Red Wine Chorizo Bolognese

This twist on the classic bolognese has a gorgeous, deep and smoky flavour. It’s an easy and delicious hearty dinner ready and waiting!

Another day another food crime 😂 Traditional bolognese? Absolutely not. Bloomin’ delicious nevertheless?! Heck yes! If you’re looking for your new favourite way to use chorizo follow me…

Chorizo Bolognese

I know, it may sound a little left field, but stick with me here. Chorizo, beef and red wine is a force to be reckoned with. But when you combine it all in a ragu, things get real good real quick. The smokiness of the chorizo and the deep flavour of the wine just takes this bolognese to new heights.

What Chorizo to use?

Ready-to-eat cured chorizo works great here. Just regular Spanish chorizo, not spicy or anything like that. You can use cooking/raw chorizo as well.

What Wine to use?

I’m no wine expert, but I usually go for something like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. Doesn’t need to be fancy or expensive, but in all cases just makes sure it’s DRY (not sweet).

Honourable Mentions

Two more key ingredients I throw in are Rosemary and Sun Dried Tomatoes. Rosemary goes amazingly with chorizo, whilst the sun dried tomatoes really deepen the tangy, smoky flavour of the chorizo.

Process shots: brown beef then remove (photo 1), fry chorizo, onion, carrot, celery (photo 2), stir in tomato puree then deglaze with wine (photo 3), add beef back in (photo 4), add stock, passata, bay leaves, rosemary, sun dried tomatoes and seasoning (photo 5), stir then simmer (photo 6).

Tips for the perfect Chorizo Bolognese

• Finely Dice – Important to finely dice everything, but most importantly the chorizo. Love chorizo, but large chunks in a bolognese are slightly distracting.
• Time – Crucial to simmer the bolognese for AT LEAST 1 hour 30mins. This will tenderize the beef/chorizo and marry all the flavours together.
• Consistency – Important to keep a heavy lid on the pot as you simmer or it’ll reduce too much.

Pasta Water

You’ll notice a layer of oil form on the top from the chorizo. I recommend adding a splash of starchy pasta water and mixing that in. This will help emulsify the fats in the sauce and stop them from separating/rising to the top.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Absolutely! As it rests the flavours will actually develop further. Either store in the fridge or freezer, then defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stove.

Serving Chorizo Bolognese

This obviously goes great with spaghetti (or other long-cut pasta). I love to top with parmesan and tiny fresh basil leaves. Feel free to add some roasted garlic bread (or even pesto garlic bread/cheesy garlic bread!).

What can I do with leftovers?

Goes great plonked on a Bolognese Slider or even scooped inside a Garlic Potato Skins!

If you’re after another chorizo pasta recipe check out my Chicken and Chorizo Pasta!

For more similar recipes check out these beauties too:

• Spaghetti Bolognese
• Life Changing Lasagne
• Epic Baked Spaghetti
• One Pot Meatballs and Rice

Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this chorizo bolognese shall we?!

How to make Chorizo Bolognese (Full Recipe & Video)

5 from 5 votes

Red Wine Chorizo Bolognese

By: Chris Collins

This twist on the classic bolognese has a gorgeous, deep and smoky flavour. It's an easy and delicious hearty dinner ready and waiting!

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 2 hours hrs

Total: 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Servings: 6

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Equipment

• Large Dutch Oven / Pot with Heavy Lid (for bolognese)
• Large Pot, Colander & Pasta Tongs (for spaghetti)
• Wooden Spoon
• Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
• Jug (for stock)
• Large Side Bowl (to transfer beef)
• Serving Spoon
• Box Grater (for carrot)

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1lb / 500g Dried Spaghetti
• ▢ 1.6lb / 750g Ground Beef (preferably not too fatty, around 10% lean works fine)
• ▢ 9oz / 250g Chorizo, finely diced (see notes)
• ▢ 2 cups / 500ml Beef Stock
• ▢ 2 cups / 500ml Tomato Passata (Pureed/Sieved Tomatoes in US)
• ▢ 1 1/4 cups / 300ml DRY Red Wine (see notes)
• ▢ 1 cup / 125g Whole Sun Dried Tomatoes, finely diced
• ▢ 2 tbsp Tomato Puree
• ▢ 2 ribs of Celery, finely diced
• ▢ 2 medium Carrots, grated on box grater
• ▢ 1 large White Onion, finely diced
• ▢ 3 cloves of Garlic, finely diced/minced
• ▢ 2 large sprigs of Rosemary
• ▢ 2 Bay Leaves
• ▢ 1 tsp Sugar, or to taste
• ▢ Salt & Pepper, to taste
• ▢ Olive Oil, as needed
• ▢ Parmesan, to serve
• ▢ Basil Leaves, to serve (optional)

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Instructions 

• Beef: Add a drizzle of olive oil to a large pot over medium high heat and add in beef. Fry and break up with your wooden spoon until it begins to brown. Season with a pinch of salt & pepper and continue frying until fully browned. Remove from pot and place in a side dish. Reduce heat to medium.
• Chorizo: Add a drizzle more oil if needed, then add in chorizo, celery, carrot and onion. Fry until the chorizo begins to crisp and release oil with the carrot, onion celery just beginning to brown. Add in garlic and fry for 1-2mins longer.
• Red Wine: Add in 2 tbsp tomato puree and fry off for a couple of minutes. Pour in red wine, deglaze the pan with your wooden spoon then leave to simmer and reduce for 5mins.
• Cook: Add back in cooked beef, then pour in beef stock and tomato passata. Add sun dried tomatoes, bay leaves, rosemary and seasoning to taste. Give it all a good stir then pop on the lid and simmer for AT LEAST 1 hour 30mins. This is important to tenderize the beef and marry all the flavours together. Take off lid and stir once or twice during.
• Pasta: Add spaghetti to heavily salted boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve a mug of starchy pasta water before draining.
• Reduce: Once you've simmered the beef with the lid on, take it off and allow it to reduce down for 10mins or so. I recommend adding a splash of starchy pasta water to help emulsify the fats in the sauce. You won't need much, no more than 1/4cup.
• Serve: Serve bolognese over spaghetti and top with tiny basil leaves and parmesan. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

a) Chorizo - I use ready-to-eat cured Spanish Chorizo. It crisps up really nice and softens as the sauce simmers. I haven't tried this recipe with cooking or raw chorizo, but if that's all you have I imagine it'll work just as well. I recommend frying it off after the beef and before the veg, just so you can get a nice crust on it.

b) Red Wine - I usually offer a sub for this, but as the title of this recipe suggests this is quite a prominent ingredient. It really deepens the flavour of the sauce and pairs with the chorizo SO well. I'm no wine expert, but usually go for dry red (definitely NOT sweet), something like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.

c) Time - Really crucial to simmer the sauce WITH THE LID ON (or it'll reduce too much) for as long as you have time. The difference between a 20min and 2 hour simmer is HUGE. If you reduce the sauce too much just add a splash of water (preferably pasta water).

d) Storage/Make Ahead - You can make this ahead of time and tightly store in the fridge or freezer. If freezing thaw in the fridge overnight then heat on the stove over low heat until piping hot, adding a splash of water to loosen up the sauce if needed.

e) Serving - Feel free to add some roasted garlic bread (or even pesto garlic bread/cheesy garlic bread!).

f) Inspiration - This recipe is adapted from my Spaghetti Bolognese and inspired by Donal Skehan's Chorizo & Sun Blushed Tomato Bolognese!

g) Calories - Based on no extra toppings or sides. Shared between 6. 

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Nutrition

Calories: 821kcal | Carbohydrates: 73.26g | Protein: 48.44g | Fat: 32.26g | Saturated Fat: 11.508g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.757g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14.785g | Trans Fat: 0.654g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 829mg | Potassium: 1552mg | Fiber: 5.7g | Sugar: 10.76g | Vitamin A: 4049IU | Vitamin C: 15.2mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 7.67mg

Looking for more?

You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’

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