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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!

a plate of bolognese topped with parmesan cheese

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.
adding beef to onions to make Homemade Bolognese Sauce
adding wine to cooked meat for bolognese
adding milk to cooked meat for bolognese
bolognese ingredients in a dutch oven

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.

  1. Cook Veggies & Meat: Brown the chopped veggies and the meat, then drain off any fat.
  2. Add Wine/Milk: Add the wine and let it simmer away. Next, add the milk and allow that to simmer away too.
  3. 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!

a dutch oven of cooked bolognese sauce

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.

a plate of bolognese pappardelle topped with parmesan cheese

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!

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a plate of bolognese topped with parmesan cheese
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Homemade Bolognese Sauce

Bolognese is a rich, meaty tomato sauce made with ground beef and pork. It's simmered with a splash of wine and seasonings to create a restaurant worthy pasta bolognese at home!
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Author Holly Nilsson

Equipment

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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

Tomatoes: Whole tomatoes provide a bit of a thicker consistency, break them up with a spoon or with your hands before simmering. If possible, San Marzano tomatoes have the best flavor.
Wine: When using wine in cooking, use a wine you would drink (not cooking wine). 
Reserve some pasta water when draining the pasta. Not only can it be used to adjust the consistency of the sauce, adding a little to the sauce also helps it adhere to the pasta better. Be sure not to rinse the pasta after cooking.
For a thicker sauce, simmer a bit longer. For a thinner sauce, add pasta water.
  • 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. 
To Reheat –  Defrost in the fridge. Heat it on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring every 15 to 20 seconds, until heated through. 
4.96 from 686 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 359 | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 571mg | Potassium: 929mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2112IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 4mg

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.

Homemade Bolognese Sauce in a bowl with pasta and a title
easy to make Homemade Bolognese Sauce with writing
close up of easy Homemade Bolognese Sauce on pasta with a title
thick and rich Homemade Bolognese Sauce in the pot and over pasta with a title

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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Comments

  1. making it now for dinner going to use heavy whipping crem instead of milk. do you think this will be OK?

    Reply

  2. Not my usual style to make a dish I’ve never tried previously for guests, but this recipe truly delivered! Wow; it was loved and complimented by all. Spend Pennie’s has never let me down! I increased the ground chuck by a half a pound per a comment here and also used 3/4 lb of sweet Italian sausage and increased seasonings accordingly. I also used my favorite red wine, Meiomi Pinot Nour, and the richness and depth of flavor was fabulous. Served with a fresh Ceasar salad and garlic bread; winning! Use the tomatoes the recipe recommended also!

    Reply

  5. What is the ratio or ounces of pasta used in this recipe in relationship to the ingredients for the meat sauce as listed?

    Reply

  10. And excellent, and very traditional bolognese sauce. The only thing I would do differently would be to increase the amount of meat to 1.5 lbs beef and .75 lbs ground pork, when using a 28 oz can of tomatoes. Bolognese is truly a ‘meat sauce’, whereas most spaghetti sauces that people tend to call bolognese are actually more of a tomato sauce, as there is much more tomato than there is meat.

    And thank you for telling everyone NOT TO RINSE THE PASTA! Rinsing pasta, along with adding oil to the cooking water or oil to the pasta before saucing it, are the most common mistakes people make with pasta. I actually cringed when I saw Gordon Ramsay add olive oil to his pasta water in a video once.

    For anyone freezing sauce in a plastic container, try taking a piece of plastic wrap and put it directly on top of the sauce, making sure there are no air bubbles between the plastic wrap and sauce, then put the top on. That will protect it from freezer burn and give you an extra month or two in the freezer. Not that this sauce will last even a month once you make it. LOL5 stars

    Reply

  12. This Bolognese recipe is amazing! The addition of milk and wine adds a unique richness and depth of flavor. I also appreciate the detailed tips and serving suggestions. Definitely a go-to recipe for a hearty and comforting meal.5 stars

    Reply

  13. This is a fantastic recipe, my one criticism would be that it makes no sense to add the beef to the mix after frying the onions, garlic, carrot, and celery and *then* drain the fat. I would suggest either frying the beef first, draining the fat and setting it aside, frying the aromatics and then adding the beef back to it, or (*gasp!*) leaving all that delicious fat in there!

    So much of the flavor of the aromatics is captured in that oil/fat, and you are essentially pouring flavor into the garbage. Either separate the steps of frying the beef and aromatics or just let that tasty fat stay in the dish. If you’re doing it for health, be aware that the health risks of consuming animal fat are mostly myth.4 stars

    Reply

  14. This was an excellent recipe. Family loved it, the only thing I didn’t add was the pasta water because my pot was full (I made 2x). Thank you for posting this ❤️5 stars

    Reply

  15. Super delicious!!! Have made this multiple times and we love everything about this recipe. Thank you for sharing!5 stars

    Reply