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Homemade whole wheat pasta bolognese

An everyday dish for 2, ready in 35 minutes, around $2.13 a serving. People actually plan it with Popotam, and it's in season in October.

35mintotal
≈ $2.13a serving
627kcalper serving
41gof protein
In season in OctoberFreezes well
Let's cook
Homemade whole wheat pasta bolognese, a serving idea
AI-generated image · Serving idea

Step-by-step recipe

check things off as you go

  1. Get the pasta water going

    Pour about 1.5 L of water into the saucepan, add the pinch of salt and set it over high heat so it comes to a boil while you make the sauce.

  2. Chop the veggies

    Peel the onion, carrot and garlic. Thinly slice the onion, cut the carrot into really small dice and crush or mince the garlic.

  3. Brown the meat

    Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef and break it up with the spatula. Cook until there's no pink left at all.

  4. Add the veggies

    Toss the onion, carrot and garlic into the skillet. Stir and cook over medium heat until they soften.

  5. Simmer with the tomato paste

    Add the tomato paste and a small glass of water, then season with pepper. Stir, let it simmer over low heat, and turn it down even more if it starts to stick.

  6. Cook the pasta

    Once the water boils, drop in the whole wheat pasta and stir. Cook it for 12 min at a gentle boil while the sauce finishes simmering over very low heat.

    Tip · Start the timer as soon as the pasta hits the boiling water and taste a piece at 11 min, since whole wheat pasta goes from firm to mushy fast.

  7. Drain, don't rinse

    Save a small glass of the pasta water, then drain the pasta without rinsing it under cold water.

    Tip · Set the pasta water aside before draining, its starch thickens the sauce and helps it cling to the pasta.

  8. Toss and serve

    Tip the pasta into the skillet with the sauce and add a splash of pasta water if it's too thick. Toss for 1 min over low heat and serve right away.

And there you go, it's readyCheck off every step to celebrate.

The questions you're asking

short answers, numbers you can check

How many calories in a serving?

One serving has about 627 kcal. 49% comes from carbs, 26% from protein and 22% from fat.

77 gCarbs
41 gProtein
15 gFat
Per serving (the dish for 2, divided by 2)
Energy627 kcal
Protein41 g
Carbs76.9 g
of which sugars8.8 g
Fat15 g
of which saturated fat3.6 g
Fiber9.2 g
Salt0.5 g

Worked out ingredient by ingredient with the ANSES Ciqual 2025 table, never written by an AI. It's an estimate: veggie sizes and brands make the numbers vary.

How much does it cost?

About $2.13 a serving, adding up the average prices of the ingredients you need to buy.

≈ $4.26for 2 people
≈ $2.13a serving

Pantry salt, oil and spices aren't counted. Your store and your brands will move the total, but the ballpark is right.

How long does it keep?

2 days in the fridge, in a closed container, once cooled within two hours. And it freezes really well.

2 daysin the fridge
Very wellin the freezer, thaw it in the fridge the day before

Times Popotam uses for meal prep, based on ANSES guidance, rounded down. The details: how long cooked dishes keep.

and the rest of the week?

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