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Everyone needs a good go-to recipe when making bolognese, and it just so happens I have a really good one. I have been making my Pasta Bolognese for my husband for about 10 years now, and I feel like I have perfected this recipe. It’s rich, thick, loaded with flavour and is truly the definition of comfort food.
Pasta Bolognese can be made in about an hour and half, but rest assured, the majority of this time it will be simmering on your stove, making your house smell incredible. As we head into the cooler months of the year, there really is nothing as comforting and satisfying as a big, warm bowl of pasta smothered in a homemade bolognese sauce. This recipe is tried, and true, and I promise you’ll love this one as much as we all do.
What is bolognese?
Bolognese is a classic Italian pasta sauce that originated in Bologna. It’s typically made up of ground beef, pork, a soffritto (which is onions, carrots and celery), tomato puree and either milk or cream for an added creamy texture.
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Ingredients
Here is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need to make my Pasta Bolognese. For the exact detailed measurements and ingredients, scroll to the bottom of this page to review my recipe card.
- olive oil
- butter
- ground beef
- ground pork
- carrots
- celery
- yellow onion
- garlic cloves
- handful fresh basil
- tomato paste
- beef stock
- heavy cream
- canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup red wine
- salt
- black pepper
- fennel
- parmesan
Looking for more Italian recipes?
Looking for more Italian Classics? I will leave a few personal favourites linked down below:
- Beef Cutlets
- Chicken Parmesan
- Lasagna with Mini Meatballs
- Italian Stuffed Peppers
- Italian Meatball Subs
- Baked Zucchini Parmigiani
- Homemade Pizza Dough
- Minestrone Soup
- Spaghetti & Meatballs
Pasta Bolognese at a glance
Taste: super comforting, flavourful and the perfect weeknight dinner.
Time: about an hour and a half, but the majority of this time the pasta is simmering away on the stove, making your house smell beautiful.
Effort: really low effort here, the hardest part will be chopping up some veggies.
Difficulty: anyone can make this recipe, it’s super simple to make and the best part is, it can be made in advance, and it freezes like a dream.
Substitutions & FAQ’s
What type of meat is best to use in a bolognese sauce?
Typically the sauce is made with a combination of beef and pork. There are certain recipes that use veal, although I almost never eat veal so thats a no for me. Feel free to play around with the meat combination to see what you like best, but I found a 50/50 ratio of beef and pork to work really well. And of course, if you don’t eat pork, just double up on the ground beef.
What type of pasta is best with a bolognese sauce?
This really comes down to personal preference but I really enjoy longer pasta with bolognese such as: pappardelle, spaghetti, or fettuccini.
Storing & reheating
Have leftovers? If you have leftovers, add them to an airtight glass container/tupperware and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. To re-heat simply add the pasta bolognese to a frying pan, add a splash of water or beef stock, cover and set to medium/high heat and let cook for 3-4 minutes, or until heated throughout.
Can I freeze the bolognese sauce?
You sure can! In fact, I almost always have leftovers that I freeze. Add the leftovers to an airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Did you like this recipe?
If you enjoyed my Pasta Bolognese recipe, please consider leaving me a 5 star rating and review in my recipe card provided below, it means so very much to me!
Pasta Bolognese
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil, extra virgin
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 2 carrots, chopped fine
- 2 celery, chopped fine
- 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped fine
- 5 garlic cloves, chopped fine
- handful fresh basil
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup beef stock, salted
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3.5 cups canned crushed tomatoes or passata
- 1 cup red wine, cabernet or merlot
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp fennel, crushed
- 1 bay leaf
- parmesan, for topping
Instructions
- Begin by chopping the veggies into small, similar sized pieces.
- Grab a large pot, preferably a dutch oven if you have, and set to medium/high heat. Add your olive oil, onions, carrots and celery. Let saute for 7-8 minutes, or until softened.
- Once your veggies are fork tender, add your garlic, and let cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Add your ground meats, salt, pepper, and fennel. Let fry on medium/high heat for 3-5 minutes, or until the meat begins to brown. *Don't worry about the meat fully cooking as it will continue to cook while it simmers over the next hour.
- Add your tomato paste, and let cook for 1-2 minutes, just until it has been incorporated into the veggie and meat mixture.
- Add your red wine and let simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until the wine has been reduced by half.
- Reduce heat to low, add your beef stock, canned crushed tomatoes, fresh basil, bay leaf and cover.
- Let simmer for 30 minutes covered. After 30 minutes, remove the lid, stir, and let cook for an additional 30-45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so.*Once your bolognese has been simmering for 60 minutes, it should be a thicker consistency. If you want it a bit thicker, simmer it for an additional 20 minutes.
- Once done, remove the large basil pieces, add your heavy cream and butter and mix one last time.Bring to a light boil for 1-2 minutes.
- Taste for any additional seasoning.
- Serve over your favourite pasta and top with tons of freshly grated parmesan and fresh basil.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Sammy, in the bolognese recipe, when do you add the canned tomatoes? Did I miss it?
Iโm cooking it nowโฆsmells wonderful!
I hope youโre having a super Thanksgiving!
Hi Janie! My apologies! I have updated the recipe and the tomatoes would go in when you add the beef broth. I hope you figured it out and enjoyed the recipe! xo
Wonderful recipe turned out delicious! I got a bit confused bc the recipe doesnโt include when to add the can of crushed tomatoes but I ended up realizing and added after the sauce was simmering covered for a bit.
Hi Valentina, thank you for bringing this to my attention. It would be when you add the beef stock. I have updated the recipe, and I am glad you figured it out.
Do you not drain the beef and pork when cooking first? It seems like there would be a lot of grease? I really want to try this!
Personally I don’t! You absolutely can though.
Oh my goodness this was delicious! Will be adding it into our rotation. Thank you so much!
Hi Jackie! Thanks for taking the time to reach out, so happy you enjoyed it!!
Delicious and filling! Well worth the 1 hour of simmering time ๐
Hi Lori- thanks so much for leaving a review! So happy you loved it!
Ohhhhmyyyygosssshhhhโฆ this was OUTSTANDING!! My husband loves Pasta Bolognese and he frequently orders it at restaurants with papardelle. I wanted to recreate this dish at home and it is definitely a winner. Thank you for making easy-to-follow recipes!! ๐ฅฐ
Hi Mira! I love this comment! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, and I am so glad you both enjoyed it! xo
Easy to put together. I have been wanting to find a recipe my family and kids would love and this is it! Thanks for sharing.
Love it! Thanks for sharing Whitney!
Making this one tonight! Do the leftovers freeze well? Wasn’t sure since it has cream in it.
You bet! It freezes great, just don’t freeze the pasta, so be sure to mix separately.
Incredible! Made with ground lamb and pork. Will absolutely make again.
Seriously the best! It reminds alot of one of my grandmother’s recipes. I haven’t had it since her passing over 10 years ago. Thank you for letting me reminisce.
Going to make this recipe tonight but plan to use 2 lbs ground beef rather than using the pork. Should I still use the fennel seeds? Thank you!
Hi! Yes, I recommend adding the fennel seeds still! Hope you enjoyed the recipe ๐ -Sammy