Authentic Bolognese Sauce
This delicious Authentic Bolognese Sauce or Ragu alla Bolognese is made with fresh ingredients and cooked low and slow. A true Bolognese sauce recipe takes time, but it is so worth it. For the true Italian tradition serve with fresh egg Tagliatelle or Pappardelle!
I love making authentic Italian recipes that I have learned from family and friends in Italy from an Authentic Cacio & Pepe to an authentic Pizza Dough to a my sister in law’s delicious White Sauce Lasagna.
I have been asked a few times for a real Bolognese Sauce and after asking some friends and family, I am happy to say this is about an Authentic Bolognese Sauce is going to get without going to Bologna.
After spending a few days in Milan last spring, my eldest daughter who is a lover of anything and everything Lasagna, decided she had to try La Lasagna Milanese, which is made with a Bolognese Sauce.
The Lasagna consists of Bolognese Sauce, Besciamella Sauce, Parmesan Cheese and Lasagna noodles. A very rich and delicious Pasta dish. And yes she loved every mouth full. Although she also said she prefers our Classic Lasagna.
What is Bolognese Meat Sauce made with
- Olive oil
- Carrot
- Celery
- Onion
- Ground beef
- Ground pork
- Red wine
- Tomato paste
- Tomato Puree
- Salt
- Pepper
- Bay Leaf
- Milk
How to make Bolognese Sauce
This authentic Italian recipe is not difficult to make it just needs time and patience, one of the most delicious sauces I believe you will ever taste, for the full recipe and ingredients scroll to the bottom of the post for the recipe card.
Start by chopping the carrot, celery and onion very finely, but not too fine that it turns into a pulp while cooking.
Then in a medium to large pot add the olive oil and the chopped vegetables, cook the mixture covered on low heat until the onion is transparent.
Raise the heat to medium and add the ground beef and pork, stirring and breaking up the meat as it cooks and browns. Raise the heat to high and add the red wine and cook until the wine has evaporated. The liquid should evaporate without burning the meat or veggies.
Lower the heat to medium and add the tomato paste and Tomato Puree (not stewed or pelati or fresh tomatoes), salt pepper and a whole bay leaf or two.
Bring the sauce to a boil, then gradually lower the heat to the lowest level. Cover the pot, and stir occasionally. The sauce must cook slow and low for three hours, do not boil or the sauce will burn. During the last 15-20 minutes of cooking, raise the heat a little and cook on a slow boil stirring often.
After three hours remove the bay leaf and add the milk, heat the sauce thoroughly, for a couple of minutes.
Serve over cooked pasta.
What is the difference between Meat Sauce (Ragu) and Bolognese?
The main difference, is the different cut of meat used in the preparation of the sauces. Bolognese sauce is made with ground meat, while meat ragù (Neapolitan) sauce is made with pieces of whole meat.
To cook a meat sauce (ragù), a mixture of cuts of beef and pork is generally used, opting for fatty meat that can withstand the long cooking times required for the preparation of this tasty sauce. Usually 6 hours is required whereas 2-3 hours is needed for Bolognese.
To obtain the best Bolognese sauce it is preferable to use tomato puree (passata). It is advised to never use canned peeled tomatoes and or fresh tomatoes because they release a lot of water during cooking and would therefore affect the intense flavor and its consistency.
According to Bolognese tradition, the tomato puree should be added to the meat at room temperature and not cold from the fridge. Whereas San Marzano tomatoes are used in the Naples ragù sauce along with a spoonful of tomato paste to strengthen the flavor. Although most Italians will use passata also for the sauce.
What is the best pasta to serve with Bolognese Sauce?
In Italy, Ragu Bolognese is traditionally served with Tagliatelle. And preferably fresh egg Tagliatelle. Although I have been served pappardelle with the sauce. And of course, always cooked to al dente. The sauce is also used to make a very popular Lasagna alla Bolognese!
What to serve for dessert?
For dessert you are going to want a simple lighter dessert. For example a creamy Panna Cotta, a lovely Strawberry Semifreddo or how about a simple No-Churn Cappuccino Ice Cream?
Tips for making the Best Bolognese Recipe
- Use an equal part of ground beef and pork, make sure it is not too lean, more on the fatty side.
- Be sure to cut (with a knife) the carrot, celery stalk and onion finely but not so much that it may become pulpy while cooking.
- Sautee your vegetables first on low heat then add the meat, which is cooked on a higher heat.
- True Bolognese is cooked on the lowest heat for at least two – three hours.
- Bolognese sauce as you can see does not contain garlic, oregano or basil.
There is no such thing as a quick Bolognese Sauce, Authentic Bolognese must be slow cooked for usually three hours, nothing rushed here. And when you try it, you’ll know it was worth every minute.
I’m sure this sauce was the actual reason for the Italian saying “Fai la Scarpetta” or “Make the little shoe” which means grab a piece of bread and wipe up any left over sauce in your plate, that way you enjoy every last bite! Buon Appetito.
More delicious Italian pasta sauces to try
- Easy Tomato Cream Sauce – the perfect sauce for ravioli.
- Fresh Tomato Sauce – the best sauce for using all those delicious summer tomatoes.
- Creamy Red Pepper Sauce – one of our favorite cream sauces, a definite must try!
- Parmesan Cream Sauce – a versatile sauce that can be used even as a dip.
Authentic Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small/medium carrot
- 1 small celery stalk
- 1 small onion
- 10½ ounces ground beef (70-80%)
- 10½ ounces ground pork
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2¼ cups tomato puree (passata)
- 2-3 pinches salt
- 2 dashes pepper
- 1-2 whole bay leaves
- ⅓ cup milk (2 % or whole milk)
Instructions
- Cut the carrot, celery and onion very fine (but not too much that it becomes pulpy when cooked).
- In a medium to large heavy pot add the olive oil and chopped vegetables, cook covered on low heat (stirring occasionally) until onion is transparent.
- Increase the heat to medium and add the ground beef and pork. Stirring as the meat is cooking to break up the pieces. Once the meat has browned turned the heat up to high and add the wine.
- Cook until the alcohol has evaporated (about 20-30 seconds) and the liquid has evaporated. Decrease the heat to medium/low and add the tomato paste, puree, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Gradually decrease the heat to the lowest setting cover and let simmer for three hours (the mixture should not boil). Stir occasionally.
- After the time has passed remove the bay leaf and add the milk, heat thoroughly for a couple of minutes. Serve over cooked pasta. Enjoy!
Notes
Why Add Milk To The Bolognese Sauce?
The milk (sometimes heavy cream is used in the Bolognese sauce) is generally added if the pasta you are serving it with is a dry pasta, it is added at the end of the cooking time. But if you are using a fresh egg pasta, such as tagliatelle, adding it is optional. I always add it because I like the taste and flavor it gives the sauce.What Is The Best Red Wine To Use?
A medium-bodied red wine with a moderate tannins, like a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Pinot Noir is the best to use. A wine you would drink is always the best choice.Can You Use White Wine?
Red wine is always considered better to use with meat dishes and white with fish dishes, but if you are out of red and only have white you could definitely use it.How to store it
Any leftover sauce should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated it will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge. The completely cooled sauce can also be frozen. Place in a freezer safe container, it will keep for up to 3 months. Thaw the sauce overnight in the fridge.Nutrition
Updated from September 18, 2019
Perfect. Don’t change a thing. Wonderful recipe. Thank you so much for this.
Hi James, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it. Take care!
is it ok to use Italian diced tinned tomato instead of Passata?
Hi Tan, you can if you blend it until smooth before adding. Take care!
If I make this for the lasagna sauce, would one recipe be a good amount of sauce for lasagna? Would it be too much?
I don’t ever use cooking wine, and I don’t want to buy some just for this, but I can if it will make a difference. Wondering if I could use red wine vinegar instead? If not, that is fine. Just hoping to avoid buying an ingredient I would only use in this.
Hi Katie, you can leave out the wine although the wine does add flavour, don’t use red wine vinegar, or a cooking wine it should be a dry red wine that you would drink. I don’t know how big your lasagna would be this does serve 6 so you may have to double the recipe. You can always freeze leftovers. Take care!
Wow. If this is an authentic bolognese sauce (I can’t tell as I’m not Italian) you can really tell the difference and I really love it. It’s one of those mama’s recipes you don’t want to eat in a restaurant bc they probably added ingredients that just give it a different flavour.
2 1/4 cups tomato puree (passata) – contains basil (usually) 😉
Hi Ulf, not the one I buy and I also get it in Canada. 🙂
I made this recipe exactly as it was written (I did quadruple it however). The only thing I did differently was cook it longer (5 hours). It was outstanding. No need to change a thing! I was feeding 18 hungry people. I cooked 7 boxes of pasta and there were no leftovers…it was gobbled up and I received rave reviews.
Hi Marianne, thanks so much, so glad everyone enjoyed it. Take care!
I am going to make this but have only one question. What about all the fat? Do you leave it in?
I am thinking of refrigerating overnight and remove it?
Hi Shirley, I don’t drain it, but if you find that you have quite a lot then you could drain off some. I hope you enjoy it. Take care!
I never follow recipes to a T(or is it tee?)
But with this recipe I wanted to respect the author .
I have made food for a while so I knew to add salt every step of the way, and add a lot more salt at the end of cooking.
I also added red wine vinegar because the red wine lost all acidity after 2.5 hours of cooking
I finished the dish with Parmesan, lemon zest and chili oil
I gobbled this up, like a body builder missing an anabolic window.
10/10
Recipe authors should guide , not hold your hand
Season and taste your food
Hi Brandon, thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it!
At 74 this is the first time I have not used fresh garlic, basil and oregano when making a meat sauce for pasta.
Old dog learns new tricks…. magnifico!
Hi roy, thanks so much, I hope you enjoyed it! Take care!
Hi, thank you for the recipe. I have heard from some very traditional Italians, that the authentic recipe is without tomato passata, but instead with more tomato puree (paste) and a homemade broth. Is that a regional variety or did I misunderstand something?
Another Italian corrected me and said it should be made with just minced beef and pancetta. It’s so hard to know which is the actual first original recipe.
Nevertheless it is a delicious recipe. Thank you
Hi Purak, every region pretty much has their own way of making it, I have never had it or made it with tomato paste, it’s not used a lot in Italy. Some add pancetta some don’t. Hope that helps. Glad you like the recipe. Take care!
I love to try different Bolognese recipes, and this one was really, really good. I didn’t even miss the garlic, the oregano and everything else I’ve thrown in from time to time (beef stock, nutmeg and cinnamon too).
10 out of 5 from me.
Hi Lainie, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it. Take care!
Is it ok to add garlic?
Hi Tan, that isn’t the authentic recipe, but if you want to you could. 🙂
If you use heavy cream instead of milk, do you use the same amount? Thanks!
Hi Kasey, if you use heavy cream you should really substitute half cream and half water for the milk. Hope that helps. Take care!
Do you know if I could add Almond Milk to it? My daughter can’t have dairy so unsure how it would go?
Hi Aryanna, I don’t know how it would taste with the almond milk. I would probably leave it out then. Let me know. Take care!
Would give it a 6 if I could.
Hi annie, thanks so much, so glad you enjoy it! Take care.
My Italian Mamma loved it!!
Hi Teresa, so glad you enjoyed it! Take care.
I’ve seen a lot of other Bolognese recipes that didn’t contain milk or a cream product. Is that just your touch or is that an Italian specific? I like the recipes i use on repeat to be as authentic as possible.
Hi Melissa, most Italians I know do add a bit of milk, the milk (sometimes heavy cream is used in the Bolognese sauce) is generally added if the pasta you are serving it with is a dry pasta, it is added at the end of the cooking time. But if you are using a fresh egg pasta, such as tagliatelle, adding it is optional. I always add it because I like the taste and flavor it gives the sauce. Hope that helps. Take care!