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I’ve shared a few bolognese sauce recipes on the blog before, but this is seriously the Best Bolognese Sauce. It’s the one I make for special occasions and weekend meals. I make a big batch of this on the stovetop and allow it to cook all day long. The smell brings me straight back to my childhood and watching my family enjoy it too brings me so much joy.
But first: what is bolognese sauce anyway and how is it different than “meat sauce?” A traditional American “meat sauce” is a combination of ground beef tossed in a marinara sauce. Bolognese is a much creamier, thicker sauce. There is a lot of debate 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.
I know that recipes get passed down, adjusted, and lost in translation over years. This is, more or less, how my mom taught me to make bolognese (you know I always give things a little spin of my own). 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. She is so proud of her Italian heritage (my grandfather was 100% Italian). Secondly, the woman loves a tomato-based sauce and she definitely loves putting tomatoes in bolognese—as sacrilegious as it may be. She also taught me that a trio of meats is key to making a good bolognese, which is why I opted to use a combination of ground beef, pork, and veal. I also added pancetta for a little extra salty flavor.
The end result is just phenomenal and is one that my family loves. I typically like my bolognese served with pappardelle or linguine pasta, but my daughter Winnie prefers it with rigatoni pasta—and honestly, she may have converted me.
So whether you call this a bolognese or a meat sauce, you can trust that it will be totally delicious.
ingredients:
- Pancetta
- Flat Fillet Anchovies
- Yellow Onions
- Carrots
- Celery
- Garlic Cloves
- Ground Beef
- Ground Pork
- Ground Veal
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Dry White Wine
- Canned Whole Peeled San Marzano Tomatoes
- Canned Tomato Sauce
- Tomato Paste
- Parmesan Cheese Rind
- Bay Leaves
- Fresh Thyme
- Whole Milk
- Pasta, For Serving
- Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese, For Serving
step-by-step:
step one: cook the pancetta until crispy
Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is just crisp, 4 to 5 minutes.
step two: add the anchovies and veggies
Add the anchovies, onions, carrots, 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.
step three: cook the meat
Add the ground beef, pork, veal, salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat with the back of a spoon, until the meat is no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Drain off most of the excess fat, if necessary.
step four: stir in the wine and tomatoes
Add the wine and cook, stirring, until the wine is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the San Marzano tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste and stir until well combined. Bring to a boil.
step five: let it simmer
Once the sauce is boiling, reduce to a light simmer over low heat. Add the Parmesan cheese rind, bay leaves, and thyme. Cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until the flavors have melded and the meat is extremely tender and flavorful, at least 4 hours.
step six: add the milk
About 30 minutes prior to serving, stir in the milk and continue to cook, uncovered and slightly simmering, until ready to serve. Taste and add more salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
step seven: discard the aromatics
Remove and discard the cheese rind, bay leaves, and thyme bundle.
step eight: toss with paste and serve
To serve, toss the sauce with cooked pasta. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh thyme leaves.
recipe faqs:
You can just do an extra 50/50 blend of ground beef and pork—so 2 pounds of beef and 1½ pounds of pork total.
I would just leave them out! The sauce will still be delicious without anchovies.
To freeze, let the sauce cool completely, then transfer it to airtight containers or freezer bags, leaving some space for expansion. Label and date the containers before placing them in the freezer.
To thaw, transfer the sauce to the refrigerator and let it defrost overnight. Reheat in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it’s heated through. You can add a splash of water or broth if the mixture has thickened too much during freezing.
Alternatively, you can reheat this in the microwave in short intervals, stirring in between to ensure even heating.
If you’re craving a classic Italian-American dinner, you need to try my Best Bolognese Sauce. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think!
want even more cozy Italian-style recipes? try these!
Creamy Sausage Rigatoni with Saffron
One-Pot Spaghetti-O’s with Mini Meatballs
Meatballs with Basil and Burst Tomatoes
Baked Beef and Ricotta Stuffed Shells
Best Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 ounces diced pancetta
- 2 flat filet anchovies (packed in oil)
- 2 cups finely diced yellow onion (from about 1 large onion)
- 1 cup finely diced carrot (from about 1 large onion)
- 3/4 cup finely chopped celery (from about 1 large stalk)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ pounds ground beef (80/20)
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 pound ground veal
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand (*see notes below)
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- Parmesan cheese rind
- 2 bay leaves
- 10 thyme sprigs
- 1 cup whole milk
For serving:
- cooked pasta
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is just crisp, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the anchovies, onions, carrots, 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 no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Drain off most of the excess fat, if necessary.
- Add the wine and cook, stirring, until the wine is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the San Marzano tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste and stir until well combined. Bring to a boil.
- Once the sauce is boiling, reduce to a light simmer over low heat. Add the Parmesan cheese rind, bay leaves, and thyme. Cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until the flavors have melded and the meat is extremely tender and flavorful, at least 4 hours.
- About 30 minutes prior to serving, stir in the 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.
- To serve, toss the sauce with cooked pasta. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh thyme leaves.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this tonight.. left out the parm and used oat milk. So yummy!
wonderful!!!
Late to this party… but just made this tonight and it truly is THE BEST sauce!!!
Better late than never, right 😉
I’m making this now! Do your leave the pancetta in the sauce or just use the grease to cook veggies and get the flavor?
I leave it in there 🙂
Can’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?
i 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.
Can’t wait to make this for friends. What is your favorite pasta and brand for this? Thanks Alex.
I really love to use pappardelle pasta or rigatoni. My family definitely loves the pappardelle the most!
Hi 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?
You can definitely do that!!
Hi 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?
This would be delicious on a lasagna!
Best 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 🙂
What’s your go to wine for this?
The 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?
It makes enough to work with up to two boxes (1 lb each) of pasta (depending on how many people you are serving).
After 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.
You can definitely pop it into the slow cooker!!
Hi! 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?
Keep cooking it, it should all mend and come together in the end.
You’re a fortune teller– it did! Thank you so much! Delicious
This might be the best thing I ever ate. Truly incredible and very customizable. I have made it numerous times and everyone loves it!