Main Dishesbonappetit
Sofrito Bolognese
An ex-boyfriend's mom—who emigrated from Colombia—made the best meat sauce—she would fry sofrito for the base and simply add cooked ground beef, sazón, and jarred tomato sauce. My version is a bit more bougie—it calls for caramelized tomato paste and white wine—but the result is just as good.
👥 4 Servings👤 Kiera Wright-Ruiz📖 bonappetit
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●blender
- ●food processor
- ●dutch oven
- ●wooden spoon
- ●oven
- ●pot
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Make the sofrito. In a blender or food processor, blend the 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped, 1 large green bell pepper, roughly chopped, and 6 large garlic cloves until smooth. Set aside.
large yellow onion, roughly chopped1large green bell pepper, roughly chopped1large garlic cloves6
2
Heat 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 lb. ground beef (or you can use half pork and half beef), 1 Tbsp. dried oregano, ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional), 2 tsp. kosher salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Cook, breaking up beef with a wooden spoon, until it starts to crisp and some parts turn a deep brown, about ⏱️ 10 minutes.
. extra-virgin olive oil2 Tbsp. ground beef (or you can use half pork and half beef)1 lb. dried oregano1 Tbsp. kosher salt, plus more2 tspFreshly cracked black pepper
3
Add one 4.5-oz. tube tomato paste (about ½ cup) and cook until it darkens in color, about ⏱️ 2 minutes. Add the sofrito and stir well. Sauté until the liquid is mostly evaporated and the sofrito thickens, about ⏱️ 7 minutes.
4.5-oz. tube tomato paste (about ½ cup)1
4
Add 1½ cups dry white wine, 2 cups unsalted beef, chicken, or vegetable stock, and 1½ tsp. sazón with achiote. Stir, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium so the sauce is at a steady simmer. It should look like bubbles in a jacuzzi. If it’s barely bubbling or starts to splash violently, adjust the heat as needed. Simmer uncovered until a little more than one third of the liquid has evaporated and the meat begins to reappear along the surface, about ⏱️ 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking. It should now have a sauce-like consistency.
½ cups dry white wine1unsalted beef, chicken, or vegetable stock2 cups½ tsp. sazón with achiote1
5
During the last ⏱️ 10 minutes of cooking, make the pasta. Add 1 lb. spaghetti (or another pasta of choice) to a large pot of salted boiling water and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water and drain.
. spaghetti (or another pasta of choice)1 lb
6
Add the reserved pasta water and 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter directly to the sauce. Increase the heat to high and cook until the liquid reduces slightly and the sauce becomes glossy, about ⏱️ 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the pasta you are planning to eat immediately into the sauce and toss until coated. Serve with Grated Parmesan and ¼ cup (packed) finely chopped cilantro leaves. When storing leftovers, store the pasta and sauce separately so the pasta doesn’t absorb too much liquid. Reheat and toss together before serving.
. unsalted butter1 TbspGrated Parmesan (for serving)
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