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. 😉
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!
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!
95 Comments
Bailey
November 17, 2022 at 6:22 amHi Alex! Can I sub bacon for the pancetta? Or just omit? Thanks so much!
Elyse
October 21, 2022 at 4:05 amHi Alex! Would this be suitable to make the sauce the day before and then reheat on the stove the following day?
I’d love to serve for this a small gathering of friends, but I won’t have the time to make the sauce the day of.
Alex
October 21, 2022 at 5:06 pmAbsolutely!
Alexandria
December 22, 2021 at 11:53 pmMade this tonight.. left out the parm and used oat milk. So yummy!
Alex
December 23, 2021 at 12:20 pmwonderful!!!
Lauren
March 24, 2022 at 1:09 amLate to this party… but just made this tonight and it truly is THE BEST sauce!!!
Alex
March 24, 2022 at 2:40 pmBetter late than never, right 😉
Audrey McCarthy
March 25, 2022 at 3:05 pmI’m making this now! Do your leave the pancetta in the sauce or just use the grease to cook veggies and get the flavor?
Alex
March 25, 2022 at 3:37 pmI leave it in there 🙂
Audrey
December 21, 2021 at 4:26 pmCan’t wait to make this for Christmas Eve for my family! Question, if I’m serving 11 people would it be best to double this? If so, should I make it in two batches or should the meat all cook okay in one big pot?
Alex
December 22, 2021 at 1:16 ami just doubled it for 14 people (8 adults and 6 kids) and i had quite a lot leftover. I am always afraid of not having enough though but the 1 batch does make a ton so depending on how many kids/adults the 1 batch might do it for you!! I cooked the double in one giant pot and it turned out great.
Susie Klein
December 20, 2021 at 4:25 amCan’t wait to make this for friends. What is your favorite pasta and brand for this? Thanks Alex.
Alex
December 20, 2021 at 12:32 pmI really love to use pappardelle pasta or rigatoni. My family definitely loves the pappardelle the most!
Charlie
March 21, 2022 at 11:00 pmHi Alex! So excited to make this! Is it possible to do the last 4 hours (or more) in a crockpot or does that change it significantly?
Alex
March 22, 2022 at 5:16 pmYou can definitely do that!!
Jenn
December 6, 2021 at 7:42 pmHi Alex! LOVE all of your Recipes!! I know you don’t have a specific lasagna recipe and I prefer using your recipes for meals. With that said, could I use this sauce to make lasagna?
Alex
December 6, 2021 at 9:36 pmThis would be delicious on a lasagna!
Abby
November 15, 2021 at 1:57 amBest recipe I’ve made in a while! Subbed anchovy paste for anchovies. Otherwise followed directions as written. Soooo delicious. And my house smells like the best Italian restaurant 🙂
Caitlin
July 31, 2021 at 8:09 pmWhat’s your go to wine for this?
Gina
June 7, 2021 at 5:53 pmThe sell for me on using this recipe (I plan on making it tomorrow) is the anchovies. I use anchovies as my little secret ingredient, as many don’t think they like anchovies unless its a secret ingredient. One question for you…how much pasta do you use for this recipe?
Alex
June 14, 2021 at 12:16 pmIt makes enough to work with up to two boxes (1 lb each) of pasta (depending on how many people you are serving).
Jim
March 31, 2021 at 2:26 pmAfter cooking the main ingredients, would it work to use a slow cooker for the 4 hour simmer? I have made this a few times and need to regularly check to make sure it is not burning on my stove. BTW, instead of milk, I use cashew cream, which works great.
Alex
March 31, 2021 at 4:00 pmYou can definitely pop it into the slow cooker!!
Audrey
March 30, 2021 at 9:05 pmHi! Making this recipe now! I didn’t drain off any of the fat and now wish I would have (seems the other liquids aren’t as easily absorbing). Any fix or does bolognese just have lots of fat in it?
Alex
March 30, 2021 at 9:29 pmKeep cooking it, it should all mend and come together in the end.
Audrey
March 30, 2021 at 10:24 pmYou’re a fortune teller– it did! Thank you so much! Delicious
Lauren
March 11, 2021 at 4:11 amThis might be the best thing I ever ate. Truly incredible and very customizable. I have made it numerous times and everyone loves it!
Pam Lamp
March 8, 2021 at 12:02 amI made this for my husband’s birthday dinner last night. I used the anchovies (first time ever!) and subbed ground beef for the veal–grocery didn’t have it. It was fabulous! Everyone raved about it! I wasn’t surprised it was wonderful, because Alex’s recipes ALWAYS are!! Thanks so much!
Hannah
March 1, 2021 at 5:38 pmCould you use a bit of fish sauce in place of the anchovies?
Alex
March 7, 2021 at 6:21 pmdefinitely!! would work for sure.
Chelsea
February 18, 2021 at 12:39 amCan I use dried thyme instead of fresh? Forgot the fresh at the store!
Cathy Montgomery
February 15, 2021 at 3:55 pmWhere can I find the lamb bolognese recipe? Thank you!
Alex
February 15, 2021 at 5:21 pmIt’s on page 26 of my cookbook!
Lily
February 12, 2021 at 6:00 amI loved this bolognese sauce! I made this recipe over rigatoni, and everyone was so impressed. It was much easier than I thought it would be to create such a rich, umami dish. To everyone scared about the anchovies, just use them! The depth of flavor is amazing. My very fish-phobic family was unbothered by the slight fishiness. Highly recommend this recipe!
Beth Perry
February 8, 2021 at 5:08 pmHow can you make this recipe dairy-free? Can you use plain almond milk?
Alex
February 10, 2021 at 2:07 pmyes, almond milk should be fine here.
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! 🙂
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
Christina N
July 22, 2021 at 4:49 pmThis recipe is SO good. I usually use half the recipe the day of over noodles and then use the other half for a GF lasagna. I substitute the milk with a dairy free option and haven’t had any issues. Everyone I’ve served it to loves it.
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!
I’ve been on a bolognese pilgrimage (haha) and none of the recipes were perfect…until now!!
Loved it and wouldn’t change a thing!
Thanks Alex!!
Sandie Tauscheck
January 26, 2021 at 7:56 pmThat’s exactly what I wanted to hear… A perfect sauce… I have been on the same pilgrimage… I will give this recipe a try… Thanks for doing the review
Ashley
March 28, 2021 at 3:06 pmSeriously so good. I’ve made this over and over and it is always a crowd pleaser. I freeze the leftovers into individual size servings and it tastes just as good thawed the second time around!!!!
Alex
March 28, 2021 at 11:18 pmso perfect!!!
Britt
December 22, 2020 at 3:15 amSOOOO good! Made this for family Sunday dinner and everyone loved it! So much flavor. Can’t 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! ❤️
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 “half plus a little” 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.
Susan
April 22, 2022 at 11:01 pmhow much rigatoni do you use for 1 recipe? Did you use the extra large size?
Alex
May 2, 2022 at 5:17 pmThese aren’t the extra large sized, they are regular… and any pasta really works here!! You can do up to 2 lbs for this recipe– it makes a lot of sauce. I usually just do 1 lb and freeze leftovers if needed… but all depends on how many i am serving.
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! I’m 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! 🙂
Karen
December 9, 2020 at 2:10 pmHi! I’m making this today. My family doesn’t eat red meat so I’m using ground turkey. It can sometimes be bland. What do you suggest for a modification? I’m 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, can’t wait to try! 😍
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 😍 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 I’ve ever had! Tastes as good as my Sicilian grandfathers. It’s so savory, hearty, and FLAVORFUL and the added cheese rind is genius. Thanks Alex! 😍
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 🙂
Denise
November 7, 2020 at 3:40 pmHi! Can’t 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.
Mary
February 25, 2021 at 10:22 pmMaking this right now and have been eating it with a spoon out of the pot while it simmers all day! It is so good and I hope to not eat it all before I can serve it 😀
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 🙂 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? can’t wait to cook this!
Alex
October 24, 2020 at 3:59 pmTwo anchovies… but if you know you love anchovies id do 6… 🙂
Rebecca
November 1, 2020 at 10:59 amThis truly is THE BEST BOLOGNESE SAUCE!! I’ve made it twice now and it’s so good, my family love it! I freeze half for a future meal and found it freezes and reheats perfectly. I’m 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!! 🙂
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 🙂