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    The Heirloom Pantry » Recipes » Pasta

    Traditional Bolognese Sauce (Ragù alla Bolognese)

    Published: Oct 20, 2020 · Modified: Oct 12, 2023 by Kathleen Higashiyama · The following content may contain paid links. When you click and shop the links, we receive a commission.

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    Authentic bolognese Pinterest pin.

    Bolognese Sauce is a classic Italian comfort recipe that's a rich and flavorful blend of ground beef, tomatoes, and aromatic vegetables. Cooked low and slow to perfection, this versatile sauce can be enjoyed over pasta, used in lasagna, or served with polenta or arancini.

    Authentic bolognese ragu in a dutch oven, used for lasagna, pasta, polenta, arancini, and more.

    We love bolognese because it is as delicious as it is versatile. Kat's mom and Nonna make it all of the time, and we love to make a big batch then use it for multiple dinners. However you enjoy it, it makes for a hearty and satisfying sauce for all types of dishes.

    Don't feel tempted to take a shortcut and buy a jar of sauce. If you make it from scratch, you can control the quality ingredients, the flavors, and the consistency of the sauce. Plus, it only requires 10 minutes of prep and yields plenty of leftovers!

    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love Bolognese
    • Key Ingredients
    • Substitutions and Variations
    • How to make Make Traditional Bolognese Sauce
    • Bolognese Tips
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Other Authentic Pasta Recipes
    • Did You Like This Recipe?
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why You'll Love Bolognese

    • Taste - The bolognese is savory, bright, and rich.
    • Texture - It is smooth and light with small chunks of meat and veggies.
    • Effort - All you need to do is cook the veggies, then the meat, then the tomatoes.
    • Time - It takes about 10 minutes of prep and about 2 and half hours to cook.
    Ingredients for authentic bolognese, passata or tomatoes, milk, butter, ground beef, nutmeg, white wine, olive oil, onion, carrot, celery, kosher salt, pepper.

    Key Ingredients

    • Soffritto - Soffritto is the flavorful base for many Italian dishes and consists of minced onions, carrots, and celery. Make it by mincing with a knife and cutting board or take a shortcut and make it with a food processor.
    • Ground beef - Ground beef provides the hearty richness to the bolognese sauce. We recommend an 85/15 or 80/20 so there's enough fat to add flavor. The fat from the beef slowly renders and makes the buttery consistency.
    • Whole milk - Whole milk maintains the beef's tenderness and makes the sauce extra rich.
    • White wine - White wine works especially well with dairy. It adds depth and complexity to the sauce and brightens the flavor.
    • Italian tomatoes - Imported Italian plum tomatoes and San Marzano tomatoes have a sweeter, more intense, and less acidic tomato taste compared to domestically grown tomatoes. Passata is a tomato purée that you can make from the canned tomatoes or purchase in a jar, often imported from Italy.
    • Parmigiano-reggiano cheese - Parmigiano-reggiano is an aged Italian cheese made of cow's milk. It is full of umami flavor and is the perfect topping for a beef ragù.

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Substitutions and Variations

    • Lean beef - Use a lean ground beef with lower fat content.
    • Ground Pork - Use a blend of ground pork and ground beef for a milder flavor.
    • Pancetta or guanciale - Render chopped pancetta or guanciale and use the rendered fat to cook the soffritto.
    • Red wine - Use red wine instead of white wine to add more body to the sauce.
    • Stock - Instead of wine, opt for a rich beef stock to add flavor to the ragù.
    • Spicy - Add red chili flakes or fresh cracked black pepper to spice up the sauce.

    How to make Make Traditional Bolognese Sauce

    Steps to make authentic bolognese, heat oil and butter, sauté soffritto (onion, carrot, celery), add ground beef, and season.
    • Prepare veggies - Finely mince the celery, carrots, and onion. The goal is to mince the vegetables so finely that they essentially melt when cooked with the olive oil.
    • Warm oil and butter - In a large pot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add in butter to melt. (Photo 1)
    • Cook veggies - Then stir in minced onion, carrot, and celery and cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until the onion turns translucent and the carrot and celery are soft, stirring occasionally. The mixture, known as soffritto, should be soft and cooked down. (Photo 2 and 3)
    • Cook and season beef - Break beef into chunks and stir into the soffritto mixture. Then add kosher salt, pepper, and nutmeg. (Photo 4)
    Steps to make authentic bolognese, add milk and dry white wine, stir in tomato passata, cook for 3 hours, enjoy with pasta, lasagna, polenta, and more.
    • Brown beef - Once the meat begins to brown, stir in the milk and cook until it is absorbed in the meat, about 3 minutes. Then add the white wine and simmer until reduced. (Photo 5)
    • Add tomatoes - Add tomatoes to the pot and stir the mixture until the ingredients are covered in tomato juice. Once the sauce starts to simmer, lower the heat so the sauce reaches a very gentle bubble. (Photo 6)
    • Simmer sauce - Allow sauce to gently cook over low heat for 2½ hours with the lid partially covering the pot, stirring occasionally. If the sauce dries out and is too thick, you may add a little water or beef stock and stir, then simmer some more. Cook up to 3 hours for an even deeper, concentrated flavor. (Photo 7)
    • Season and enjoy - Then add more salt and pepper to taste. Use for pasta, lasagna, polenta, and more. (Photo 8)

    Bolognese Tips

    • High quality ingredients - The quality of the sauce depends on the quality of the ingredients. Be sure to use fresh veggies for the soffritto, flavorful tomatoes, and high-quality beef.
    • Gently bubble, don't boil - Be sure to cook the sauce over low heat slowly to ensure the flavors meld and the sauce thickens.

    Recipe FAQs


    What is the best type of pasta for bolognese sauce?

    The best type of pasta for this classic Italian sauce are wide flat noodles, such as pappardelle or tagliatelle, and wide tube pasta shapes, such as rigatoni or penne. Wide noodles with more surface area allow the sauce to cling to the pasta.

    What can you serve with bolognese sauce?

    After you coat the pasta noodles with Bolognese sauce, enjoy the bolognese pasta as the primo piatto in a traditional Italian meal or enjoy with a simple arugula or romaine side salad dressed in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper.

    Staub dutch oven with authentic bolognese to use for lasagna, pasta, and more.

    Other Authentic Pasta Recipes

    • Nonna’s Pasta Pomodoro
    • Bucatini Seafood Pasta
    • Pesto Orecchiette with Rapini and Sausage
    • Eggplant Pasta

    Did You Like This Recipe?

    Love this easy bolognese recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below. You can also check these other lazy Sunday dinner recipes.

    Sign up for THP's newsletter and keep in touch on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok, and YouTube. If you make this recipe, tag #theheirloompantry so we can see your homemade bolognese!

    📖 Recipe

    Authentic bolognese ragu in a dutch oven, used for lasagna, pasta, polenta, arancini, and more.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    5 from 8 votes

    Traditional Bolognese Sauce (Ragù alla Bolognese)

    Bolognese Sauce is a classic Italian comfort recipe that's a rich and flavorful blend of ground beef, tomatoes, and aromatic vegetables. Cooked low and slow to perfection, this versatile sauce can be enjoyed over pasta, used in lasagna, or served with polenta or arancini.
    Prep Time20 minutes mins
    Cook Time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
    Total Time2 hours hrs 50 minutes mins
    Course: Dinner, Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 304kcal
    Author: Kathleen Higashiyama

    Equipment

    • 1 knife
    • 1 cutting board
    • 1 medium pot or dutch oven
    • 1 wooden spoon

    Ingredients 

    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 tablespoon butter
    • 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
    • 2 celery ribs finely chopped
    • 2 medium carrots finely chopped
    • 1 lb ground beef 85/15 or 80/20
    • 1-2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
    • ½ fresh cracked black pepper or to taste
    • ½ teaspoon nutmeg or to taste
    • ½ cup milk
    • ¾ cup white wine
    • 28 oz passata, or 28 oz can of San Marzano or Italian crushed plum tomatoes plus the juice *see notes
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Prepare vegetables - Finely mince the celery, carrots, and onion. The goal is to mince the vegetables so finely that they essentially melt when cooked with the olive oil.
      1 medium yellow onion, 2 celery ribs, 2 medium carrots
    • Cook vegetables - In a large pot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add in butter to melt. Stir in minced onion, carrot, and celery and cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until the onion turns translucent and the carrot and celery are soft, stirring occasionally. The mixture, known as soffritto, should be soft and cooked down.
      2 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoon butter, ½ cup milk
    • Cook beef - Break beef into chunks and stir into the soffritto mixture. Add kosher salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Once the meat begins to brown, stir in the milk and cook until it is absorbed in the meat, about 3 minutes. Then, add the white wine and simmer until reduced.
      1 lb ground beef, 1-2 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ fresh cracked black pepper, ¾ cup white wine, ½ teaspoon nutmeg
    • Add tomatoes - Add tomatoes to the pot and stir the mixture until the ingredients are covered in tomato juice. Once the sauce starts to simmer, lower the heat so the sauce reaches a very gentle bubble.
      28 oz passata, or 28 oz can of San Marzano or Italian crushed plum tomatoes plus the juice
    • Simmer sauce - Allow sauce to gently bubble on low heat for 2½ hours with the lid partially covering the pot, stirring occasionally. If the sauce dries out and is too thick, you may add a little water or beef stock and stir, then cook some more. Cook up to 3 hours for an even deeper, concentrated flavor. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Use for pasta, lasagna, polenta, arancini, and more.

    Video

    Notes

    *For the tomatoes, you can use canned whole tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, or passata. Passata is a smooth tomato purée. If you use canned whole tomatoes, we recommend blending them until smooth or pulsing in a blender until broken down. You can also do this by hand.
    Store and Reheat Instructions
    Refrigerate Bolognese sauce for up to 5 days in an air-tight container. To reheat, simply place the desired amount of sauce in a pot or dutch oven. Reheat over low heat occasionally stirring until the sauce is hot.
    Top Tips
    • Use high quality ingredients - The quality of the sauce depends on the quality of the ingredients. Be sure to use flavorful tomatoes, high quality beef, and fresh veggies for the soffritto.
    • Gently bubble, don't boil - Be sure to cook the sauce low and slow to ensure the flavors meld together and the sauce thickens nicely.
    •  
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 1075mg | Potassium: 752mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3740IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @theheirloompantry or tag #theheirloompantry!

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    About the Author

    Kat Higashiyama and Alec Totto are recipe developers, food photographers, and the authors behind The Heirloom Pantry. Since 2017, they have shared recipes inspired by their Japanese and Italian heritage and California and Hawaii roots. They reside in San Jose with their two dogs, Peeps and Paisley. Read More…

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. sara

      October 23, 2020 at 11:53 am

      5 stars
      One of my dream meals! Love anything with bolognese sauce!

      Reply
    2. Becca

      October 22, 2020 at 9:30 am

      5 stars
      Wow, there's nothing better than fresh pasta and homemade sauce! This looks incredible!!!

      Reply
    3. Haley

      October 22, 2020 at 9:24 am

      5 stars
      I love how with such simple ingredients you can make such a flavorful sauce! The best.

      Reply
    4. Laura

      October 22, 2020 at 9:19 am

      5 stars
      This looks divine, and so approachable!

      Reply
    5 from 8 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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