Bolognese Sauce
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Simmer your way to a rich and savory Bolognese sauce. Teeming with fresh veggies, succulent meat, and robust flavors, this Italian classic is perfect for cozy family meals.
Bolognese, or ragù alla bolognese, is a slow-cooked Italian meat sauce that hails from Bologna. It’s a Sunday night staple in my household, perfect for those big family suppers. As it simmers on the stove and its incredible aroma fills the house, it’s only a matter of time before everyone starts asking, “When’s dinner?”
Unlike standard meat sauces, which heavily rely on tomatoes, Bolognese sauce achieves its depth of flavor and richness through the addition of pancetta, lots of veggies, broth, wine, and a touch of milk. While bolognese is typically served over pasta like tagliatelle or fettuccine, it’s equally delicious layered into a lasagna. For an extra special touch, consider picking up some fresh pasta from the refrigerated section of your supermarket—it’s an easy way to take this dish up a notch.
Table of Contents
“My whole family loves this sauce. It’s rich and full of flavor and so easy for weekday or weekend.”
What You’ll Need To Make Bolognese Sauce
- Onions, Carrots, Celery, Garlic: These aromatic vegetables form the flavor base of the sauce, providing depth and sweetness.
- Ground Beef: Serves as the main protein component, adding richness and texture to the sauce.
- Pancetta: Enhances the meaty flavor of the sauce with its salty and savory profile. It’s essentially Italian bacon, cured with salt and spices, and then dried (unlike American bacon, which is smoked). You can find it in the deli section of most supermarkets or conveniently pre-cut and packaged in the refrigerated gourmet foods aisle, which is a great time saver.
- Red Wine: Adds acidity and complexity to the sauce. See the FAQs below for my recommendations on the best wine to use.
- Beef Broth: Provides additional meaty flavor and richness, while also adding moisture.
- Canned Crushed Tomatoes: Forms the tomato base of the sauce, contributing sweetness and tanginess; it also thickens the sauce.
- Whole Milk: Balances the acidity of the tomatoes and wine, adding creaminess and richness.
- Pasta: Serves as the base for serving the Bolognese sauce. Fresh pasta from the refrigerated case in the supermarket is especially delicious—and it cooks faster than dried pasta.
- Oregano and Basil: Herbs that add aromatic freshness to the sauce.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
To make things easier, I use a food processor to finely chop the vegetables. If you don’t have one, chopping by hand works too. If using your food processor, place the onions in the bowl fitted with metal blade.
Pulse until very finely chopped but not puréed.
Transfer the onions to a bowl, then add carrots and celery to the food processor.
Pulse until finely chopped.
Heat the olive oil in large heavy pot over medium-high heat, and add the onion and vegetable mixture.
Cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 8 minutes. Lower the heat if vegetables start to brown.
Add the ground beef, pancetta, salt and pepper.
Cook over medium-high heat, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until meat is no longer pink, 5 to 10 minutes.
Add red wine and cook until liquid is almost evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the broth, crushed tomatoes and oregano.
Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Stir in the milk.
Cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer until milk is absorbed, about 35 minutes. If the sauce looks greasy, use a soup spoon to skim the fat off of the top. Cover to keep warm while you make the pasta.
Cook pasta according to package instructions.
Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Toss the pasta with the sauce, adding the reserved pasta water little by little if the pasta seems dry. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary. Divide the pasta into serving bowls and sprinkle with fresh herbs, if using. Pass the grated Parmigiano Reggiano at the table.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Bolognese sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. Let it cool to room temperature and store in a covered container in the refrigerator. Reheat over medium-low heat on the stovetop before serving.
Yes, Bolognese sauce freezes exceptionally well. Allow the sauce to cool completely before transferring it to airtight containers or freezer bags. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw the sauce in the refrigerator overnight and reheat gently on the stove, adding a little water or broth if necessary to adjust the consistency.
A dry red wine is ideal for Bolognese sauce. Traditional choices include Italian varieties such as Chianti, Barolo, or Sangiovese; these wines not only enhance the sauce but also complement the finished dish when served alongside it. However, any good-quality dry red wine you enjoy, such as Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Cabernet Sauvignon, can also be used. Just avoid using cooking wine, as it contains salt and additives that can affect the flavor of your sauce.
The classic pasta choice is tagliatelle, a wide, flat egg noodle that holds the sauce well. Other traditional options include pappardelle and fettuccine, but any pasta shape will work!
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Bolognese Sauce
Simmer your way to a rich and savory Bolognese sauce. Teeming with fresh veggies, succulent meat, and robust flavors, this Italian classic is perfect for cozy family meals.
Ingredients
- 2 medium yellow onions, peeled and chopped into 1-inch chunks
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch chunks
- 2 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 3 cloves garlic, very roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1⅓ pounds ground beef (85% lean)
- 4 ounces pancetta, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon salt (plus more for pasta water)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 (14-oz) can crushed tomatoes (about 1¾ cups)
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 pound pasta, for serving
- Handful chopped fresh basil or parsley, for serving (optional)
- Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Place the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse until very finely chopped but not puréed. Transfer the onions to a separate bowl, then add the carrots, celery, and garlic to the food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.
- Heat the oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the finely chopped onions and vegetable mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Lower the heat if the vegetables start to brown.
- Add the ground beef, pancetta, salt, and pepper and cook over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the meat is no longer pink, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add the wine and cook until it is almost evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the broth, crushed tomatoes and oregano. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Add the milk to the sauce and stir to combine. Cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer until the milk is absorbed and the meat is tender, about 35 minutes. If the sauce looks greasy, use a soup spoon to skim the fat off of the top. Remove the pan from the heat and cover to keep warm while you make the pasta.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Before straining, ladle out 1 cup of the pasta water into a bowl or measuring cup and set aside. Drain the pasta, then add to the sauce. Toss with tongs, adding the reserved pasta water little by little if the pasta seems dry. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary. Divide the pasta into serving bowls and sprinkle with fresh herbs, if using. Pass the grated Parmigiano Reggiano at the table.
- Note: I like the Buitoni brand of fresh pasta sold in the refrigerator case at most supermarkets for this recipe. It cooks quickly and tastes great. (But don't worry if you can't find it; any pasta will work well.)
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. Let it cool to room temperature and then store in a covered container in the refrigerator. Reheat over medium-low heat on the stovetop before serving.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 717
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 71 g
- Sugar: 10 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 36 g
- Sodium: 910 mg
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Comments
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What can I use if I don’t have a food processor?
Hi Becky, You can chop by hand.
Hi, I was wondering what kind of dry red wine to use? I’m not particularly familiar with any kind of good cooking red wine. Please help. Much is appreciated.
Hi Ollie, You could use a Pinot Noir, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon, to name just a few 🙂
This recipe looks so good! I’m planning on cooking it this Friday. But I don’t have any fresh fettucini at any of my grocery store. Is it possible to just use the box fettucini from the shelf? Please help. Thank you!
Yes, absolutely — it will still be delicious!
Hi Jenn,
Thank-you for sharing all your yummy recipes! I’d like to make your Bolognese and I’m wondering, could the this be made ahead of time with egg noodles and baked in the oven as a hot dish before serving?
Hi Jill, Yes, I think that will work well. Enjoy 🙂
This recipe was AWESOME! I had never made a Bolognese sauce before, but I certainly will make this again. This recipe makes a LOT of sauce – probably enough for two pounds of pasta. Next time, I’ll either halve the recipe, or freeze half the sauce for another day.
First of all you have over sauced this dish like a true rich American. The sauce is a condiment like catsup or mustered on a hamburger. Dried oregano in Bolognese sauce give me a break. You people are so not Italian the sauce is made with 1/3 veal, lb pork, lb beef and pancetta ground together. It does not have crushed tomatoes only a small amount of true Italian tomato paste. The celery is rare but not uncommon and the red wine is uncommon as white wine is traditionally used in Bologna. Your finished dish is red as a beet but the color should be an orange or dark pinkish orange.
To reviewer Scott Walden:
At first, I wasn’t going to dignify you’re unwarranted and abusive review, but it begged a response. The beauty and fun of cooking is that you don’t have to stick to tradition and/or the recipe. You’re free to experiment and wind up with a great, signature dish. You’re rude, insulting and totally miss the spirit of cooking. You’re presumptuous, too. Not all Americans are rich.
Good for Vicki plum. …Scott is just an ass.
Well said, Gilly! 😀
Well put, Chris, thanks! 😀
To reviewer Scott Walden. Like Vickiplum at first I was going to ignore your review, but then the irony of your comments hit me. So to your comments I say if you are such a expert in how to prepare Italian cuisine, why not use your energy doing something useful, rather than insulting someone who is helping others build their confidence in the kitchen. Food, is best prepared and digested in a positive environment. You aren’t welcome here!
I just stumbled on this recipe and was excited to try another one of Jenn’s creations so I set about reading the reviews. It’s simmering for the first 45 minutes as I type, so I can’t really review the recipe yet. My son keeps telling me the house smells amazing though. Scott, I appreciate that you have a subjective opinion as to how this recipe can be made but I can not relate to the unkind method by which you share your “expertise”. Most of us busy women and men who look forward to Jenn’s emails every few weeks do so not just because she has some terrific recipes, but because she is kind, caring and helpful. I hope at some point since you posted your unnecessarily harsh and vituperative comments, you have had some sort of epiphany about your review. My suspicion is that Jenn would be gracious enough to receive your apology but that you wouldn’t be man enough to offer one.
Scott, why are you even on this site and cooking this if you are such an expert on making true Italian Bolognese sauce? i have a lot of Italians cookbooks and look at Italians recipes on the web all the time, the Bolognese recipes are all slightly different. In fact the one Giada has in her cookbook has even more tomatoes in it and huuum let me think; she is Italian!! All great recipes have variations. This is delicious and you can always substitute white wine or tomato paste if you prefer. What I love about Jenn’s recipes is they are easy to follow and always delicious. I have turned so many people on to her and they love her recipes. Enjoy everyone.
Hi – first of all, kudos for getting right one thing most get wrong: bolognese is born as a sauce for fettuccine, NOT spaghetti. People in Bologna use tomato sauce on spaghetti, strange as it may seem. And your recipe for the sauce is the real thing (the only difference with the traditional one being the substitution of red wine for white). Only, as you found out yourself, it is a bit on the greasy side (as most of the cuisine in the area around Bologna), so at home we skip milk and cream altogether and use ground bologna instead of pancetta.
At any rate, it is refreshing to find someone who understand that the key to Italian cuisine (to any good one, in truth) is simplicity – I’ve found on the net many a travesty.
Keep up the good work!
(Uh, I forgot but probably you guessed it: I live not too far from Bologna…….)
Does this sauce freeze well? I would like to make it for two and save the rest. What do you think about adding mushrooms?
Hi Tori, Yes and yes 🙂
Hi jenn,
I don’t use alcohol in my cooking, so was wondering how to make this without it. Is there anything I can substitute for this?
Hi Sandi, You can add more beef broth instead of the wine. Hope it turns out 🙂
This is a classic. I love this recipe and have made it several times. Absolutely delicious!