow-cooked fusilli bolognese recipe. Letting the ground beef really brown in the dutch oven makes the outcome extra delicious.
You will never need another bolognese recipe. I make it often and have perfected the recipe. It’s an absolute classic. You can make a big batch and it will keep well in the fridge for days… the flavors even getting more pronounced over time. There’s just something so comforting about a warm bowl of this fusilli bolognese slow-cooked in a dutch oven. My summertime go to is this pesto ricotta pasta.
This fusilli bolognese was inspired by Frank Prisinzano‘s and Mike Puma‘s versions. The bolognese sauce is the star, you can choose whatever noodle you’d like.
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Ingredients for Fusilli Bolognese
This fusilli bolognese uses simple, wholesome ingredients.
- Ground beef – This forms the hearty base of the slow-cooked sauce, bringing rich flavor and protein to the dish. There is no pork! I have used 80/20, 97/3, and everywhere in between. They all work!
- Onion – Finely chopped, it adds a mellow sweetness and depth to the simmered sauce.
- Carrot – Adds a subtle sweetness and helps balance the acidity of the tomato paste.
- Celery – Its earthy flavor complements the aromatic base and enhances the savory notes.
- Butter – It adds a luxurious richness and helps soften the vegetables.
- Tomato paste – An intensified tomato flavor that coats the ground beef and veggies, and gives the sauce its deep, umami-packed base.
- Bay leaves – These add a subtle herbal note that deepens during the long simmer.
- Whole Milk – You can substitute with low-fat or nonfat milk, just add a bit more butter! The sauce will slow cook with the milk.
- Broth or stock – Adds savory depth and helps the sauce simmer low and slow without drying out. You can use beef, chicken, or even veggie stock.
- Kosher salt – Brings out the natural flavors in every ingredient.
- Nutmeg – Just a pinch enhances the meat and dairy with gentle warmth.
- Fusilli – The corkscrew shape holds onto the sauce beautifully, ensuring every bite is full of flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Break up and brown the beef in your dutch oven. The pieces should be crisped and caramelized.
Once all pieces have browned, mix in the finely diced onion, celery, carrot, and butter.
Add the tomato paste, then stir in.
Add the bay leaves and kosher salt.
Add in whole milk, stir, and let reduce. Repeat this step once more.
Add in the broth, stir, and let reduce. Repeat this step once more.
Optional: add a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon.
Add the fusilli with some reserved pasta water. Mix the pasta and sauce together.
Hint: Get the ground beef crisp and caramelized, starting off the slow cooking. Dice the vegetables small. Feel free to use a food processor to get the vegetables really small. Once done, don’t just add sauce on top of the pasta. Make sure to stir the fusilli and bolognese together for 1-2 minutes.
Tips for making this the Best Bolognese:
- Brown the beef: Make sure to brown the beef thoroughly. This is why using a dutch oven is best – the heat is evenly distributed and the beef can really get that caramelization on the bottom of the pot. Use a wooden spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan. This will add a strong depth of flavor. THEN you add the onion, carrots, and celery. Doing so before adding the beef will allow the veggies to distribute extra moisture, which would in turn prevent the browning. Trust!
- Tomato paste, not sauce: Many bolognese recipes call for tomato sauce, and I find those to be too… tomatoey. By adding tomato paste, we still get the delicious umami flavor from the tomato without overpowering the dish. In my recipe, the sauce comes from the richness of the milk and stock, which also bring extra depths of flavor!
- Slow-cooking: This is not a hard recipe!! The steps are super simple and the ingredients are easy to find. What really makes this fusilli bolognese dish stand out is brought by slow cooking. Allowing the beef to brown thoroughly first, then through the reductions. We add milk and stock, then allow a lot of the water to evaporate, leaving you with the concentrated flavors.
- Mix the pasta with the sauce: I see so many recipes where the sauce is simply added on top of the noodles. NO! You must first mix the fusilli (or other noodle) with the sauce before serving. This ensures that the slow-cooked bolognese really adheres to the noodle. Additionally, the starch from the pasta will release into the sauce to make it extra rich. We want the pasta and sauce to really meld together!
Substitutions and Variations
- Beef – I make my bolognese with all-beef in a dutch oven. Using another meat will alter the flavor and method, so I would recommend sticking to beef.
- Whole Milk – my fusilli bolognese calls for whole milk. I have made this recipe with low-fat milk + 2 extra tablespoons butter, and it tasted great.
- Broth/stock – Feel free to use what you have on hand, whether beef, chicken, or vegetable.
- Spicy – add chili pepper flakes or Calabrian chilis while cooking to imbue heat into the dish, or just top the pasta with red pepper flakes.
- Noodles – while the name of this recipe is fusilli bolognese, you can use any noodle your heart desires! Fettuccini, rigatoni, parpadelle, or even gnocchi would go wonderfully.
Storing Fusilli Bolognese cooked in a Dutch Oven
Store the fusilli bolognese in the fridge for up to five days. The flavors actually build overnight, therefore this would be a wonderful dish to make ahead!
You can freeze the bolognese sauce to eat at a later time. Do not freeze with the pasta mixed in if you can help it, but totally fine if you do! To reheat, I recommend adding the sauce to a pot. Add a touch of water, cover, and heat over medium low until it has defrosted and warmed through.
Rate this Fusilli Bolognese in a Dutch Oven recipe!
Lastly, if you do make this fusilli bolognese in a dutch oven recipe (then first of all, thank you!!), be sure to rate this recipe and leave a comment and rating below! It would mean the world to me if you tagged me on Instagram or TikTok so I can see your creations.
Fusilli Bolognese
Ingredients
- 2 lb ground beef
- 1 medium sized yellow onion finely diced
- 2 celery ribs finely diced
- 1 carrot peeled and finely diced
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 cup tomato paste (8 oz)
- 5 cups whole milk
- 3 cups broth
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 lb fusilli pasta or any other pasta
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese optional, for topping
Instructions
- Heat a 6-quart (or larger) pot on high heat. Add the ground beef to the pot and break apart. (See Note 1). Cook the ground beef on medium-high until the pieces are browned and caramelized. This will take about 20 minutes, requiring stirring every 2-3 minutes. The beef will emit liquid and you can use this to deglaze any parts that get stuck. Add about 2 tablespoons of butter as the liquid evaporates. Add 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Once the ground beef has browned and caramelized, add the finely diced onion, celery, carrots, and 2 tablespoons of butter and mix together.
- When the onions are translucent (about 8 minutes) fold in the tomato paste and remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir until the ground beef is evenly coated in tomato paste. Lower the heat to low.
- Add in the bay leaves.
- Add 2 cups of whole milk. Stir and let simmer for about 20 minutes or until the sauce has reduced, stirring a few times throughout as to not let the bottom burn
- Add 2 cups of broth. Similar to above, stir and let simmer for 20 minutes or until the sauce has reduced, stirring a few times throughout as to not let the bottom burn.
- Remove the bay leaves. Then, perform the above two steps one more time. Add the whole milk and simmer and stir for 20 minutes, then add the broth and simmer and stir for 20 minutes.
- When ready to serve, boil the fusilli according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining. Do not rinse the noodles.
- Mix the fusilli pasta with the sauce, adding the reserved pasta water. Stir for 1-2 minutes to meld the bolognese into the fusilli fully.
- Plate, and top with parmesan. Enjoy!
Notes
- If your ground beef has a higher fat content, you will not need olive oil. If you are using a very lean ground beef, feel free to add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to coat the pan before adding the ground beef.
EXCELLENT recipe!! Next time I am making double and freezing half.
I won’t be making bolognese any other way after trying this.
We gobbled this recipe up!
Thick, rich, delicious, and satisfying. The restaurants don’t make it this good.