January 29, 2022

Fettuccini Bolognese with Whipped Ricotta

Fettuccini Bolognese with Whipped Ricotta is one of our favorite cozy winter dinners. I start this dish by making my homemade Bolognese sauce. Then, I serve it over fettuccini. Finally, I top it all with whipped ricotta and fresh basil. We love this dish for several reasons. First of all, I like that this recipe makes enough sauce for a few meals. I freeze all the extra sauce in freezer bags, and then just microwave the frozen sauce for a quick meal. And it tastes just as fresh as the day it was made. Secondly, I like that this dish uses ingredients I always have in the house. That makes this dish relatively inexpensive to prepare. And, lastly, with all our snowy winter weather, this is the perfect cozy winter dinner.

The Equipment I Used

A Food Processor- I used a food processor to whip my ricotta. You could probably just whip it by hand, too.
A Dutch Oven-I like to cook my sauce in a large Dutch oven. But, you can use any large pot.

The Ingredients Needed for Fettuccini Bolognese with Whipped Ricotta

Bacon- Adding bacon to the sauce adds lots of great flavor.
Ground Chuck Meat- I use ground chuck for the sauce. I think it has the best flavor.
Tomato Paste and Crushed Tomatoes- The Muir Glen organics are my favorite.
Parmesan Cheese Rinds- Save the rinds from your Parmesan cheese for this recipe. It adds fantastic flavor.
Nutmeg- Buy whole nutmeg and grate it yourself. It adds tons of flavor.
Ricotta Cheese- I highly recommend fresh ricotta, if you can find it.
Fettuccini- DeCecco makes a delicious egg fettuccini. It’s my favorite.

How I Made my Pasta Bolognese

First, I made my sauce. I like to start it early in the day and let it cool down. Then, I can remove some of the fat that rises to the top.
Next, I cooked my fettuccini in lots of water with three tablespoons of kosher salt. The salt adds so much great flavor.
Finally, I whipped my ricotta for the perfect topper.

If you like meat sauce, you need to try this rich and delicious Fettuccini Bolognese with Whipped Ricotta.

Easy Homemade Bolognese Sauce

A rich Italian tomato sauce filled with ground beef, tomatoes, and vegetables.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 10

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings

Ingredients

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup each chopped bacon and onions
¾ cup each diced carrots and celery
2 tbsp. minced garlic
1½ pounds ground chuck meat
¼ cup tomato paste
1½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon or other red wine
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup whole milk
28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
¾ cup Parmesan cheese rinds
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
¼ tsp. nutmeg
2 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves

Instructions

Heat a large Dutch oven on low heat. Add the oil, onions, bacon, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook for about ten minutes, until all the vegetables are nice and soft, and the bacon is starting to brown. Stir frequently.
Add the beef, and cook for about five minutes, just until it's no longer pink. Add the tomato paste, salt, and pepper and cook for three minutes. Add the wine and cook for five minutes.
Add the chicken stock, milk, tomatoes, Parmesan rinds, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves. Simmer for an hour and a half, stirring frequently, and scraping down the sides of the pot.
Remove the bay leaves and cheese rinds. Add the nutmeg and thyme.
To serve with pasta, just stir about a quarter of the sauce into a pound of cooked pasta. Add extra Parmesan and fresh basil and serve. Freeze the rest of the sauce in three separate containers. Use for three more dinners.