Traditional Bolognese Sauce or Ragù alla Bolognese is made with simple authentic ingredients, including Italian tomatoes, ground beef, and wine. The pasta sauce cooks low and slow to create a rich and flavorful sauce.
Traditional Bolognese Sauce (Ragù alla Bolognese) is a meat-based tomato sauce that originates from the Bologna region of Italy. It pairs with thick noodles, such as pappardelle or tagliatelle, or lasagna.
Bolognese is a non-seasonal pasta sauce that pairs with broad pasta noodles and makes for a hearty satisfying weeknight or holiday dinner.
Authentic Bolognese ragù consists of soffritto, finely chopped beef, and occasionally pork. Additionally, there are liquids like milk, dry white wine, and tomatoes. The ingredients simmer low and slow for hours to thicken the sauce.
This traditional Bolognese sauce is rich and every bite is full of authentic Italian flavor, such as buttery beef and sweet and tangy San Marzano tomatoes.
Don't feel tempted to take a shortcut and buy a jar of sauce. We highly encourage you to not buy jarred sauce and to instead make a batch of authentic bolognese sauce from scratch instead. You can control the quality ingredients, the flavors, and the consistency of the sauce. Plus, it only requires 20 minutes of prep and yields plenty of leftovers!
Ingredients to Make Traditional Bolognese Sauce (Ragù alla Bolognese)
- Soffritto - Soffritto is the flavorful base for many Italian dishes and consists of minced onions, carrots, and celery. Soffritto comes from the word soffriggere, which means "to saute." Make soffritto by mincing with a knife and cutting board or take a shortcut and make it with a food processor.
- Ground beef - Ground beef offers a hearty richness to the bolognese sauce. The fat from the beef slowly renders and creates a 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 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.
- Wide and textured pasta shapes - Wide and textured pasta shapes, such as fresh tagliatelle and rigatoni, have a broader surface area and more texture than a simple noodle, like spaghetti. The large surface and texture area allows the sauce to cling to the pasta so every bite has enough sauce.
- 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.
Equipment Needed
Bolognese sauce requires a few kitchen essentials, all of which can be used for many other common recipes. To make this sauce, you need a knife, cutting board, medium pot or dutch oven.
To explore more kitchen items to make your kitchen complete, head to my shop: Kat’s Kitchen Essentials.
How to make Make Traditional Bolognese Sauce
- Heat oil and soffritto - In a large pot or dutch oven, heat oil and butter on medium heat. Stir in chopped onion, carrot, and celery and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until the onion turns translucent.
- Cook ground beef chunks - Break beef into chunks and stir into the onion mixture. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Once the meat begins to brown, stir in the milk and cook until it is absorbed in the meat.
- Add white wine - Add wine and simmer until evaporated.
- Add tomatoes and juice - Add tomatoes to the pot and stir the mixture until the ingredients are covered in tomato juice. Once the sauce starts to boil, lower the heat so the sauce reaches a very low simmer and occasionally bubbles.
- Simmer the sauce - Simmer the sauce uncovered on low heat for 3 hours and stir occasionally. If the sauce dries out and is too thick, stir in a little water and then simmer some more. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
- Boil pasta and reserve water - In a separate pot, boil salted water. Once the water reaches a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook it until al dente. For fresh pasta, cook for 2-3 minutes; for dry pasta, cook as instructed (typically around 8 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain the pasta.
- Toss pasta in sauce - Add the pasta water to the sauce and stir. Cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and use tongs or a pasta fork to transfer the pasta to the sauce.
- Serve with cheese - Serve in bowls and top with fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
What is the best type of pasta for Bolognese sauce (ragù alla Bolognese)?
The best type of pasta for Bolognese sauce (ragù alla bolognese) 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 I 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.
How long can Bolognese sauce be refrigerated?
Refrigerate Bolognese sauce for up to 5 days in an air-tight container. To reheat, simply place the desired amount of sauce in a small, medium, or large pot or dutch oven. Reheat the leftovers on low heat and occasionally stir until the sauce is hot.
What authentic pasta recipes can I make?
There are plenty of authentic Italian pasta recipes you can make, including:
- Nonna’s Pasta Pomodoro
- Trofie al Pesto
- Bucatini Seafood Pasta
- Pesto Orecchiette with Rapini and Sausage
- Spaghetti with a Spicy Tomato Anchovy Sauce
- Authentic Fettuccine Alfredo
Traditional Bolognese Sauce (Ragù alla Bolognese)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 celery ribs finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots finely chopped
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- Fresh cracked pepper
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 28 oz can of San Marzano or Italian plum tomatoes crushed plus the juice
- 1 pound pasta tagliatelle, pappardelle, or rigatoni
- Grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven, heat oil and butter on medium heat. Stir in chopped onion, carrot, and celery and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until the onion turns translucent.
- Break beef into chunks and stir into the onion mixture. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Once the meat begins to brown, stir in the milk and cook until it is absorbed in the meat.
- Add wine and simmer until evaporated.
- Add tomatoes to the pot and stir the mixture until the ingredients are covered in tomato juice. Once the sauce starts to boil, lower the heat so the sauce reaches a very low simmer and occasionally bubbles.
- Allow sauce to simmer uncovered on low heat for 3 hours and stir occasionally. If the sauce dries out and is too thick, you may add a little water and stir, then simmer some more. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
- In a separate pot, boil salted water. Once the water reaches a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente. For fresh pasta, cook for 2-3 minutes; for dry pasta, cook as instructed (typically around 8 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain the pasta.
- Add the pasta water to the sauce and stir. Cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and use tongs or a pasta fork to transfer the pasta to the sauce. Toss the pasta until evenly coated.
- Serve in bowls and top with fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano.
This looks divine, and so approachable!
I love how with such simple ingredients you can make such a flavorful sauce! The best.
Wow, there's nothing better than fresh pasta and homemade sauce! This looks incredible!!!
One of my dream meals! Love anything with bolognese sauce!