Quick Lamb Bolognese (30 Min.)
This quick and easy lamb bolognese sauce is packed with instant rich flavors and comes together in 30 minutes with a few ingredients. No long slow-cooking, wine, or chopping soffritto needed!
Lamb bolognese, the perfect midweek meal
Bolognese, aka ragù alla bolognese, is a type of ragù from the northern Italian city of Bologna. Unlike my slow-cooked lamb ragu, this easy midweek meal can be made in 30 minutes flat with a few ingredients including ground lamb to create that instant rich flavor.
Spag bol is how the Kiwis call it here in New Zealand and it is one of my family’s favorite meals. I love it because I can make it quickly after a busy day and the kids can’t get enough of spaghetti recipes in general.
Traditionally, bolognese sauce is served with tagliatelle pasta but we like to enjoy the rich lamb meat sauce with spaghetti, or fettuccine-like homemade egg noodles. Add a simple side salad such as Insalata Mista or add some cooked carrots, peas, or corn straight to the mince sauce for an all-in-one dinner.
Ingredients and substitutions
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Lamb – Ground lamb, organic grass-fed and finished if possible. Ground beef works just as well.
- Stock – Homemade lamb stock if you have any on hand but beef stock works just as well.
- Tomato – Tomato purée, aka passata, and tomato paste give the ground lamb sauce a rich tomato taste and silky texture. Simply puree some crushed or diced tinned tomatoes if you don’t have purée on hand.
- Onion & garlic – Fresh is best but you can substitute it with 1 tsp of onion powder and 1/2 tsp of garlic powder.
- Soy sauce – Don’t skip it. It adds instant richness and some umami flavors to the sauce. You can use tamari sauce or Worcestershire sauce instead.
- Seasoning – Fresh or dried thyme and rosemary work well. Double the quantity if you’re using fresh herbs. Bay leaf adds rich flavors to the bolognese sauce.
- Milk – A controversial addition to bolognese, milk gives the sauce creaminess. I use whole milk but skim works can be used if needed. Heavy cream creates an extra creamy lamb pasta dish.
Recipe tips
- Add 1/4 tsp of chili flakes to the lamb pasta dish if you like some subtle heat.
- Add the spaghetti straight to the sauce once cooked to absorb the sauce instead of on top of another. That way it tends to go further somehow as well.
- Reserve 1 cup of pasta water in case the sauce gets too thick before serving. You can loosen it up by adding 2-3 tbsp at a time.
How to make lamb bolognese
See the recipe card for full information on the method.
Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil.
Brown and season the ground lamb with salt and pepper.
Deglaze the pan with stock. Add tomato puree and flavorings.
Cook it down for 15 minutes, add milk, and season to taste.
Storage tips
You can store leftover lamb bolognese in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat with some extra water or stock to loosen up the ground lamb ragu.
Alternatively, freeze leftover bolognese sauce in a freezer-proof container for up to 3 months.
More ground lamb recipes
For more easy lamb dishes, check out the following recipes:
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Lamb Bolognese
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 yellow onion finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 lb ground lamb or ground beef
- 1/2 cup beef stock or lamb stock
- 2 cups tomato purée passata
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup milk full-fat
To Serve
- 2 tsp salt for the pasta water
- 12 oz dried spaghetti
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated, to serve
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pan or pot over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 2 minutes until translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant (Note 1).1 tbsp olive oil, 1 yellow onion, 2 garlic cloves
- Add the ground lamb, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook until it is browned – about 4 minutes.1 lb ground lamb
- Deglaze the pan with beef stock (or lamb stock), scraping up any brown bits. Add the tomato purée, paste, soy sauce, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, salt, and ground black pepper.1/2 cup beef stock, 2 cups tomato purée, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/4 tsp dried rosemary, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 1/3 cup milk, 1 tsp salt
- Bring everything to a boil and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Let it simmer for a minimum of 15 minutes (up to 1 hour if you have the time).
- Meanwhile, boil the spaghetti in salted water according to the package instructions until al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water towards the end for the sauce (Note 3).2 tsp salt, 12 oz dried spaghetti
- Add the milk to the sauce. Stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Drain the spaghetti and add them straight into the bolognese sauce. Toss to combine the two. Add a little pasta water if needed to loosen up the sauce, especially if the dish sits for a few minutes (Note 2).
- Serve immediately with some freshly grated parmesan (Note 4).1/2 cup parmesan cheese
