# Spicy Creamy Weeknight Bolognese

Rich ground beef and pork in a tomato cream sauce with a gentle chili kick — weeknight-fast but tastes like it simmered all afternoon.

_Dinner · Italian-American_

Prep: 10 min · Cook: 35 min · Total: 45 min · Yields: 4 servings

## Ingredients

- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion (finely diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
- ½ lb ground beef (80/20)
- ½ lb ground pork
- ½ cup dry white wine (or dry red wine)
- 1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
- 1 tsp kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 12 oz rigatoni or pappardelle
- ½ cup pasta cooking water (reserved before draining)
- ½ cup Parmesan (finely grated, plus more to serve)

## Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil for the pasta.
2. Heat the 2 tbsp olive oil in a wide, heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the 1 medium yellow onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the 3 cloves garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, then push everything to the edges of the pan.
4. Add the 2 tbsp tomato paste to the center of the pan and let it toast undisturbed for 90 seconds until it darkens slightly, then stir it into the onion mixture.
5. Stir in the 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds.
6. Add the 0.5 lb ground beef and 0.5 lb ground pork. Break the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon and cook over medium-high heat until no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed, leaving about 1 tbsp in the pan.
7. Pour in the 0.5 cup dry white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it reduce until nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes.
8. Add the 1 can crushed tomatoes, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 0.5 tsp black pepper. Stir to combine, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9. While the sauce simmers, cook the 12 oz rigatoni or pappardelle in the boiling water until 1 minute shy of al dente. Reserve 0.5 cup pasta cooking water before draining.
10. Stir the 0.5 cup heavy cream into the sauce and simmer for 3 more minutes until the sauce is glossy and slightly thickened.
11. Add the drained pasta directly to the sauce along with a splash of the reserved pasta cooking water. Toss over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until the pasta is coated and just al dente.
12. Remove from heat and stir in the 0.5 cup Parmesan until melted. Taste and adjust salt and red pepper flakes as needed.
13. Serve immediately in warm bowls with extra Parmesan grated over the top.

## Tip

> Toast the tomato paste until it turns a shade darker and smells almost caramel-like — that 90-second step builds more depth than an extra 10 minutes of simmering ever could.

Tags: weeknight, comfort-food, one-pan, pasta, spicy

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Canonical: https://just-recipes.io/recipes/spicy-creamy-weeknight-bolognese