Bolognese sauce is an Italian meat sauce with a creamy twist. Also called ragù alla bolognese, it differs from other meat sauces and plain tomato sauce because it contains sweeter ingredients like carrots, as well as a cup of milk for luxurious creamy bites. A generous sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan at the end ties everything together for the perfect pasta dinner.
While the sauce is not difficult to make at all, it does take a few hours to develop that perfect flavor and thickness. It’s a wonderful meal to make on the weekend, when you have time to slowly and lovingly simmer the sauce to build the meaty, indulgent flavor that it’s known for. In terms of what pasta to serve, I enjoy pappardelle bolognese, since the thick pasta is strong enough to withstand the robust sauce. Tube-shaped pasta like penne also works well. Save spaghetti and other skinny pasta for a thinner sauce. And if you’re in the mood for more rich Italian pasta recipes, then try my spaghetti sauce recipe, classic lasagna recipe, and baked rigatoni recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Soffritto — if you’ve ever made a French mirepoix, this is the Italian version! You’ll need finely chopped carrots, celery, and onion for the soffritto. This is the “holy trinity” of flavor-building, despite the humbleness of the ingredients!
Garlic — while garlic is not a traditional component of this Italian sauce, I think it adds a lot of flavor and nuance to the sauce.
Ground meat — I only use ground beef in this recipe but feel free to substitute some of it with ground pork or turkey, or even ground veal for extra dimension.
Dry white wine — pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc are good options. Avoid sweet wine like riesling.
Tomatoes — you’ll need a can of whole tomatoes as well as a small tin of tomato paste. I prefer San Marzano tomatoes.
Bay leaf — bay leaves are another non-traditional ingredient that I think is a must for a flavorful bolognese sauce recipe. If you happen to have fresh bay leaves, you can use them, but I typically use dried bay leaves from the pantry.
Milk — for the creamiest results, use whole milk. But 2% will work in a pinch! Set the milk out about 30 minutes before you use it so it comes to room temperature. If the milk is cold, it may curdle when it touches the hot pasta sauce.
Pasta — I like using a long, thick pasta like pappardelle or tagliatelle, which are both substantial enough to manage the weight of the hefty ragù bolognese.
Parmesan cheese — freshly grated parmesan is the perfect finishing touch to this pasta dish.
How to Make Bolognese
1. Set a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Make the soffritto by adding the carrots, celery, and onion to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender. This will take about 7 minutes. Add the minced garlic, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
2. Add the ground beef. Brown for about 5 minutes, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon and stirring frequently. Pour in the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any brown bits.
3. Stir in the crushed whole tomatoes, tomato paste, and bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low and bring the mixture to a simmer. Partially cover and cook for 2 hours. Stir occasionally (I recommend setting a timer to stir every 20 to 30 minutes to prevent anything sticking to the bottom of the pot). Uncover the pot, and continue simmering and stirring occasionally for an additional 1 hour, or until thickened.
4. Remove the bay leaf before slowly stirring in the room temperature milk. Once fully combined, add salt and pepper. Remove the sauce from the heat and cover to keep warm.
5. In the last 15 minutes or so of cooking time for the sauce, you can start cooking the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook your chosen pasta according to package directions.
6. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Toss well to combine and serve immediately, topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese and chopped fresh herbs.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Chop up the vegetables quite small. A good soffritto is the first step to create a memorable bolognese. After simmering for a few hours, the vegetables should be essentially dissolved into the sauce. To achieve this, and to avoid big chunks of vegetables, chop them up finely. You could also make use of a food processor to save time. Beware of over-processing onion, though, as you can end up with onion paste in the span of a few seconds!
- Use white wine. White wine adds brightness and acidity to the sauce, while cooking off fairly quickly. Red wine takes a much longer time to mellow out.
- Crush the tomatoes before adding them to the sauce. Whole canned tomatoes are the best option for a thick sauce, but you’ll need to help them break down by crushing them. Place them into a bowl and squeeze the tomatoes with a clean hand.
- Low and slow is the name of the game for this easy bolognese recipe. The sauce simmers for 3 hours, and a low heat will prevent the ingredients from sticking to the pot, while allowing a rich, deep flavor to develop for an authentic bolognese sauce.
- Cook the pasta when the sauce is almost ready. Start the pasta about 15 minutes before the sauce is done so it is ready to toss in immediately.
- Avoid thinner pasta varieties like spaghetti and angel hair pasta. While you may know and love spaghetti bolognese, spaghetti is a pretty flimsy pasta that might not be able to withstand the heft of a meat sauce like this.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Like stews and soups, pasta sauce tastes better the next day, after the flavors have had a chance to meld and marry. I love cooking up the sauce the night before I plan to serve it to make the most of the special flavor, then reheating it while the pasta water comes to a boil.
My favorite pasta for a meat sauce like this bolognese is pappardelle. You need a sturdy pasta that is able to withstand the weight of the sauce. Long pastas like pappardelle and tagliatelle are commonly used. But you could also use a tube-shaped pasta to pick up a lot of the sauce in every bite. Rigatoni and penne are wonderful options.
Start with your favorite salad, like a colorful, fragrant caprese salad. To go alongside your pasta dinner, try some crunchy homemade garlic bread and a refreshing aperol spritz. Since this recipe is a labor of love, a simple dessert like affogato is a delightful, no-fuss option to finish off the meal.
Once the sauce has cooled to room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container. I recommend glass as plastic tends to stain and trap odor. Refrigerate for up to 4 days. To reheat, spoon the sauce into a pot and reheat over medium heat until warmed through.
This sauce freezes beautifully, so feel free to make a double batch to save for later! Allow the sauce to cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Don’t fill the vessel completely because the sauce will expand as it freezes. The sauce will keep in the freezer for about 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stove over medium heat, or in the microwave for a faster option, until heated through.
If you’ve tried this bolognese recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Bolognese
Equipment
- 2 Large pots
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 carrots chopped
- 1 celery stalk chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1½ pounds ground beef (80/20) (675g)
- 1 cup dry white wine (240mL)
- 1 (28-ounce/794g) can whole tomatoes crushed
- 1 (6-ounce/170g) can tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup whole milk room temperature, (240ml)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound pappardelle or tagliatelle pasta (450g)
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (43g)
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the carrots, celery, and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the ground beef. Cook, breaking up the meat while stirring frequently until browned, about 5 minutes.
- Pour in the wine, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, and bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low and bring to a simmer.
- Partially cover, and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Uncover, and continue simmering and stirring occasionally for an additional 1 hour, or until thickened.
- Remove the bay leaf. Slowly stir in the milk, until fully combined. Stir in the salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions.
- Add the cooked and drained pasta to the meat mixture, tossing well to combine. Serve immediately topped with parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Chop up the vegetables quite small. A good soffritto is the first step to create a memorable bolognese. After simmering for a few hours, the vegetables should be essentially dissolved into the sauce. To achieve this, and to avoid big chunks of vegetables, chop them up finely. You could also make use of a food processor to save time. Beware of over-processing onion, though, as you can end up with onion paste in the span of a few seconds!
- Use white wine. White wine adds brightness and acidity to the sauce, while cooking off fairly quickly. Red wine takes a much longer time to mellow out.
- Crush the tomatoes before adding them to the sauce. Whole canned tomatoes are the best option for a thick sauce, but you’ll need to help them break down by crushing them. Place them into a bowl and squeeze the tomatoes with a clean hand.
- Low and slow is the name of the game for this easy bolognese recipe. The sauce simmers for 3 hours, and a low heat will prevent the ingredients from sticking to the pot, while allowing a rich, deep flavor to develop for an authentic bolognese sauce.
- Cook the pasta when the sauce is almost ready. Start the pasta about 15 minutes before the sauce is done so it is ready to toss in immediately.
- Avoid thinner pasta varieties like spaghetti and angel hair pasta. While you may know and love spaghetti bolognese, spaghetti is a pretty flimsy pasta that might not be able to withstand the heft of a meat sauce like this.
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