Middle Eastern Spiced Bolognese

this is my low and slow bolognese's cousin with a warm spice twist 🍝🧡 beef browned in batches for a deep crust, simmered down with cumin, turmeric, coriander, and smoked paprika until it's rich and a little smoky. built from leftover tomato sauce i had stashed in the freezer, because the best recipes are usually the ones born from using up what you've got. 🫶

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef

• ½ cup sweet onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 32 oz tomato sauce

• 1 tbsp smoked paprika

• 1 tbsp turmeric

• 1 tbsp cumin

• 1 tbsp coriander

• ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped, divided

• linguini (or your pasta of choice)

• salt and pepper, to taste

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Serves 2-3

Prep time ~15 mins

Cook time ~40 mins

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Cooking Instructions

WASH YOUR VEGGIES

• Wash and prep your veggies and herbs before getting started.

Brown the beef

• Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef in batches, breaking it apart as little as possible, and let it sit undisturbed for 2-3 minutes per batch to develop a deep golden crust before stirring.

• Once all the beef is browned, remove and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.

Build the sauce

• In the same pot, add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened. Then add garlic, sauté another 2-3 mins until fragrant.

• Stir in smoked paprika, turmeric, and cumin, cooking for 30 seconds until fragrant.

• Return the browned beef to the pot along with the tomato sauce. Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.

• Reduce heat to low and let simmer, partially covered, for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.

• Stir in half the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cook the pasta

• While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions.

Assemble

• Plate the pasta and spoon the spiced bolognese generously over the top.

• Garnish with remaining parsley and a grating of parmesan. Serve immediately.

Tips & Notes

• Browning the beef in batches instead of all at once is what gives you that deep, crusty flavor instead of steamed, gray meat.

• No leftover tomato sauce stashed away? Any good quality jarred marinara works as a substitute! or check out my low n slow bolognese recipe to start from scratch!

• Adjust the spice ratios to taste, the smoked paprika is what gives it that signature smoky depth.

• Freezes well in portions for up to 3 months, just thaw and reheat gently on the stove.