There’s something incredibly satisfying about letting Bolognese, the famous Italian meat sauce, simmer on the stove for hours, perfuming your whole house with its meaty aromas. Sigh! While this sauce is usually served with hearty pasta, you can also work it into baked potatoes, bell peppers, or nachos! I loved this easy Bolognese recipe so much that I ate it with rice. (I mean, have I ever said anything more Puerto Rican?!)
“This was so good! I didn’t want to stop eating, I just couldn’t get enough 🤤”
Stephanie
Now, I’ll be the first to say this isn’t a traditional recipe. Bolognese is the traditional meat sauce of Bologna, Italy. It’s mostly ground beef with a bit of pork thrown in, stewed in tomatoes, with a touch of milk and butter added to round out the sauce’s acidity. American meat sauces tend to be much more tomato-forward, often with garlic, oregano, and other herbs mixed in.
In this version, I blend the two styles to make something that’s easy, flavorful, and totally doable for home cooks. I skip the pork to keep things budget-friendly and lean on a little garlic for extra depth. I also use canned crushed tomatoes instead of fresh ones to save time and money (although you can use fresh if you like). It’s still rich, cozy, and perfect after a slow simmer—the kind of sauce that clings lovingly to your pasta!
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Gather all of your ingredients.
Sauté the vegetables: Place a heavy-bottomed pot (like a Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add 4 tablespoons of butter to the pan. When the butter is foaming, add 1 medium diced onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sauté until the onion becomes translucent.
Now, add 2 stalks of diced celery and 1 large diced carrot and sauté for two minutes, until they have softened some. Next, add the 2 cloves of minced garlic and sauté until it becomes fragrant, about 1 minute.
Brown the beef: Carefully add a pound of ground beef and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Break up the ground beef into smaller meat crumbles with a wooden spoon as it browns.
Add the milk and wine: Once the beef has browned, add 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of wine, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir occasionally and simmer (don’t boil) until the liquid evaporates completely. This took me about 30 minutes in total.
Add the tomatoes: Pour in the 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes and mix to combine. Once the tomatoes come up to a simmer, immediately lower the heat.
Cook and serve: Cook, without a lid, for 3 hours. Be sure to stir it occasionally. If the sauce dries out at all, stir in a half cup of water. When it’s finished simmering, taste for salt and pepper and adjust the seasoning. Serve this over hearty pasta like tagliatelle, pappardelle, or rotini. You can also pair it with a baked potato, stuff it into a bell pepper, or serve it over rice or nachos!
This rich, hearty sauce calls for some sort of pasta, but like I said earlier, you can serve it in baked potatoes or with nachos! However, a slice of warm, buttery garlic bread on the side is pretty much non-negotiable for most people. If I want something fresh to balance it all out, I’ll throw together a quick Greek salad, too. It’s a simple, satisfying meal that hits all the right notes.
Store the sauce in an airtight container, preferably glass or ceramic, as it stains plastic. It will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you’re freezing this recipe for Bolognese, try doing so in portions, so you only thaw it once. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat, or in the microwave until it starts to steam. If microwaving it, I’d top it with a paper towel over it so it doesn’t splatter everywhere.
Our Bolognese recipe was originally published 4/15/23. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 4/22/25.
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