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A bowl of pasta with meat sauce, grated cheese, and fresh basil sits on a wooden table.
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5 from 11 votes

Pesto Pasta Bolognese

This pesto pasta Bolognese pairs fresh basil pesto fettuccine with a hearty beef and Italian sausage tomato sauce for a fun twist on pasta night.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Main Course, Meals, Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: hearty, Sauce
Servings: 8
Author: Bella Bucchiotti

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Pesto Pasta

For the Bolognese Sauce

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion yellow
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 Stalk celery
  • 1 shallot
  • 2 Tablespoons salted butter
  • 2 Cloves garlic crushed
  • 2 Teaspoons oregano dried
  • ½ Pound Italian sausage
  • ½ Pound ground beef
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato purée
  • ⅓ Cup red wine
  • 1 Can tomatoes 14 Ounces, fire roasted, diced
  • 1 Teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 Teaspoon fennel
  • 1 Teaspoon peppercorns cracked
  • ½ Teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ Teaspoon kosher salt

Toppings and Garnish

  • 4 Ounces Romano cheese or Parmesan
  • basil freshly chopped

Instructions

  • Bring 4 cups of salted water in a pot to a boil for the noodles.
  • Preheat a saucepan over medium heat.
  • Prepare ingredients for Bolognese sauce. Dice the onion and celery. Peel and grate the carrots and shallot. Combine Italian sausage, ground beef, fennel, cracked peppercorns, salt, and paprika in a bowl and mix well.
  • Pour a tablespoon of olive oil into the hot saucepan and swirl to coat. Add the diced onion and celery, and the grated carrots and shallot. Cook for 4 minutes. Make some room in the center and add the butter, garlic and oregano.
  • Once melted, stir to combine and clear another space in the center. Add the meat. Sear for 2 minutes, then break the meat apart and fold in with the veggies. Add the tomato purée and stir to combine. Cook for 5 minutes.
  • Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook to al dente, about 12 minutes.
  • Prepare pesto sauce for noodles. Add all ingredients into a food processor and purée.
  • Create an empty space in the center of the Bolognese. Pour the red wine into the space and allow the alcohol to burn off for 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce. Lower heat to a simmer and stir. Cook for 10 minutes.
  • Drain the fettuccine, reserving a little pasta water. Toss the warm pasta with the pesto, adding a splash of pasta water if needed to help loosen and coat the noodles.
  • Stir heavy cream into the bolognese sauce and remove from heat.
  • Plate the noodles and top with a scoop of Bolognese, fresh grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Notes

Grate the cheese fresh: Freshly grated Parmesan and Romano have better flavor and texture, and the Parmesan blends much more easily into the pesto.
Give the wine a minute to reduce: Let the red wine bubble for a minute or two before adding the tomatoes. This cooks it down slightly and helps concentrate its flavor.
Don't rinse the pasta: I prefer draining the fettuccine and tossing it with the pesto while it's still warm. The pesto coats warm pasta beautifully, and rinsing washes away the starch that helps the sauce cling.
Don't overcook the pasta: Keep the fettuccine al dente so it still has some bite underneath the two sauces.
Taste before adding more salt: Italian sausage, Worcestershire, Parmesan and Romano all bring saltiness, so taste the finished dish before adding extra.

Nutrition

Calories: 570kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 660mg | Potassium: 465mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3007IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 251mg | Iron: 3mg

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