Yes, absolutely — you can swap in ground beef! It’ll give the sauce a richer flavor and make it a bit heartier than the lighter chicken version, but still so good. Let me know if you try it! 😊

Hi Lorraine! For 8 people, plan on about 2 pounds of pappardelle if this is the main course. The recipe as written makes enough chicken bolognese to coat around 1 pound of pasta, so I’d recommend doubling the sauce to keep everything balanced. Pappardelle are wide noodles that soak up sauce, so doubling ensures every bite is flavorful and not dry. If you prefer a lighter coating, you could stretch the sauce by making 1½× the recipe, but doubling is the safest for a crowd.