BEST EVER Bolognese Sauce
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Look no further for the richest, tastiest, most flavorful bolognese sauce recipe EVER! Layers and layers of FLAVOR mingle together to create a depth that will make your taste buds sing!
The Ultimate Homemade Bolognese Sauce
Bolognese is one of the most popular Italian dishes worldwide and for good reason – it’s delicious and makes for some of the best comfort food ever!
Traditionally bolognese sauce uses three meats (beef, veal and pork) and pancetta (or bacon) to achieve the flavor that has made it so famous. 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. 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.
We’re taking traditional bolognese basics and then adding a few twists to bump up the flavor even further: Dried porcini mushrooms are the ultimate secret ingredient for adding incredible FLAVOR and umami elements to sauces, gravies, soups and stews. Make your best effort to source them. For additional flavor I like to use ground pork sausage in place of ground pork. And in addition to the traditionally used white wine we’re adding a bit of red as well for a more robust flavor. We’re confident you’re going to love the depth and flavor that these twists contribute to your bolognese sauce.
Tips for Making the BEST Bolognese Sauce
The key to a good bolognese is to not cut corners when it comes to the length of the cooking time and the quality of ingredients.
- Low and Slow Cooking: This 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. So don’t rush it!
- Use Quality Tomatoes: Another key element is to use the best quality ingredients. For the best flavor use tomatoes that are imported from Italy; they are much sweeter and more flavorful. They can be purchased at most well-stocked grocery stores. For those in the U.S., World Market also carries them. And of course you can purchase them online. I like the Mutti brand– it’s a smooth puree that’s ready to go. I also like Strianese San Marzano tomatoes which are stewed and traditionally they’re crushed by hand and then added to the bolognese. They’re very pricy online and you can find them much cheaper in some well-stocked grocery stores including World Market.
- Use Dried Porcini Mushrooms: This has become my favorite “secret ingredient” for the past decade. Grind them up with a coffee/spice grinder, a pestle and mortar, or pound them in ziplock bag with a blunt object, and add them to your sauces, gravies, soups and stews for an incredible depth of flavor and umami notes. You will be blown away by what these do for the flavor of your food! You can find them in many well-stocked grocery stores as well as online. Porcini mushrooms have by far the most flavor but if you cannot find them you can use a different variety of dried mushroom (in dried form they have a more concentrated flavor).
- Quality Fresh Meats: Another key to achieving the best flavored sauce is to use the highest quality of meat you can find. You only need 1/2 pound of each kind and it’s worth it to splurge for quality.
- Quality Cheese: Italy produces more than 300 varieties of cheese – three hundred! It’s mind-blowing. To finish off your bolognese use a quality aged Italian grating cheese. The most popular are Asiago, Grana Padano, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Romano. That finishing touch will take your bolognese to a whole new level.
Bolognese Sauce Recipe
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/beef consommé or broth 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.
Serving Recommendations
Serve the bolognese sauce over pasta (fresh pasta is best), with some freshly grated aged Italian cheese.
Pair it with some good crusty bread, garlic bread or olive rosemary focaccia, and a leafy green salad, Caprese salad or Caesar salad. You can also serve it with a roasted, steamed or sauteed vegetable of your choice. A nice addition to include at the table is an antipasto platter that features things like marinated olives, pickled asparagus, pickled pepperoncini peppers and giardiniera.
Can You Freeze Bolognese Sauce?
Yes! Bolognese 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.
For more traditional Italian recipes be sure to try my:
- Osso Buco
- Chicken Piccata
- Chicken Marsala
- Marinara
- Beef Ragu
- Lamb Ragu
- Beef Braciole
- Capicola
- Minestrone Soup
- Chicken Bolognese
- Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Soup
- Porchetta
- Olive Rosemary ocaccia
Save This Recipe
BEST EVER Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients
- 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 rib , very finely chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic , minced
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground veal (can substitute beef or pork sausage)
- 1/2 pound ground Italian pork sausage (can use plain ground pork but I highly recommend sausage for flavor)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup beef or veal consommé or broth
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 28 ounces jar or can or quality imported Italian tomato puree , or imported Italian stewed tomatoes crushed by hand
- 2 tablespoons ground dried porcini mushrooms (strongly recommend for incredible flavor)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seed
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- 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 consommé or broth, 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. Uncover and continue simmering on very low for another 2 hours. 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.
Nutrition
First published on The Daring Gourmet November 7, 2014
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.
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.
I made this and it was fantastic!! Thank you for such a delicious recipe!!!
Wonderful, Kiki, thanks so much!
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.
Fantastic, Dave, I look forward to your feedback!
Mines turned out like Andrews . I followed everything as your method details.
Way way way too much liquid and very meaty .
Looks brown ..
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.
This looks great I have it simmering on The stove right now it smells delicious this recipe is a keeper!!
Wonderful, Marianne, I hope you enjoy it!
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.
Hi Andrew, one is correct but it’s a large one, 28 ounces (that’s the size of two regular ones).
simmering on the stove, smells great. friends coming over tomorrow.
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.
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.
I’m so thrilled to hear that, Nathan, thank you!
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!!!!!!
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!
Just found your amazing recipe! Can I make this sauce the day before?
Hi Cheryl! Absolutely, in fact I recommend doing that anyway because the flavor is even better the next day!
Ah that bowl of deliciousness… reminds me of home and comfort. And the sauce is so spot on. LOOOVE this recipe!!
Wow does that sauce look flavorful!!!
Nothing beats a homemade slow-cooked pasta sauce, and this one looks amazing!
This is comfort food at it’s best! Bolognese from scratch is my favorite!
Such a delicious and comforting meal! Your sauce looks so good, I love the use of pork sausage – so much great flavor!