The Best Bolognese Sauce - The Defined Dish - Recipes (2024)

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The Best Bolognese Sauce - The Defined Dish - Recipes (1)

I have a few bolognese sauce recipes out there in the world, but this is seriously The Best Bolognese Sauce and my favorite for special occasions. When I make a big batch of this on the stovetop and allow it to cook all day long, it seriously makes me so happy. The smell makes me go straight back to my childhood and watching my family enjoy it just brings me the most joy. In the book, you’ll find my “easy weeknight lamb bolognese” and you can also find this Whole30 Bolognese from the blog archives.

What is bolognese exactly and how is it different than “meat sauce”? A traditional American “meat sauce” is a combination of some ground beef tossed in a marinara sauce. Bolognese is a much creamier, thicker sauce. There are a lot of arguments out in the world about what makes a bolognese sauce truly authentic. Many say that bolognese should just have a touch of tomato and that garlic doesn’t belong in the sauce; however, my mom taught me differently. So if you’d like to call this somewhere of a mix between bolognese + meat sauce– I am ok with that. Whatever you want to call it, you do you. 😉

The Best Bolognese Sauce - The Defined Dish - Recipes (2)

Now, while my Mom is proud of her Italian heritage (my grandfather was 100% Italian) I know that recipes get passed down, adjusted, and lost in translation over years. This is, more or less, how she taught me to make bolognese (you know I always give things a little spin of my own). First off, I can honestly say that I don’t think I have *ever* seen my Mom cook a dish in her life that didn’t have garlic in it. It’s a fact! Secondly, the woman loves a tomato-based sauce and she definitely loves putting tomatoes in bolognese– as sacrilegious as it may be. Lastly, a trio of meats was what she told me made a good bolognese– which is why I opted to use ground beef, pork, and veal. Oh, and don’t forget the pancetta to get the base of the sauce started! If you don’t eat pork or veal, you can certainly opt to sub with all ground beef– but this is the way my family does it.

The end result is just phenomenal — The Best Bolognese Sauce — and it’s my youngest daughter, Winnie’s, favorite dinner at the moment. For her 5th birthday this year, she requested it over some rigatoni pasta (aka ‘the big round pasta’) and I have to say– I love her request. I typically like my bolognese served with pappardelle or linguine pasta– but hey, what the birthday girl wants, the birthday girl gets!

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces diced pancetta
  • 2 flat filet anchovies (packed in oil)
  • 2 cups finely diced yellow onion or 1 medium onion
  • 1 cup finely diced carrot or 1 large carrot
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped celery 1 large stalk
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1.5 lbs ground beef (80/20)
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 1 lb ground veal
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 [28-oz] can whole peeled san marzano tomatoes crushed using hands (*see notes below)
  • 1 [15-oz] can tomato sauce (not to be confused with marinara. Just canned "tomato sauce")
  • 1 [6-oz] can tomato paste
  • parmesan cheese rind
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 10 sprigs of thyme
  • 1 cup milk

For serving:

  • Pasta of choice, cooked according to package instructions
  • freshly grated parmesan
  • fresh thyme leaves

Instructions

  • Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and the pancetta is just crisp, 4 to 5 minutes.

  • Add the anchovy, onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook, mashing up the anchovies so that they break into a paste-like consistency. Continue to cook, stirring, until the veggies are tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

  • Add the ground beef, pork, veal, salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat with the back of a spoon, until the meat is just cooked through (no longer pink), about 7 minutes. Drain off excess fat if necessary... (I like to leave a little in there though for flavor!)

  • Add the wine and cook, stirring, until the wine is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the san marzano tomatoes, the tomato sauce, and the tomato paste and stir until well combined. Bring to a boil.

  • Once the sauce is boiling, reduce to a light simmer (low heat). Add the parmesan cheese rind, the bay leaves, and the thyme. Cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until the flavors have melded and the meat is extremely tender and flavorful-- at least 4 hours, but I like to cook mine all day!

  • About 30 minutes prior to serving, stir in the cup of milk and continue to cook, uncovered and slightly simmering, until ready to serve. Taste and add more salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

  • Remove and discard the cheese rind, bay leaves, and thyme bundle.

  • Serve the sauce tossed in pasta cooked al dente. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan and fresh thyme leaves. Enjoy!

Notes

*To "crush" the whole tomatoes, pour into a large bowl and using your hands, carefully squeeze the tomatoes until loosely broken up. They'll continue to fall apart and break down while cooking so you don't have to worry about doing it perfectly.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Author: Alex Snodgrass

Servings: 8 people

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The Best Bolognese Sauce - The Defined Dish - Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the best ground beef for Bolognese sauce? ›

Bolognese is most often made with either ground beef or veal. Ground beef chuck with 20 percent fat will make an excellent start for a flavorful sauce. Many recipes also recommend throwing in some ground pork for an additional meaty taste, and pork shoulder is a good choice for this application.

How to make Bolognese sauce Gordon Ramsay? ›

Recipe For Gordon Ramsay's Spaghetti Bolognese
  1. Meat. • 1/2 lb Ground beef.
  2. Produce. • 1 Carrot. • 2 cloves Garlic. • 1 Onion. ...
  3. Canned Goods. • 2 tbsp Tomato puree.
  4. Baking & Spices. • 1 tsp Black pepper. • 1 tsp Salt.
  5. Oils & Vinegars. • 2 tbsp Oil.
  6. Dairy. • 1/2 cup Whole milk.
  7. Beer, Wine & Liquor. • 2 tbsp Red wine.

What is the best mince meat for Bolognese sauce? ›

What mince is best for bolognese? I like to use beef and pork; a half and half ratio works well. Adding pork gives that extra flavour from the higher fat content. Some people looking for a healthier option could try turkey mince as it is a low-fat meat, but I'm a purist, so I'll stick with the classics!

What is the difference between meat sauce and Bolognese sauce? ›

But to me, the biggest difference when compared to the tomato-heavy meat sauce I grew up with, is that Ragù Bolognese uses milk, white wine and notably less tomatoes. The milk tenderizes the meat and mellows out any tart, acidic notes. The flavor is soft, light and slightly sweet! That's the selling point.

Is beef ragù the same as Bolognese sauce? ›

Even though both are considered meat sauces and are thusly chunky, ragù is more like a thick tomato sauce with recognizable bits of ground beef within it. Bolognese, though, is creamier and thicker because it is made with milk. It is not considered to be a tomato sauce.

How do you deepen the flavor of bolognese? ›

The best tip for intensifying the flavour of your sauce is just to cook it slowly on a low heat for a long time. This reduces the sauce and intensifies the flavours – four hours is not uncommon for my bolognese.

Do Italians put sugar in Bolognese sauce? ›

No, we put sugar in sweets, not in savory dishes. If you happened to buy tomatoes that are acidic you may try to correct that with a pinch of sugar or, better, with some milk. But acidic tomatoes are not common nowadays.

What's the difference between ragù and Bolognese sauce? ›

Even though both are considered meat sauces and are thusly chunky, ragù is more like a thick tomato sauce with recognizable bits of ground beef within it. Bolognese, though, is creamier and thicker because it is made with milk. It is not considered to be a tomato sauce.

What can I add to bolognese to get more flavor? ›

Just add seasoning and the flavour will be completely different from what you're used to. You can add various herbs, too. Try a teaspoon of dried Italian mixed herbs (added at the start) or a tablespoon of fresh, chopped oregano (added towards the end) in the meat sauce.

Does bolognese get better the longer you cook it? ›

Take your time with the Bolognese sauce. Allow it to simmer slowly, at a low temperature, to allow the flavors to fully develop and intensify. This slow-cooking process is essential for achieving the rich, complex taste that makes Bolognese sauce so distinctive.

Why do you put sugar in bolognese sauce? ›

The reason for sprinkling a pinch of sugar into a simmering saucepan of tomatoes is simple: sugar cuts the acidity of the tomatoes and creates an overall more balanced sauce. The exact acid levels in tomatoes can vary quite a bit depending on whether they're fresh or canned, the tomato variety, and the time of year.

What onions are best for Bolognese sauce? ›

The best onion to use would be a yellow onion or sweet onion. By slowly sauteing and caramelizing the onion, bringing out its natural sweetness, you will balance out that acidic flavor of the tomatoes and bring a more mellow rounded flavor to the sauce.

What is the best pasta for Bolognese? ›

For Meat Sauces

Known as Bolognese in Italy, these classic slow-simmered sauces are often a Sunday treat at Nonna's house. If you want to best capture these hearty sauces, serve them with traditional tube-shaped pasta—like Rigatoni and Tortiglioni—or deep scoopable shapes like Shells and Orecchiette.

What is the difference between Italian Bolognese and American Bolognese? ›

The American bolognese is essentially a southern-Italy style ragù with minced meat instead of meat in pieces, which means that it's very rich in tomato, and it has a too short cooking time. Besides, it tends to include a huge number of pointless ingredients and often the wine is used in the wrong way.

Is high or low fat beef for Bolognese? ›

Beef mince:

Beef mince is used in lots of classic dishes, such as spaghetti Bolognese, beef burgers and chilli con carne. Choose leanness carefully. While Bolognese and other rich sauces benefit from flavoursome full-fat mince, neglecting to drain off excess grease after browning may flood the sauce with an oily layer.

Is ground beef or ground chuck better? ›

Ground chuck has a richer, beefier flavor and juicier texture than ground beef made from leaner cuts, like ground round or ground sirloin. This is due to the higher marbling in the chuck roast, which adds more fat and flavour to the beef if you're looking for a beefier taste and juicer meat in your dishes.

Do you use lean or medium ground beef for spaghetti? ›

Ground Beef that is not less than 70% lean (usually a 73/27 or 75/25 lean-to-fat ratio) is used for burgers and in recipes calling for browning (crumbles) and pouring off drippings, such as chili, tacos and spaghetti sauce. When properly cooked, it is moist and juicy.

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