What is Rigatoni Bolognese?
Rigatoni Bolognese is a meat-based tomato sauce served over rigatoni pasta. This healthier pasta recipe is made with chopped celery, carrots, zucchini, minced garlic, onion, tomato sauce, a flavorful Italian seasoning, and your choice of lean ground beef or ground turkey. Add in soy milk, whole milk, or even half-and-half for a creamier version. Mix in cooked rigatoni pasta and top the entire dish with parmesan and fresh oregano to take things up a notch!
You’ll Also Love: Mushroom & Spinach Pasta Bake
I love making a big batch of this Rigatoni Bolognese and saving leftovers for all week long. I promise it’s even better the next day!
Ingredients for Rigatoni Alla Bolognese
- Whole Wheat Rigatoni Pasta – You can also use gluten-free lentil rigatoni!
- Olive Oil
- Chopped Veggies – Onion, Carrots, Celery, Zucchini
- Minced Garlic
- Lean Ground Beef – Other options include ground turkey or Italian sausage.
- Tomato Paste
- Diced Tomatoes
- Tomato Sauce
- Vegetable Broth
- Dried Oregano/Dried Basil
- Honey or Agave
- Sea Salt/Black Pepper
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Milk – While traditionally made with heavy cream, I like using whole milk, soy milk, or creamy cashew milk for a healthier version. Half-and-half also works great for an extra-creamy sauce!
- Freshly Chopped Parsley – Plus extra fresh herbs as garnish. Oregano, basil, or thyme are all delicious!
- Grated Parmesan Cheese – Optional, but SO good!
TIP: This recipe is delicious on its own, but it can also be served with garlic bread, a salad, and/or roasted asparagus for a date night dinner or restaurant-level goodness!
How to Make Rigatoni Bolognese
Making Rigatoni Bolognese is easier than you may think!
- Saute the vegetables in a large non-stick pan with tall sides or a large Dutch oven.
- Add in the meat and cook until it is partially cooked through.
- Mix in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, broth, seasoning, honey, and milk.
- Let simmer on low for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Cook the rigatoni pasta, drain, and mix into the sauce (along with about 1 cup of pasta water).
- Mix in fresh parsley, then top with fresh oregano and parmesan!
Notes About the Recipe
- I had a little bit of a tough time finding whole wheat rigatoni in stores, but it can be ordered on Amazon, or you can use lentil rigatoni or regular rigatoni instead if necessary.
- I included 1 zucchini, diced very small, so it’s like a hidden veggie. You can totally double the amount of zucchini and add even more nutrition!
- As much as I wish the sauce could cook for less time, it really does need the full 45 minutes to 1 hour to thicken. The process of cooking the bolognese low and slow really does make a difference and yields an amazing sauce! It’s worth the wait.
- I originally made this recipe with unsweetened coconut milk for a thick, creamy sauce. It was good, but I couldn’t get past the coconut taste with the savory tomato flavors. I found that soy or whole milk tastes better, but I wanted to let you know that coconut milk is also an option!
Storing Leftovers
How long does bolognese last in the fridge?
Place leftovers in a glass dish with an airtight lid and store them in the refrigerator. Bolognese can last for up to 4 to 5 days in the fridge!
Can you freeze bolognese pasta?
This recipe can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Simply let the pasta cool in the fridge for 1 hour, then move the airtight container to the freezer! To reheat, add 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon of water or broth into the dish and microwave until evenly warm, stirring often. It can also be reheated on the stovetop!
More Healthy Pasta Recipes
- Creamy Lemon Garlic Pasta
- Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
- Healthy Chicken Broccoli Pasta Casserole
- Spicy Vodka Ham Pasta
- Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Recipe
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One-Pot Rigatoni Bolognese
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 ounces whole wheat rigatoni pasta
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped (about 1/3 cup chopped)
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup chopped)
- 1 medium celery stalk, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup chopped)
- 1 medium zucchini, diced small (about 1 1/2 cup chopped)
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes (drained)
- 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 Tablespoon honey or agave
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup whole milk or soy milk (half and half for a creamier version)
- 2 Tablespoons freshly chopped parsley (plus extra as garnish)
- 1-2 ounces grated parmesan cheese (as garnish, optional)
Instructions
- In a large non-stick skillet with high sides add the olive oil, onion, carrot, and celery. Cook over medium heat for about 7-9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions begin turning translucent.
- Mix in the zucchini and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the ground beef and break apart into smaller pieces. Cook for 7-8 minutes over medium-high heat, mixing every 2-3 minutes. The ground beef should be partially cooked through.
- Mix in the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, oregano, basil, honey, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and milk.
- Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer over medium-low heat, cooking uncovered for 1 hour. Mix every 10-15 minutes.
- While the bolognese sauce is cooking, cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Sprinkle with a generous amount of salt and add the rigatoni. Stir and cook for about 9-10 minutes, or until al-dente, or as directed on the box. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water for later and set aside. Strain the pasta and rinse well with cold water.
- Mix the rigatoni and 1 cup of reserved pasta water into the meat sauce.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 3-5 minutes, mixing often, until the sauce has thickened and clings to the pasta.
- Mix in the parsley.
- Divide the rigatoni bolognese among serving bowls and garnish with more chopped parsley or fresh oregano and grated parmesan, if desired.
Video
Notes
- I had a little bit of a tough time finding whole wheat rigatoni in stores, but it can be ordered on Amazon, or you can use lentil rigatoni or regular rigatoni instead if necessary.
- I included 1 zucchini, diced very small, so it’s like a hidden veggie. You can totally double the amount of zucchini and add even more nutrition!
- As much as I wish the sauce could cook for less time, it really does need the full 45 minutes to 1 hour to thicken. The process of cooking the bolognese low and slow really does make a difference and yields an amazing sauce! It’s worth the wait.
- I originally made this recipe with unsweetened coconut milk for a thick, creamy sauce. It was good, but I couldn’t get past the coconut taste with the savory tomato flavors. I found that soy or whole milk tastes better, but I wanted to let you know that coconut milk is also an option!
Brittney Blair says:
Delicious! Will make again!
Lizzie says:
Another amazing recipe!! Will definitely make again + I’m basically only going to make Jar of Lemons recipes from here on out 🙂 made exactly as written. Only difference (if you could even call it that) was using fire-roasted diced tomatoes instead of normal ones, and using brown rice pasta instead of whole wheat (GF), but I don’t think either of these things would have changed the taste in any material way. Thanks for always being such a reliable source of healthy, tasty recipes!
Christine McMichael replied:
Oh my goodness, thank you so much Lizzie! This comment means the world, thank you for your kind words. I’m glad you loved the recipe!