This is the best Bolognese sauce. It requires very little effort, calls for simple ingredients and bit of time. The final product is a rich, robust meaty sauce that is out of this world.
HELLO pasta lovers! I hope you’re ready for this. Your tastebuds are getting ready to have a party with this classic, ultra flavorful Bolognese.
What is Bolognese?
The classic Bolognese is a meat based sauce that is simmered for a long period of time allowing all the flavors to really develop and the sauce to become thick and hearty. It originates from Bologna, Italy. It is typically made with white wine, carrots, celery, onions, tomato paste and ground beef, but as will all recipes there are several different variations.
The name is fancy, but the dish itself truly is simple.
While it is more than just a basic meat sauce, the thing that separates this from the typical pasta sauce is the cook time. It takes about 3 hours, but before you keep scrolling, most of that is hands off!
Bolognese sauce is the simplest way to take an ordinary package of ground beef and transform it into an impressive show stopping dish. This thick, rich, hearty sauce coats delicious pasta and yields a plate of umami goodness.
I love this sauce on a wide, flat pasta. The wider pasta truly makes a difference and allows the sauce to coat it and stick to it perfectly. I opted for pappardelle, but any wider pasta will work!
This sauce freezes beautifully, so go ahead and do yourself a favor and make a double batch while you’re at it. Pop half in the freezer and the next time you’re super hungry, don’t feel like cooking and want the ultimate comfort food this deliciousness will be waiting for you!
Bolognese Sauce
This is the best Bolognese sauce. It requires very little effort, calls for simple ingredients and bit of time. The final product is a rich, robust meaty sauce that is out of this world.
Ingredients
- 1 Medium onion, diced
- 1 Stalk celery, diced
- 1 Small carrot, peeled and diced
- 3 Cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Pound ground beef*
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 Oz pancetta, finely chopped
- 1 Cup dry white wine
- 1 (6oz) Can tomato paste
- 1 (15 0z) Can crushed tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups chicken stock, homemade or store-bought (Plus more if needed)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 Pound fresh tagliatelle or pappardelle, or dry rigatoni
- 1/2 Cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Place oil in a large pot and heat over medium heat. Add the ground beef, break into small pieces and cook until browned and cooked through. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl. Set aside.
- Wipe the pan out, place back over heat. Add the pancetta and cook until the fat is rendered and the pieces begin to crisp, about 6-8 minutes.
- Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook until the onions begin to turn translucent the vegetables begin to soften, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook and additional 45 seconds.
- Return the beef to the pan, add the wine and stir to combine. Gently press the meat and vegetables down to form a single layer. Cook the mixture over low heat about 12-15 minutes, until the wine is evaporated and the surface of the meat is fairly dry.
- Add the tomato paste and bay leaf, stir to combine. Cook until the tomato past has darkened, about 5 minutes, being sure to stir occasionally.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and stock into the pan. Stir to combine. Cook, uncovered, for an hour, stirring occasionally. After an hour add the milk and stir to combine. Cook an additional hour* and a half to two hours, until meat is tender and the mixture is reminiscent to sloppy joes. If the liquid is completely gone, add an additional half a cup of chicken stock and continue cooking.
- Once the mixture is cooked, remove the bay leave, and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Cook pasta according to instructions, until very al dente. If using a dry pasta, cook 2 minutes less than instructed.
- Using tongs, transfer the al dente pasta to the bolognese sauce along with a cup of pasta water and half a cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese.
- Increase heat to medium, stirring the mixture constantly, and cook until the liquid is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Transfer to platter and top with additional freshly grated cheese.
Notes
*I used ground beef with 20% fat.
*During the cooking process, there should be no rapid bubbling in the sauce mixture. If there is, reduce heat.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 645Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 511mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 35g
Nutrition is gathered and calculated based on the ingredients used by Nutritionix. Nutrition can vary for a recipe based on numerous factors such as precision of the measurements, brands of products, freshness of ingredients or the source of the nutritional data.
This recipe is slightly adapted from Bon Appetit.
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