Fennel and Pork Bolognese
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 is deceptively simple to make. Trust me you’re going to want to add it to your dinner rotation!
Fennel and pork bolognese is the perfect cozy, cold weather comfort food! It’s a recipe that I make when I know I’ll be home for the afternoon 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
Ingredients You’ll Need:
Recipe Step by Step:
Step. 1 Saute the Pork and Aromatics
Saute the ground pork and pancetta until golden brown then stir in the chopped fennel, onion and garlic. Cook until the fennel and onion are soft and translucent. Season with salt.
Pro tip: 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.
Step. 2 Simmer the Sauce
Next add the wine and reduce by 2/3 the pour in the canned tomatoes. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
Step. 3 Serve
Last, fold in freshly cooked pasta and a splash of pasta water into the sauce. Divide between bowls, top with grated parmesan cheese and roughly chopped fennel fronds! Serve immediately.
FAQs and Expert Tips:
Yes! You can absolutely use a gluten-free pasta. Brown rice pasta is my go-to.
Sure! You could use ground turkey, pork of beef for this recipe or check out the following recipes: The Best Turkey Bolognese and Creamy Calabrian Chili Bolognese.
Check out more great recipes:
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Fennel and Pork Bolognese
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground pork
- 3 oz pancetta or bacon - finely chopped
- 1 small fennel bulb - finely chopped, green fronds reserved for garnish
- 1 medium yellow onion - finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic - finely chopped or grated
- 1 c red wine
- 24 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tsp fennel seeds - or 1 tsp ground fennel
- 1 lb pasta, any shape
- salt and pepper
- parmesan cheese for serving - about a cup
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the ground pork and pancetta until it starts to brown, about 5-7 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to stir and break up the meat. Next, add in the chopped onion, fennel and garlic. Sauté the pork, fennel, onion, and garlic together until soft and fragrant, but not browned, about 10 minutes.
- Next, add the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost evaporated then pour in the canned tomatoes and fennel seeds. Season the sauce with a generous pinch of salt then bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cook the pasta according to the packages instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining. Toss the freshly cooked pasta and pasta water with the sauce. Divide between plates and top with fresh green fennel fronds and lots of parmesan cheese!
This was FABULOUS! Not only is it a fun dish to cook, it’s lovely to present and impressively tasty! I’m a fan of the taste of fennel, so I knew when I found the recipe that I’d likely love it. Everyone at the table RAVED! I added carrots only because I had some in the fridge I needed to use up. Chopped them up very fine. Good use of them! Served with a spinach salad, French bread, and red wine. I’ll be making this again and again. I recommend it JUST AS IS!!! Thanks for posting!