A piping hot bowl of bolognese tossed with pasta and topped with a mountain of parmesan cheese is one of life’s greatest pleasures! This fennel and pork bolognese recipe is deceptively simple but does require a few hours of your time and a lot of love.
Fennel and pork bolognese is the perfect fall to winter comfort food! It’s a recipe that I make when I know I’ll be home for a few hours and can keep an eye on it while it slowly simmers on the stovetop.
Oh, and another great thing about this recipe is it’s really inexpensive to make! The parmesan cheese will likely set you back more than the pork, tomatoes, and pasta combined!
Fennel and Pork Bolognese Serving Suggestions→
Don’t get me wrong fennel and pork bolognese is a complete meal all on its own but if you would like to serve it with a salad or vegetables here are my top pairing picks:
Broccolini with Calabrian Chilis and Garlic
The Perfect Kale Caesar
Everyday Dinner Salad
Fennel and Pork Bolognese Step by Step→
If you’re not in the mood to do a ton of chopping you can pulse the onion, fennel, pancetta, and garlic in a food processor until it is finely chopped.
Fennel and Pork Bolognese
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta, any shape
- 1 lb ground pork
- 2 oz pancetta or bacon finely chopped
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bulb fennel, finely chopped reserve some of the green fronds for garnish
- 1 med onion finely chopped
- 4 large cloves of garlic finely chopped or grated
- 1 c red wine
- 24 oz tomato puree or crushed tomatoes
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- salt and pepper
- parmesan cheese for serving about a cup
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven heat 2-3 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the pancetta, fennel, onion, and garlic together until they are soft and fragrant, but not browned. Between 5-10 minutes.
- Turn the heat up to medium/high, add another splash of olive oil to the pot and then the ground pork along with a big pinch of salt. Sauté the ground pork until it's about 90% cooked then add back in the fennel and pancetta mixture. Add the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost evaporated then pour in the tomato puree.
- Season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper then bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Cook the pasta according to the packages instructions. Toss the freshly cooked pasta with the bolognese. Divide between plates and top with fresh green fennel fronds and lots of parmesan cheese!
Notes
If you love Fennel and Pork Bolognese, Check out more great recipes→
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