The Best Bolognese Sauce
Last Updated on October 16, 2024 by Elby | The Tasteful Pantry
This is without a doubt THE BEST Bolognese recipe. I know just about every household has their own version of Bolognese and they consider their version to be the best. But trust me. Try this version and you won’t look back. Some households use a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg, while others use a dash or Worcestershire or different meat. My secret ingredient? Milk!
Bolognese is my definition of comfort food. It is an Italian timeless classic and a meal that makes me feel warm and cosy. With a rich, tomato-base and tender meaty goodness, this sauce is perfect for topping your favourite pasta. Or combine it with my Easy Béchamel Sauce and Homemade Pasta for the perfect Lasagna.
Ingredients
The flavour: Soffritto is the Italian term for base flavour in this Bolognese sauce, as with many Italian dishes. In this case soffritto means the finely diced onion, carrot and celery are lightly fried or sauteed in oil.
The panchetta: The panchetta (or bacon) adds a nice punch to the dish. I don’t use a low-fat version of either of these. The little bit of extra fat provides an additional depth of flavour.
The meat: For the mince, I use half beef mince and half pork mince. Supermarkets provide pre-packaged mixes of beef and pork, but they are not always in the quantities I am looking for. Our local makes a 20-30% beef and 70-80% pork mix. These are fine, but I much prefer my version with the extra beef.
The secret touch: A little trick I discovered while travelling through Italy, was to add milk to the Bolognese sauce after it has been cooking for a few hours. The milk gives the sauce such a rich flavour. Once you’ve tried it you won’t cook Bolognese again without it.
Serving Bolognese
Bolognaise sauce is traditionally served with pasta. Here in Australia, specifically spaghetti. Try my Homemade Pasta for an extra something special. Or for a lower carb option, try serving in lettuce cups with a sprinkle of parmesan. Top baked potatoes or potato skins with the bolognaise sauce and cheese. Or of course you can turn it into Lasagne. For something slightly healthier, try my Healthy Spaghetti Bolognese.
Feedback & More
Did you try the Best Bolognese Sauce? Let me know in the comments below. Cheers, Elby!
If you liked this recipe, check out some of my other tasty Pasta dishes. Also, follow The Tasteful Pantry on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for all the latest recipes and info.
The BEST Bolognese Sauce
A rich, meaty Bolognese sauce packed full of flavour – this is bound to become your new favourite Bolognese recipe.
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Ingredients
- Sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 carrots, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
100 grams pancetta or bacon, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
500 grams beef mince
500 grams pork mince
1/2 cup dry red wine
400 grams tomatoes, diced (canned)
700 grams passata
750 mls beef stock
2 bay leaves
2 tsp oregano
1 cup milk
1 tbsp fresh basil, shredded
salt and pepper
1 tsp sugar (optional)
- Serving Option
pasta, fresh basil and parmesan
Directions
- Sauce
- In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the pancetta and garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add both minces and cook, stirring and breaking the mince down with a wooden spoon, until brown.
- Stir in the wine and simmer for 1 minute, before adding the tomatoes, passata, stock, bay leaves and oregano. It will be very runny.
- Simmer on low, uncovered for approximately 2 hours, stirring occasionally (see Note 1).
- Once the sauce has reduced and thickened, stir in the milk and simmer for a further 30 minutes.
- Add the basil and salt and pepper to taste. Only add the sugar if the tomato flavour is too sharp.
- Serving Option
- Serve with pasta and sprinkle with fresh basil and parmesan.
Also check out my Creamy Lemon Carbonara and other delicious pasta dishes.
Notes
- Note 1: If the sauce is sticking to the base of the pot, reduce the heat further. Or if it is reducing two quickly add additional stock, 1/2 a cup at a time.
Homemade Pasta
Cooks in 78 minutesDifficulty: MediumThere is nothing like homemade pasta – shop bought just does not compare. Pick your favourite sauce and away you go.
Easy Bechamel Sauce
Cooks in 6 minutesDifficulty: EasyA rich and creamy sauce great for lasagna, moussaka, bakes and gratins.
Sausage Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce
Cooks in 30 minutesDifficulty: EasyA rich and creamy pasta sauce with sausage and fresh basil. The pasta is cooked in the sauce, absorbing all of the flavour.
