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a bowl of spaghetti on a white plate on a light blue background with a glass of red wine, a glass of water and a baguette
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5 from 3 votes

Fennel and Pork Bolognese

This deceptively simple (and inexpensive!) recipe for fennel and pork bolognese is the perfect cozy, cold weather comfort food!
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Course: dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 622kcal

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!

Notes

The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 4 days and frozen up to 1 month.
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. 

Nutrition

Calories: 622kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 464mg | Potassium: 1254mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 463IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 4mg