This is the absolute BEST Bolognese Sauce recipe! It’s rich, flavorful, and perfect for making restaurant-quality pasta bolognese at home. This easy stovetop recipe simmers a blend of ground beef and Italian sausage, pancetta, red wine, and tomatoes for several hours to develop layers upon layers of flavor.
Serve your Bolognese sauce over a pile of perfectly al dente pasta with a mound of parmesan cheese. I’ve tested and tweaked this recipe for many years, both at home and at restaurants I’ve worked at, and this is truly THE BEST version of the classic Italian sauce.
“[T]his deserves five stars for sure! Made exactly as instructed and really appreciated the tips about using Italian sausage (instead of the usual ground pork), mincing the veggies in the food processor (a tip I’m adopting for life), and loosening the pasta with cream at the end. It was amazing!” – Adam, So Much Food reader
Table of contents
What Makes This the Best Bolognese Sauce EVER
Handmade pasta was one of my specialities when I was a restaurant chef. My pappardelle was legendary and so Italian cuisine has always had a special place in my heart. If you come to my house for dinner and I’m making handmade pasta, there’s a strong chance that it’ll be smothered with this bolognese sauce.
Bolognese is a type of ragu sauce that’s made with beef and pork. Originating in Bologna, the largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy, authentic bolognese is typically made with beef, pork, white wine, milk, and a little tomato.
There are thousands of recipes for Bolognese sauce out there, so what makes this “the best” recipe?
- Layers of flavor. The key to any great sauce is to build layers of flavor. This comes from the crispy pancetta, ground beef and Italian sausage mixture, and all the aromatic veggies. Milk, wine, and tomatoes seal the deal and a couple of hours of simmering melds all the flavors.
- Streamlined for ease. Instead of spending forever finely chopping veggies (and they DO need to be finely chopped) we use a food processor. For the veggies to melt into the sauce, they need to be tiny and the food processor makes quick work of this.
- Well balanced. You don’t want a sauce that’s too acidic or too sweet. Using the right ratio of ingredients yields the perfect Bolognese sauce that you’ll turn to over and over again.
I’ve been testing and tweaking this recipes for YEARS, both at home and at restaurants, so trust me when I say it’s the best homemade bolognese sauce you’ll ever make!
Tools I Recommend Using
The Main Ingredients (+ Substitutions)
You can find the full list of ingredients, quantities, and method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Meats. This simple recipe calls for ground beef and Italian sausage, as well as pancetta for flavor. Plain ground pork is traditional, but I just love the extra flavor that Italian sausage adds.
- Veggies. Italian soffritto is the backbone of the sauce, which is a fancy way of saying onion, celery, and carrot. I also add plenty of garlic for added flavor.
- Bay leaves. A couple of bay leaves add tons of flavor.
- Wine. Opt for a medium-bodied red wine and in keeping with the theme, choose Italian! If you want a lighter sauce, you could use white wine instead (that’s what I typically use in my Instant Pot ragu).
- Crushed tomatoes. Find high-quality crushed tomatoes. You could also use tomato passata or whole tomatoes crushed by hand.
- Tomato paste. Tomato paste adds richness and depth of flavor.
- Half and half. Half and helps tenderize the meat and gives us a silky and tender sauce. You could swap in whole milk, but don’t go with anything with less fat.
- Parmesan. Ditch the pre-grated stuff and get a small wedge of parmesan cheese. Add the rind to the sauce for extra flavor and freshly grate the rest on top when serving.
- Pasta. Bolognese is best served with a wide, flat pasta like pappardelle or tagliatelle. This time I used paccheri, which are giant flat tubes. You can also use it to make homemade lasagna bolognese, another favorite dish I often make for dinner parties!
How to Make Bolognese Sauce with Ground Beef and Italian Sausage
- Crisp up the pancetta. I like to heat a mixture of olive oil and butter in my Dutch oven (the oil keeps the butter from burning, FYI) and then add the diced pancetta. It needs a good 10+ minutes to render its fat and get super crispy, so just be patient. You can also prep the veggies while the pancetta cooks!
- Finely mince the vegetables. Your food processor is going to be your BFF for this recipe; this is the one I’ve had for years and adore. I just add the celery, carrot, onion, and garlic to it and pulse until finely minced. Easy!
- Cook the ground beef and Italian sausage. Stir the meat often so it gets really finely broken up as it cooks.
Jenny’s Tip: Don’t brown the meat! Browning the meat can make it tough and dry, so I always cook the ground beef and sausage over medium-low heat. Cook low and slow, breaking the meat up into fine bits as it cooks.
- Add the veggies. Add the minced vegetables to the pot and cook until they’ve softened, then add the tomato paste and keep cooking until it’s dark in color. This caramelizes all of the sugars in the tomato paste and creates a richer tasting Bolognese.
- Finish the sauce and simmer. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, pop the lid on, and gently simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Be sure to stir the sauce every hour, scraping the bottom to ensure nothing sticks.
Jenny’s Tip: You’ll know your Bolognese sauce is finished cooking when it’s thick and deep red in color. If you think it needs more salt and pepper, don’t be shy about adding more!
Jenny’s Tips for Making the Best Bolognese
Use a food processor. In order for the veggies to melt into the sauce, they need to be teeny tiny! Instead of spending excessive amounts of time dicing, use a food processor to get the veggies uniformly and finely chopped.
Let the meat come to room temperature. If you let the meat come to room temperature before cooking, it breaks up a lot easier! Bolognese sauce needs meat that’s been really broken down into tiny pieces.
Don’t skip the milk. It may sound odd to add milk to a red sauce, but the milk helps tenderize and break down the proteins in the beef and pork. The end result is a soft and luscious sauce.
Use a drinkable red wine. I am of the mind that you should cook with wine that you’d drink! This doesn’t mean you need to use expensive wine, but use something that you’re happy to drink if there are leftovers. Trader Joe’s is my favorite place to pick up affordable and delicious wines.
What to Serve with Pasta Bolognese
If you’re throwing a dinner party or just want a nice dinner to enjoy, here are some of my favorite dishes to serve with my beef and pork pasta bolognese.
- Warm bread. No-Knead Focaccia, Fluffy Dinner Rolls
- Side salad. Little Gem Caesar Salad, Italian Chopped Salad, Classic Panzanella
- Veggies. Grilled Lemon Asparagus, Roasted Carrots with Whipped Feta, Almond Garlic Green Beans, Creamed Spinach
- Dessert. Gooey Nutella Lava Cakes, Coffee Panna Cotta, or Almond Ricotta Cake
If you do give this recipe a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!
More Classic Italian Pasta Sauce Recipes
- White Bolognese Sauce
- 30-Minute Pink Sauce Pasta
- Pasta Alla Vodka
- Dad’s Sunday Sauce
- Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs
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The Best Bolognese Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
Bolognese Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 6 oz pancetta , diced small
- 1 lb ground sirloin (90/10)
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage
- 1 yellow onion , roughly chopped
- 2 carrots , peeled and chopped
- 2 ribs celery , chopped
- 4 cloves garlic cloves , minced
- 6 oz can tomato paste
- 28 oz can high-quality crushed tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups medium-bodied red wine
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 parmesan rind
- Kosher salt
- freshly cracked pepper
Pasta Bolognese
- 10 oz dried pasta , like pappardelle or paccheri
- 3 cups bolognese sauce
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- freshly grated parmesan cheese , for serving
Instructions
Make the Bolognese Sauce
- Crisp up the pancetta. Melt the butter and olive oil in a dutch oven over medium low heat. Add the pancetta, and cook while occasionally stirring, until crispy. This process takes about 10-12 minutes, don't rush. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pancetta from the pot and transfer to a small bowl.
- Finely mince the veggies. While the pancetta cooks, Add all the veggies and garlic to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until everything is finely minced. This saves tons of time!
- Cook the beef and sausage. Add the ground beef and Italian sausage to the pot and keep the heat low. Cook while stirring often until the meat is cooked through and really finely broken up. Don't brown the meat, just cook low and slow until it's cooked through.
- Add the veggies. Increase the heat to medium and add the finely chopped veggies to the pot. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are soft. Add the tomato paste to the pot and really mix it in. Cook until it's darkened in color, about 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Add the wine to the pot and use it to help scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the milk, tomatoes, bay leaves, crispy pancetta, and parmesan rind to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot.
- Simmer. Simmer on low for 2 1/2 – 3 hours, stirring every hour or so. The sauce should be thick and deep red in color. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove the bay leaves.
Make the Pasta Bolognese
- Cook your pasta in a large pot of salted water to al dente (according to package directions). I love serving bolognese sauce with pappardelle, but you can use any pasta (long or short) you love most. I am obsessed with this Paccheri pasta–so perfect for the bolognese sauce!
- Warm some of the sauce in a large skillet. I always make enough bolognese to freeze half of it and I always make it ahead of time because the sauce gets better as it sits. Rewarm 3 cups of the sauce in a large nonstick skillet.
- Reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, then carefully drain the pasta. Resist the temptation of rinsing your pasta with water once it’s drained. Doing so rinses away the starches on its surface, preventing it from properly adhering to the bolognese sauce.
- Toss. Add the hot pasta straight into the skillet with the bolognese sauce, tossing to combine well. Use your judgment and adjust pasta bolognese as needed (a splash of the reserved pasta water will help loosen up the pasta bolognese; a handful of extra parmesan will tighten it up a bit, etc.). Add the cream and stir everything.
- Simmer. Let the pasta bolognese simmer for 1-2 minutes, allowing the pasta to absorb some of the bolognese sauce as it finishes cooking. Season to taste, as needed
- Serve. Portion into individual bowls and serve immediately. Top with a mound of freshly grated parmesan.
Storage Instructions
- This recipe makes A LOT of sauce! I tend to freeze half of it for later use unless I'm feeding a huge crowd. The pasta Bolognese recipe as written feeds 4 or so. However, it makes much more sauce than needed. Bolognese sauce only gets better as it sits. I always make my sauce a day before I plan to serve. To store: Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Whip up a batch of pasta bolognese during the week by reheating the bolognese sauce in a skillet and following the steps above.To freeze: Transfer the cooled bolognese sauce to a freezer-safe Ziploc bag. Take care to press most of the air out before sealing, this helps prevent freezer-burn. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and rewarm in a skillet.
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