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. π
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 β The Best Bolognese Sauce β 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!
The Best Bolognese Sauce

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!
52 Comments
AN
January 4, 2021 at 7:44 pmHi Alex, so excited to make this. I’m only cooking for 4, so I was thinking about halving the recipe. Do you have any suggestions when halving this recipe? What size dutch oven should I use? Thank you!
Alex
January 4, 2021 at 8:44 pmit should half just perfectly and you can literally just half the ingredients! π
You could use a 5 qt.
Stacy Wong
December 28, 2020 at 7:02 pmIf we need to replace veal, do we just up the ground beef?
Alex
December 28, 2020 at 9:51 pmyes
Abby Jennings
December 26, 2020 at 3:07 pmHi Alex! I am excited to make this for our family’s late Christmas Eve night – have you ever used Italian sausage for this recipe?
Alex
December 28, 2020 at 12:56 amI haven’t!! I think it will change the flavor too much! you really want to the sauce to flavor the meat– not the meat flavor the sauce (if that makes sense).
Abby Jennings
December 29, 2020 at 6:39 pmYes that makes sense, thank you!!
Jessica HT
December 23, 2020 at 7:30 pmThis is it!
Iβve been on a bolognese pilgrimage (haha) and none of the recipes were perfect…until now!!
Loved it and wouldnβt change a thing!
Thanks Alex!!
Britt
December 22, 2020 at 3:15 amSOOOO good! Made this for family Sunday dinner and everyone loved it! So much flavor. Canβt wait to make it again.
Molly
January 10, 2021 at 7:05 pmIf you are diary free would you recommend using a vegan Parmesan cheese or just leave it out? Additionally, what type of diary free milk would you suggest using?
Brenna Hull
December 21, 2020 at 8:39 pmThis was simply delightful! I made this for our early Christmas dinner with the family. My only tweak was using ground lamb instead of veal. Everyone loved it, so tasty! Thank you Alex! β€οΈ
Alex
December 21, 2020 at 8:54 pmloooove using ground lamb, great choice!!!
Megan
December 20, 2020 at 2:20 amEasy and incredibly delicious! Bolognese is my absolutely favorite dish. Made this with from scratch papparadelle and it was even better than our favorite restaurant. We made a βhalf plus a littleβ recipe and left out the veal. So good!
Taylor Banzet
December 18, 2020 at 6:23 pmHi – I need to omit the anchovy due to a shellfish allergy (Anchovies actually contain the same form of protein as shellfish!). Is there anything you would recommend subbing it for?
Thank you! & I love your cookbook and all of your recipes!! xo
Alex
December 18, 2020 at 6:29 pmIts fine to omit! no sub necessary it will still be delicious.
Stacey
December 17, 2020 at 5:34 amIf I make this the day before, do you recommend I mix everything together, refrigerate it and then heat it up the next day, all day or should I cook it all day and then refrigerate and reheat right before serving? Thanks!
Alex
December 17, 2020 at 1:10 pmI would cook it all. Then the next day dump it into a big pot, reheat and keep on low for 30 mins or so to really get it nice and warm before serving.
Maegan Withers
December 15, 2020 at 4:23 amCan you use anchovie paste and if so, how much? Thank you!!
Alex
December 15, 2020 at 12:51 pmyes, you can sub 2-3 tsp
Stephanie Gonzalez
December 12, 2020 at 11:56 pmHi Alex! Iβm so excited to make this comforting meal for some friends. I have a couple of questions.
1. Do you think I can make this the day before?
2. If you say yes to question #1, do I wait to add the milk until before I serve it?
Thank you!!!
Alex
December 13, 2020 at 1:34 pmyou can definitely make it the day before (in fact, I find it’s even better day two!) I’d go ahead and add the milk– it’ll be totally fine! and just reheat on the stovetop nicely the day before serving! π
Karen
December 9, 2020 at 2:10 pmHi! Iβm making this today. My family doesnβt eat red meat so Iβm using ground turkey. It can sometimes be bland. What do you suggest for a modification? Iβm so excited to try this!!
Alex
December 9, 2020 at 6:20 pmI haven’t yet tried this recipe using turkey– but I would definitely use 4-6 anchovies to add more flavor.
Kim
December 8, 2020 at 2:50 amHi Alex!
Is there possibly a substitute for the white wine? Maybe water or broth? Thank you!!
Alex
December 8, 2020 at 8:32 pmYes, I’d opt for broth here! You may just want to add a little lemon juice to add some tang/brightness.
Terra Wissbaum
December 6, 2020 at 3:42 amBest Bolognese I’ve ever had. Well worth the time. Even my daughter, who does not like sauce, has requested this. Will definitely make this again. Thanks for a fabulous recipe loved by my whole family.
Abigail A
December 1, 2020 at 6:55 pmI married an Italian man who lives and dies by his mother’s homemade spaghetti recipe. After one taste of this bolognese, he jumped ship and said it was the best pasta he’s had in his life! I’d say that’s a huge win! I had all 9 of my siblings over for “Italian Night” and I barely had any leftovers. Thank you for sharing with us Alex!!!
Alex
December 1, 2020 at 7:00 pmYay! What a compliment! Glad you all enjoyed it.
Cortni Wolff
November 17, 2020 at 2:34 amDo you chop the anchovy? Or add it while? Looks so amazing, canβt wait to try! π
Alex
November 17, 2020 at 12:21 pmWhen you add the whole anchovies to the pot, they’ll start to dissolve and you mash them so they end up turning into a paste-like consistency.
Emily Carter
November 13, 2020 at 2:36 pmHi! Huge fan of your recipes π Is the pasta shown gluten free? I have celiac and I would love to find those noodles!
Alex
November 14, 2020 at 2:34 pmIn this photo, they are not GF. I haven’t had a good GF Rigatoni or know of one.
Jenalie
December 21, 2020 at 1:37 amThe best sauce Iβve ever had! Tastes as good as my Sicilian grandfathers. Itβs so savory, hearty, and FLAVORFUL and the added cheese rind is genius. Thanks Alex! π
Alex
December 21, 2020 at 12:05 pmwow thank you so much, Jenalie!
Esmeralda Gomez
November 13, 2020 at 3:34 amCooking it for the first time and I already tasted it! however; is it a huge difference if I only cook it for 90 minutes? otherwise I will let it cook 4 hrs or overnight and eat for tomorrow. it was so easy!
Alex
November 13, 2020 at 1:34 pmYou can cook it for only 90, but the longer the better π
Denise
November 7, 2020 at 3:40 pmHi! Canβt wait to make this! What are your thoughts on using evaporated milk? I saw this used in another recipe and wanted to get your feedback. Thank you!!!
Alex
November 8, 2020 at 4:14 pmEvaporated milk is very sweet, I wouldn’t use it here, personally– I think it’d end up tasting like a jar of ragu (and not in a good way, in my opinion)! haha. I’d do regular milk or heavy cream.
Michelle
October 31, 2020 at 1:18 pmI can’t find a parmesan rind anywhere, do you think it will be okay if I just add the cheese afterward?
Alex
November 1, 2020 at 12:54 pmIf you buy a piece of parmesan cheese, you can just trim off the rind and use that. You can definitely omit the parmesan rind if you don’t have it and just top with some grated cheese when serving. I wouldn’t put the cheese directly in the sauce and stir it up, though.
Sydney
October 25, 2020 at 5:19 pmI just made this bolognese for my birthday too π So delicious!!
For anyone curious, I did sub nutpods for the milks and it worked out great.
Alex
October 25, 2020 at 8:57 pmyou are most welcome!! enjoy! xo
Leslie Zimmerman
October 23, 2020 at 2:54 pmDo you ever freeze this sauce? I am curious if that would work since there in milk in it.
Alex
October 23, 2020 at 9:43 pmwhile I typically don’t prefer to freeze items with dairy in it, this freezes very well!
Hayley
October 23, 2020 at 10:59 pmis it two anchovies or two cans or anchovies? canβt wait to cook this!
Alex
October 24, 2020 at 3:59 pmTwo anchovies… but if you know you love anchovies id do 6… π
Rebecca
November 1, 2020 at 10:59 amThis truly is THE BEST BOLOGNESE SAUCE!! Iβve made it twice now and itβs so good, my family love it! I freeze half for a future meal and found it freezes and reheats perfectly. Iβm keen to try it in a pressure cooker next time to see if the time saving impacts the flavour of the slow stove top cook. Thank you so much for sharing x
Alex
November 1, 2020 at 12:48 pmI am so glad you love it!!! let us know if you try the Pressure Cooker and how it turns out!! π
SN
October 23, 2020 at 2:51 amCan I ask why the milk and a sub it?
Alex
October 23, 2020 at 9:44 pmTraditional bolognese sauces have heavy creamer or milk in it. If you need a DF option, i’d go for nutpods original dairy-free creamer.
Kelley Gudahl - Sailing Chance
October 20, 2020 at 9:05 pmDo you think this could be made in an instant pot?
Alex
October 22, 2020 at 1:25 pmAbsolutely! Just be sure to brown the meat first on the saute function. Then I would do 30-45 mins on manual High Pressure cook. Then I would stir in the milk and let it reduce a bit after (on the saute function) for 10 more mins π