The BEST Bolognese Sauce Recipe
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
3 hrs 30 mins
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Total Time
4 hrs
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Servings
8
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Calories
543 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
The BEST Bolognese Sauce Recipe
Description
This Bolognese sauce begins by gently softening a finely chopped mirepoix of onion, celery, and carrot in olive oil and butter. Ground beef, pork, and pancetta are browned with red pepper flakes, then tomato paste is cooked until it deepens in color. San Marzano tomatoes pureed with their juice are added, followed by white wine which is reduced to concentrate flavor. Milk and broth are incorporated and the sauce simmers with bay leaves and salt, developing a balanced, hearty character without overpowering acidity.
The texture is thick yet saucy, with tender bits of meat throughout. The combination of three meats adds layers of flavor from the pork’s sweetness, the beef’s richness, and the pancetta’s savory depth. The slow cooking allows flavors to meld and soften vegetables.
Bolognese is classically served over long, wide pasta noodles but also works well with other pasta shapes. Leftover sauce can be refrigerated or frozen, making it practical for meal prep.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 yellow onion , roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 celery roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces, stalk
- 1 carrot , peeled and roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 ounce can San Marzano Tomatoes about 3 cups, whole, in juice
- 8 ounces pancetta , cut into ½-inch chunks
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 pound ground chuck beef 80/20 blend
- 1 pound ground pork
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup white wine dry
- 1 cup milk 2% milk fat can be substituted, whole
- 2 cups beef broth or chicken broth
- 3 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot, add the olive oil and butter over medium heat. In a food processor, pulse the onion, celery, and carrot until finely chopped. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and golden, about 5-7 minutes.
- While the vegetables are cooking, add the tomatoes with their juice to the food processor and pulse 5-7 times until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Wipe out the food processor, then add the pancetta to the bowl. Pulse until the pancetta is a coarse paste. Set aside.
- Add the ground chuck, pork, and pancetta to the Dutch oven, along with the red pepper flakes. Use a wooden spoon to break the meat apart as it cooks, just until lightly browned so the meat loses its raw edge. Add the tomato paste and cook for about 10 minutes until the paste begins to brown, stirring when needed so it doesn't burn.
- Add the wine and cook until the wine is almost all absorbed, about 10 minutes, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Add the milk and cook until it has evaporated, which will take about 30 minutes, stirring and breaking up the meat more as it cooks.
- Add the tomatoes, broth, bay leaves, and kosher salt. Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to the lowest setting so it cooks with barely a bubble breaking the surface occasionally. Cook for 2 ½ to 3 hours until the meat is tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened to become rich and dark in color. Toward the end of cooking, a layer of oil will likely rise to the top. Spoon off the oil or fold back into the sauce as desired. The longer you cook the sauce the better it will become. If the sauce seems to dry out, add ¼ cup hot water at a time as needed.
- Serve the sauce over wide egg or pasta noodles such as pappardelle, tagliatelle, fettuccine, or rigatoni. Serve topped with fresh grated Parmesan cheese/
Notes
- This sauce pairs best with long, wide noodles but is versatile with other pasta types.
- Leftover Bolognese can be frozen for up to three months for future meals.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 543 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 543kcal | 27% |
| Carbohydrates | 5g | 2% |
| Protein | 25g | 50% |
| Fat | 45g | 69% |
| Saturated Fat | 17g | 85% |
| Cholesterol | 114mg | 38% |
| Sodium | 863mg | 36% |
| Potassium | 540mg | 11% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 1563IU | 31% |
| Vitamin C | 3mg | 3% |
| Calcium | 67mg | 7% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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