This easy chorizo bolognese is a deliciously smoky twist on the Italian classic! The rich sauce is truly something else and you can have it on the table in under an hour.
Heat the olive oil in a large deep pan or Dutch oven and ad dthe onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 8-10 minutes until softened. Cover the pot with a lid for the last couple of minutes to make the veggies sweat.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion
1 medium carrot
2-3 celery stalks
Next, add the garlic and continue to cook for a further minute. Stir in the chorizo and cook for 2-3 minutes until the sausage has released its oil.
4 garlic cloves
5 ounces chorizo sausage
Add the ground beef and cook for 5 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking it up with your spoon as you go.
1 pound lean ground beef
Stir in the tomato paste and red wine and cook for a further minute. Add the rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, tomato sauce and beef stock and stir well to combine.
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup low-sodium beef stock
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened to your liking.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it generously and cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water before draining.
10 ounces rigatoni
Once the sauce has thickened, add the cooked pasta to the pot and stir well until all noodles are coated well in sauce. Add some of the reserved pasta water if it looks too thick.
Stir in the grated Parmesan, adjust the seasoning to taste and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve immediately, with some extra grated Parmesan on top if you like.
⅓ cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
A handful fresh parsley
Video
Notes
This is a quick version of chorizo bolognese, perfect for busier weeknights. If you have more time though, simmer the sauce for 1 - 1 ½ hours.
Both the chorizo and Parmesan are quite salty, so it’s important to adjust the seasoning at the end after you had a chance to taste the dish.
It’s best to cut your chorizo in very small pieces to make sure it releases flavor uniformly in the sauce.