Bolognese is an easy-to-make meat sauce that is perfect for any type of pasta!
This zesty sauce has ground meat, onion, and garlic, simmered until thick and rich.
This recipe freezes and reheats well, making it the perfect weeknight meal!
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights
Bolognese differs from typical spaghetti sauce with the addition of celery and carrot plus a little bit of milk. While it may sound unusual, these ingredients add a distinct flavor, a bit of richness, and some sweetness.
- Flavor: This thick pasta sauce is zesty and full of flavor.
- Technique: Let the milk and wine simmer until almost evaporated. If you’re using a smaller pot, this can take a bit longer.
- Prep note: This recipe freezes well so feel free to double it—cook once, eat twice!
- Budget tip: You can use any ground meat for this recipe; buy what’s on sale.
- Swaps: I highly recommend wine in this recipe but if you don’t have wine, beef broth is a suitable replacement.
- Serving suggestions: This sauce is excellent over pasta—pappardelle is my favorite. You can also use it for homemade lasagna or baked ziti!
Ingredient Tips for Bolognese
- Vegetables: Onions, carrots, and celery are known as mirepoix, and they add flavor to bolognese. If you’d like other veggies, chop them finely and add them in.
- Meat: I use a combination of ground beef and pork because I love the flavor—feel free to use all beef if it’s what you have on hand. Ground veal or Italian sausage are also delicious additions.
- Tomatoes: Canned whole tomatoes have a thicker consistency compared to diced tomatoes so I prefer them in this recipe. If possible, San Marzano tomatoes are the best choice for flavor. Canned diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes can be used, but may change the consistency slightly.
- Wine: Any dry red wine is great, but honestly any red will do. I usually use cabernet or merlot. Wine adds a lot of depth to this sauce so I highly recommend adding it.
- Milk: An unusual but traditional ingredient in an authentic bolognese sauce.
How To Make Bolognese Sauce
This bolognese sauce takes time to make but it really is easy! Once the prep work is done this recipe just simmers away until thickened.
- Cook Veggies & Meat: Brown the chopped veggies and the meat, then drain off any fat.
- Add Wine/Milk: Add the wine and let it simmer away. Next, add the milk and allow that to simmer away too.
- Simmer: Add remaining ingredients (per recipe below) and allow it to simmer until thick.
While the sauce simmers, cook pasta according to the directions. Add salt and pepper and parmesan, serve and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve this bolognese over long pasta such as pappardelle or tagliatelle. Serve this dish with the sides you’d add to spaghetti and meatballs.
- SALAD Round the meal with an easy tossed salad or Italian Salad for a perfect Italian feast any night of the week!
- BREAD homemade garlic bread is a must.
Storing Leftover Bolognese Sauce
Bolognese is a great sauce to make ahead since, like chili recipe, the flavors “meld and marry” and just get better.
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months in a sealed container, leaving about an inch for expansion. A tightly sealed zippered freezer bag works as well. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring occasionally until hot.
More Italian Inspiration
Did you enjoy this Homemade Bolognese Sauce? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 carrot finely diced
- 1 rib celery finely diced
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ pound lean ground pork
- 1 ¼ cups red wine or beef broth
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 can whole tomatoes with juices, 28 ounces each
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon salt more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- pappardelle or long pasta, for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot, cook onion in oil over medium heat until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add garlic, carrot, and celery, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add beef and pork. Break it up with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains. Drain fat.
- Add the wine and simmer uncovered until evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add milk and simmer uncovered until evaporated, about 8 minutes.
- Stir in tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and bay leaf. Break tomatoes up with a spoon. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until thickened. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1 ½ cups of pasta water and drain the pasta well.
- Toss pasta with sauce, adding pasta water to thin it out if needed.
- Serve hot with parmesan cheese.
Video
Notes
- Fridge – store in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap for up to 4 days.
- Freezer – store in an airtight container, leaving about an inch for expansion, or in a zippered freezer bag for 2 – 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Pasta, Sauce
Cuisine American, Italian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
How many ounces of pasta do you recommend using with this recipe?
Hi Cindi, you will need about 2oz dry pasta per serving. This recipe serves 6 so I would suggest 12 oz pasta.
I love this recipe!!! the smell of the wine evaporating is my favorite part! Thank you for teaching me how to cook ❤️
You’re very welcome Temonie! So happy that you love this sauce!
No spice or seasoning…tasted flat.
I Love this recipe . I am allergic to beef and pork so I used more veg with yes milk and cheese . It was So Good ! Thank you
Amazing recipes
Bolognese and garlic bread tonite!!!!!!
Delicious. I substituted the ground beef with ground veal. Two thirds veal and one third pork. Instead of whole milk like others have commented I used 2 % milk, but realized why it called for whole milk. After adding the first cup of 2% instead of adding a second cup I only did half a cup and then added a big stick of unsalted organic butter. So 1 1/2 cup 2 % milk and one big stick of butter. I added a lot of flaked chilli pepper to give it more zing.
With all my pasta i never just add parmesan. I go to my cheese shop and buy roughly 3 same sizes of cheese. Parmesan, Romano, and Gran Padano. They grate it and mix it for me. This is the real italian way. And will elevate the dish.
Pappardelle pasta all the way.
Truly yummy.
So glad you love the pappardelle! Sounds super delicious Felice!
It only calls for one cup of milk…why add a second?
I noticed that evaporation takes much longer than the initial times that were given, unless I did something wrong
Other than that a very good recipe
Glad you enjoyed it Amy! It could certainly take longer if my heat was a bit higher or even if my pan is wider (this gives more surface area for evaporation).
OMG, I made a vegan version for my nephew, using beyond meat and mushrooms, I left out the milk and it was totally delicious. Today I made a double potion , some for today and later through the winter. My new go to recipe. Thank you.
This is the best bolognese I have ever had!!
Great recipes.
I do red wine , 2% milk sugar n cinnamon, stewed tomatoes chopped.
This was absolutely delicious! I made with turkey sausage and it was perfect!
Would it be OK to use leftover prime rib roast? Your recipe looks amazing!!
I have only tried this as written but it sounds delicious. Let us know how it goes!
This recipe is excellent! Only change I made was to sub in 2% milk and it still worked just fine.
Truly the best bolognese sauce ever — will be making this frequently!
Can I use ground turkey instead of pork?
Sure you can!
This recipe worked perfect with a plant-based meat substitute! It is super tasty and wholesome yet light enough to feel healthy while eating it. Da
I made this vegetarian by subbing veggie ground round for the meat and almond milk for the whole milk. Turned out great. My meat eating boyfriend loved it!
Thanks for letting us know Dana! So glad you both love this bolognese!
Homemade Bolognese Sauce was delicious. My family said it was Better then the Italian restaurant that we frequent. From the cook’s stand of view it was an easy prep and the cooking time was only an hour. It was enjoyed by all.
Delicious! I will make again and again! Thanks!