Classic Bolognese Sauce! A rich and meaty sauce unlike regular spaghetti sauce. You have to try this to believe how good a simple sauce can be!
Bolognese is a traditional Italian dish named after the place it was created, Bologna. It may sound fancy but it is incredibly easy to make! In order to extract every bit of flavor from this classic bolognese sauce, it requires a minimum of two hours cooking time. You can simmer on your stove top or in a slow cooker.
How to make Classic Bolognese Sauce at home:
Start by rendering the fat from Pancetta, an unsmoked Italian meat product from the belly of the pig.
Add carrots, onions and celery into the pot. Then your ground beef.
A little trick: Use a potato masher to break up the meat.
Bolognese traditionally uses very fine minced beef. I find an immersion blender works great for this. Simply run it through the pot after it has been simmering an hour or so. Just once around the pot will do it. Careful not to over do.
If you don’t have an immersion blender you can add half of the bolognese to a food processor or blender then back to the pot. Or just leave it a bit on the meatier side. It all tastes great! Now pour in the tomatoes!
We used San Marzano tomatoes. There are many good Italian tomato brands in most grocery stores these days. We like Cento in the bright yellow can and it’s easy to find.
Now it’s time to simmer!
This authentic bolognese recipe needs at least 2 hours to come together. I love to use the slow cooker for this!
I love having a pot of something cooking away while I putter around the house or watch a movie. And the aroma of this sauce will make your home smell like heaven!
Whats the difference between bolognese and regular meat sauce?
Bolognese is a type of Ragu. It is thicker, creamier and includes a bit of milk. Usually simmered for much longer than your traditional meat sauce.
We serve this over Pappardelle pasta.
Ribbons of soft pasta with the most flavorful sauce spooned right over the top!
PRO TIP: Freeze left overs in freezer bags for up to 6 months for a delicious meal anytime!
We love Italian food around here! A few of our faves:
Italian and Sausage Soup – only 30 minutes from start to finish! Jarred marinara makes the broth super flavorful!
Or how about an American and Italian combo! These Italian Sloppy Joes taste like that hunk of bread you dip into the spaghetti sauce…it’s the best bite! Over and over again!
Mangia!
Kathi
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Classic Bolognese
Ingredients
- 6 ounces finely chopped pancetta
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin PDO olive oil
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 pounds ground beef we used grass fed 85/15
- 2 32 ounce cans crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup red wine or beef stock
- 1/2 cup whole milk or 1/2 and 1/2
- 1 pound authentic Italian Pappardelle pasta
Instructions
- In large skillet or dutch oven brown the pancetta until crispy and all fat has rendered. Remove all but one tablespoon of the fat.
- To the pancetta, add olive oil, celery, onion and carrots. Saute until slightly tender.
- Add ground meat breaking up as it cooks. Continue to cook until meat is cooked through and browned. FOR SLOW COOKER: Add beef mixture to slow cooker and follow remaining steps.
- Add crushed tomatoes, red wine and milk.
- Bring to a simmer and cook for two hours. (or low setting of slow cooker for 4-5 hours, high setting for 2 hours). TASTE FOR SALT and PEPPER.If you prefer a finer texture to your bolognese, simply run an immersion blender through the pot for a minute or two, after it has been simmering for about an hour. Either thicker or finer this sauce is delicious!
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook your pasta according to package directions.
- Serve Bolognese over cooked pasta and top with fresh grated parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
Denny says
OH yeah…I also forgot to mention that I added Crushed Red Pepper flakes, some Grated Asiago and Permesean cheeses….along with some Tomato Paste
Denny says
I made this last night. I also added (to the Pancetta) diced pepperoni and diced hard salami) and added oregano, rosemary and a heaping tablespoon of garlic. The harder meats get very tender when I simmered in a dutch oven for 2.5 hours.
It tastes (and I mean this in a VERY GOOD way) exactly like the Meat Sauce they use in Stouffers Meat Lovers Lasagna! It was a teensey bit too soupy for me, even with the crushed tomatoes and all the meats……so I added a Cornstarch slurry.
This is an excellent recipe!
Rebecca says
What kind of red wine do you use? I dont drink wine, so I have no clue what to get.
LaughingSpatula.com says
Merlot, cabernet or red table wine will work. Make sure it’s a decent wine. If the wine is bad, you will ruin the dish. You can also forgo the wine and substitute with beef stock if you prefer. It will change the flavor profile but still be delicious!
Kevin says
How would it be without milk? I’m lactose intolerant.
LaughingSpatula.com says
It would be great! Not a big change…
Cindy says
Hi! Thank you for these amazing recipes. I can’t wait to make the bolognese sauce! I have two questions. First, do we use EITHER whole milk, or half and half…what amount do i use of the half and half? I just wanted to confirm this, as I want it to turn out perfectly. I’m assuming it says 1/2 Cup Milk, OR 1/2 Cup Half-n-half – is that correct? Secondly, where do you buy your whole and crushed tomatoes from? I googled it and looked on amazon, and most pricing was selling them in quantities of 4, 6, or 8 cans in an order – which I really don’t need 6 cans of whole tomatoes. I did find a brand on Amazon that only costs $3.90 per can, but it’s only for a 14.1 ounce can. I found the same thing with the crushed tomatoes. Shipping was another $7+. Where did you buy yours from? I really want to use those types of tomatoes so I was hoping you can give me some direction of where I can buy them from?
Thank you so much!
Kathi @ LaughingSpatula.com says
Hi Cindy! You are correct, half a cup of milk or half and half. You can get good quality tomatoes at most any store these days. I got mine at Safeway, not sure where you live. Safeway is Ralphs, Vons and Albertsons (all owned by the same parent company). Get a good Italian tomato. I have found the store brand ones are mushy and not very flavorful. Cenzo is a good brand (bright yellow can) that is readily available and really affordable. Love your enthusiasm, please let me know how the sauce turns out and if you have any other questions! Kathi
Wilkiam says
If you use a slow cooker when do toy ad the half and half or milk?
Thank you
Kathi @ LaughingSpatula.com says
Step #4. Add it with the wine then right into the slow cooker. (you don’t have to wait until after it’s cooked).
barb says
the pictures look like you drain the contents if the can of tomatos. is that the case?
Kathi @ LaughingSpatula.com says
No Barb. Didnt drain them. Just good tomatoes!????
Steve Schaff says
No garlic/oregano/basil?
Kathi @ LaughingSpatula.com says
Correct Steve! You could add them if you want, of course. But you might find adding them makes it taste like spaghetti sauce and not beefy tomato Bolognese. Good question!