Traditional Italian Bolognese uses three meats and pancetta (or bacon) to achieve the flavor that has made it so famous. The long, slow cooking time results in melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and a depth of flavor that will satisfy your tummy and your soul.
Classic Italian bolognese traditionally uses ground beef, ground veal, ground pork and often pancetta (Italian bacon). The pork adds sweetness to the sauce, the veal adds finesse, and the pancetta…well, we all know what bacon does. It’s like manna from heaven.
I’ve made this bolognese both with pork and pork sausage and I personally prefer the flavor element that the sausage adds. You can use either. Also, the inclusion of the sage and porcini isn’t traditional, but I love the flavor they add to the bolognese. And we might as well take some culinary license on a third item while we’re at it and add a little red wine with the white for an even more robust flavor. A classic Italian bolognese – with a couple of twists.
This sauce freezes well and can be used in any pasta dish, including lasagna. You can make it in bulk and freeze it in containers so you always have some on hand when you need it.
The key to a good bolognese is to not cut corners with respect to the length of the cooking time and the quality of ingredients. The long cooking time is crucial for breaking down the food and releasing the flavors of each ingredient. A bolognese that’s cooked for 30 minutes will taste vastly different than the bolognese that has simmered for 3 hours.
Quality Tomatoes
Another key element is to use the best quality ingredients. The tomatoes, for example. Use Italian, that is, tomatoes that are actually imported from Italy. They can be purchased at specialty stores, I’ve seen some at World Market, and of course online. I’m not generally an ingredient snob (sometimes, but not always). With many things I’m of the philosophy that it’s the seasonings and cooking process that transform a recipe more than anything. The poor French peasants taught us that when they took a sinewy old rooster, plopped it in a pot and slow-cooked it with a bottle of red wine and made it taste amazing (that’s how the famous Coq Au Vin originated, now a gourmet dish). But there are instances, like this, where the quality of ingredients matter big time. Tomatoes from Italy are much sweeter and much more flavorful.
Here are a couple that I use and like. The Mutti tomatoes brand below is a puree that’s smooth and ready to go. The Strianese San Marzano tomatoes are stewed and traditionally they are crushed by hand and then added to the bolognese. The hand-crushing process is probably similar to the philosophy behind crushing grapes with feet for wine – can’t beat that added human touch, right? Note that the Strianese tomatoes bear the mark of “DOP”. That’s a geographically protected mark that certifies quality. Italian ingredient snobs stand by these DOP tomatoes and defend them to the death. They tend to be about double the price of non-DOP Italian tomatoes. The Mutti brand, just as an example, is not DOP but it’s far better than any non-Italian tomato products. Whether you go with the cheaper or more expensive ones, just be sure to go with imported Italian tomatoes.
On the right we have some absolute gems that I’ve introduced you to in the past: Dried porcini mushrooms. These Italian mushrooms have the most amazing flavor. I love to grind them in a coffee/spice grinder and add them to soups and sauces. They’re simply heavenly. You can find them in well-stocked grocery stores as well as online HERE.
Quality Fresh Meats
Another key is using the freshest and highest quality meats possible. Get them from a trusted source.
Quality Cheese
Now, let’s talk cheese for a moment. I love cheese. All kinds. From all regions of the world. The art of cheese-making has always fascinated me. My mother and I took a couple of cheese-making classes in Germany and it’s an art I would love to explore further someday.
As fond as I am of German, Swiss, French, Danish and Dutch cheeses, I have to admit, Italy dominates the world of cheese. They produce more than 300 varieties of cheese! Three hundred! It’s mind-blowing. And Italian cheese is phenomenal. Today we’re taking a brief look at Asiago cheese. And not just any Asiago cheese, but the real deal: Asiago Cheese DOP (remember that abbreviation from earlier? More on it below). I recently had the pleasure of trying some and let’s just say that I’m lamenting that it’s all gone. I accompanied my bolognese with freshly grated aged Asiago and it took the dish to a whole other level.
I love this description from their website: “Aged Asiago is a flavorful cheese with a strong personality. It should be chewed slowly until its aromatic notes explode in the mouth.”
The flavor is strong, simultaneously sweet and piquant, and different flavor qualities come through the longer you hold it in your mouth. It’s marvelous.
Check out this beautiful video on how aged Asiago cheese is made.
As with virtually everything, there are counterfeits on the market and they taste nothing like the real thing. If the cheese is authentic it will be stamped “DOP”, which stands for “protected destination of origin.” The reason that’s significant is because that stamp guarantees product excellence. It is a geographically protected designation that sets European agri-food apart for authenticity and quality. In the case of Asiago Cheese DOP, it is guaranteed to have been produced, matured, packaged and distributed in compliance with the Asiago DOP Cheese Production Regulations. It’s the authentic Asiago cheese from Italy. And it’s one incredible cheese.
Asiago Cheese DOP can be found in several supermarkets, including Kroger, Whole Foods, Wegmans and Sam’s Club. It can also be found online as such storefronts like igourmet, Alma Gourmet, Di Brunos Bros and Murray’s Cheese.
AND NOW FOR THE BOLOGNESE RECIPE!
Equipped with your fresh meat products, Italian tomatoes, mushrooms and cheese, we are ready to COOK!
Let’s get started!
Very finely chop the carrots, celery, onions and garlic. You don’t want large chunks of it in the sauce. You want them to blend in, almost unnoticeably.
In a large Dutch Oven over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until done.
Add all chopped vegetables (don’t drain that bacon grease!) along with the butter and cook until softened, 5-7 minutes.
Add the beef, veal and sausage/pork and cook until the pink is gone, another 5 minutes.
Add the milk, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
Add the veal or beef stock and the white and red wine.
Add the tomato puree or crushed tomatoes.
Add the ground porcini, salt, pepper, nutmeg, sage, rosemary and bay leaf.
Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours. The sauce will thicken further than the picture below over the course of the two hours. If the sauce is still a little too runny, remove the lid and simmer another 30 minutes. Stir in the chopped fresh parsley and add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve over pasta, fresh pasta is best, with some freshly grated aged Italian cheese.
- 4 ounces pancetta or bacon, diced
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, very finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, very finely chopped
- 1 large celery, very finely chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- ½ pound ground beef
- ½ pound ground veal
- ½ pound ground bulk pork sausage or plain ground pork
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup veal or beef consomme
- 1 cup dry white wine
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 1 (28 ounce) can or jar Italian imported tomato puree or Italian imported stewed tomatoes crushed by hand
- 2 tablespoons ground dried porcini mushrooms
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground fennel seed
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 1 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Fry the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until done (don't drain the bacon grease). Add the butter and the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook until softened, 5-7 minutes.
- Add the ground beef, veal, sausage and salt and cook until no pink remains. Add the milk, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
- Add the consomme, white and red wine, tomatoes and all remaining ingredients except for the parsley. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. If the bolognese is too runny, uncover and simmer another 30 minutes or until sufficiently thickened. Stir in the parsley and simmer for another minute.
- Serve over pasta (fresh is best) with some freshly grated aged Italian cheese.
- Note: This sauce freezes well and can be used in any pasta dish, including lasagna.
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Cheryl says
Just found your amazing recipe! Can I make this sauce the day before?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Cheryl! Absolutely, in fact I recommend doing that anyway because the flavor is even better the next day!
Cheryl says
Questions:
I do not have a grinder for the mushrooms any suggestions.
Replacement for strianese purée or mutti stewed tomatoes if I cannot find?
Would you use Italian sausage or would it compromise the flavor?
Thank You!!!!!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Cheryl, just put the mushrooms in a ziplock bag and pound them with something heavy. Those imported Italian tomato products really are the best but if you can’t access them then just get whatever quality tomato products you find in your local stores. Italian sausage isn’t the authentic way of making this but if that’s what you have on hand go for it, it will taste great. Happy cooking!
Nathan Lombough says
This is THE BEST bolognese sauce I’ve made and I’ve tried many recipes. I’ll probably get in trouble for saying this, but it’s even better than Marcella Hazan’s, it’s even more flavorful. This is my go-to recipe. Thank you.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so thrilled to hear that, Nathan, thank you!
Colin says
simmering on the stove, smells great. friends coming over tomorrow.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Colin! We loooove this sauce and it’s one that I make again and again. The sauce is even better the next day, so that’s perfect timing for your guests.
Andrew says
Did you mean to call for two cans of tomato as opposed? The recipe calls for one, but my final product turned out as a huge disappointment. That’s the only thing I can think of as your pics have the sauce being bright red and mine was brown.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Andrew, one is correct but it’s a large one, 28 ounces (that’s the size of two regular ones).
Marianne says
This looks great I have it simmering on The stove right now it smells delicious this recipe is a keeper!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Marianne, I hope you enjoy it!
Tammy Jamieson says
Mines turned out like Andrews . I followed everything as your method details.
Way way way too much liquid and very meaty .
Looks brown ..
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Tammy, if it’s too runny it just needs to simmer longer uncovered and as the liquid evaporates the sauce will thicken up nicely. Yes, Italian bolognese is a very meaty sauce, much meatier than the typical spaghetti sauce many are used to.
Dave says
Kimberly,
I was looking for a good bolognese recipe and stopped the search at yours. My grandmother made a wonderful Bolognese and, 15 years after her passing, I am trying to recreate her masterpiece, as I do not have her recipe. I think this will get close! I will make this soon and let you know how it turns out. thank you for sharing this recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Dave, I look forward to your feedback!
kiki Hanson says
I made this and it was fantastic!! Thank you for such a delicious recipe!!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Kiki, thanks so much!
Janet Ross says
Looks nice, but this is NOT authentic bolognese. Bolognese is a MEAT sauce – ie no tomatoes (or very few of them). Usually just white wine (or red, or a combo), and very little highly-concentrated authentic tomato paste, or a few tomatoes for taste, then the milk/cream and some beef stock. The caramelization of the meat (20 minute saute of the beef/port/veal and pancetta NOT BACON) and the traditional soffrito, plus a four hour simmer are what make this sauce so authentic. In this recipe, the meat has not been caramelized. So… this is indeed a traditional sauce, but it is simply an italian pasta meat sauce, which has many different methods and ingredients. Not saying it’s not good, just saying this is NOT authentic bolognese. They do not make bolognese like this in Bologna.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Janet, that’s not entirely correct. Here is the recipe that was notarized and deposited in the Chamber of Commerce of the City of Bologna: http://www.itchefs-gvci.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=587&Itemid=976 Take a look at the ingredients and the process. And note: Even Italians agree there is not “one” authentic version, there are many.
Sharon Gaston says
Just returned from a few days skiing in northern Italy and a few days in Florence. My partner had pasta Bolognese at least once every day in a variety of places. Never was it served sauce plopped on top of the pasta! Rather, the sauce was gently, sparingly mixed,with the pasta giving it a nice even coating of flavor with small chunks of chopped meat throughout. Wanting to replicate this presentation was what brought me to searching “classic Bolognese”. Recipe sounds good, photo was a turn off.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m sorry the photo is a turnoff, Sharon. Your experience on your ski trip is obviously very different from mine and many others. Being from Europe and having visited Italy many times over the course of 20 years, this bolognese is very much like the ones I was served there. It doesn’t surprise me in the least though that different restaurants will do things differently.
Daniela Brandt says
Hello from Oregon: I made this phantastic Bolognese yesterday. Today we had 6 guests and everyone loved the sauce. I am from Germany and grew up in Italy in the summers before moving to the US. My younger sister is living in the Emilia Romagna near Bologna and she loved the recipe! I doubled the recipe and had to use two large pots! A great success and some sauce left to freeze. Thanks for all the tips!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Daniela, that’s a great compliment, thanks so much!
Wayne Gordon says
Kimberly,
I am cursed with the obsession of trying to create the absolute best possible lasagna
on the planet. I have perused literally hundreds of recipes and videos, all of which are
“The world’s BEST!” (LOL) sauce or cheese components. Your use of the consommé
is the first time I’ve seen it. Into the notebook! I was wondering about the porcini
mushrooms – many times I’ve seen folks rehydrate dried shrooms then use the liquid only
and toss the solid components as “trash”? Couple tips you might try, if so inclined…
unsweetened condensed milk,worcestershire…Rather than the ground beef (or in addition),
overnight (12 Hour) braised beef shank plus some shank bones at 140F in Wine, water,
aromatic veg (mirapoix) to your taste. finely shred meat, add marrow (Meat Butter!)
I’ve also considered, but have not yet tried, BRATWURST!!! as an addition/complement
to the pork component. Best regards and blessings.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks for sharing, Wayne! Beef shanks are a great swap. I like to add ground sausage to my bolognese on occasions so the bratwurst doesn’t seem too terribly out of place to me :) So in this case the porcini mushrooms are ground into a fine powder that is assimilated into the sauce. You get a fuller flavor that way as they simmer along with the other ingredients and, being powder, there’s no need to discard them.
Jocelyn Wilson says
I’m making this now (so far so good). I didn’t have any parsley in the garden, so I am substituting basil for the finish. I’ve made Bologenese in the past with chicken livers, but was too lazy to venture out to procure them. I am very Provencial, apparently. I bought some fresh Bucatini and I alway shred my own cheese. I have high hopes! I plan on using the sauce later for lasagna. I agree with the former posts about Alfredo Viazzi’s book (a favorite). Best pesto EVER!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Jocelyn, I hope you enjoy this. Please let us know what you think once you’ve tried it!
Paul Twargoski says
OMG! This is absolutely incredible! The house smells great! It is one of those perfect cool days in Florida and I have all the windows open to torture the neighbors walking their dogs! Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
LOL, Paul! :) I’m thrilled you love this bolognese as much as we do – thank you!
Lisa says
Hello! Do you know how many bolognese recipes are on the interwebs? A LOT. Do you know how many of those recipes I consider to be worth making? ONE. I hate admitting someone made a recipe better than I did, but you did so I am. Only changes? Fresh chicken broth, 2 juniper berries, no red wine, and more broth, cream, and white wine added as needed. BTW, I find Barefoot Pinot Grigio to be a very good and inexpensive wine to use in this. I’m making a huge batch right now to send to Virginia for my son-in-law. Half the neighborhood wants to know what the heck I’m cooking in here :)
Thanks very much. Cheers!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you for your generous compliment, Lisa, and also for the wine tip! Yes, no doubt you’re torturing your neighbors with those heavenly aromas! :)
Mj says
Hello! I attempted to make your bolegnese sauce today. I was super excited and rushed around to multiple stores to get all of the correct ingredients. I followed the recipe to the tee, however my sauce came out extremely soupy and greasy. I’m not here to criticize, I just genuinely want to know where I went wrong for next time. Do you think the type of meat/not draining the meat had something to do with this? I’m just disappointed after the tome and commitment I put into it. Thanks!
Mike Colombo says
Close, but NOT authentic Italian.
First, all those herbs towards the recipe’s end, are just NOT part of the registered Italian recipe.
Second, the photo. Italians would NEVER serve ragù alla bolognese with a short or tubular pasta; it’s always served with fettuccine, tagliatelle, pappardelle or lasagna.
Ashley says
Listen. I do not care what any Italian snob or whoever says, THIS RECIPE IS AMAZING! I am a culinary arts teacher and this is the recipe my kids and I use for our Bolognese lesson. Well done and thanks for sharing.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Ashley, thank you so much! :)