Homemade Bolognese Sauce Recipe

This isn’t your average meat sauce, this is my go to Homemade Bolognese Sauce Recipe that gets compliments every time I make it. A little more time consuming but really delicious and totally worth the effort. If you’re looking to elevate your pasta game, this recipe featuring little half n half and a long, slow simmer, is what I call homemade perfection. Put on your favorite playlist, pour a glass of wine, and let’s get cooking.

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The Ingredients:

The secret to this Homemade Bolognese Sauce is the variety of proteins and the the aromatic vegetable base.

• Meat Blend: ground beef (chuck) for richness and ground pork (or Italian sausage) for a tender, savory depth.
• Flavor: chopped pancetta for a salty, smoky flavor.
• Aromatics: Finely diced yellow onion, celery, and carrots.
• Liquids: Half n Half or Whole milk (the secret to tender meat), dry white wine, and high-quality crushed tomatoes.
• The Finish: Finely chopped garlic, butter, olive oil, and a surprising pinch of nutmeg.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Render & Sauté

In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat a swirl of olive oil and butter. Add your chopped pancetta and cook until the fat renders out and it starts to crisp. Toss in your finely diced onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté over medium heat until soft and translucent (this is your flavor foundation).

2. Sear the Meat

Add the ground beef and pork to the pot. Increase the heat slightly and cook, breaking the meat apart with a wooden spoon, until browned. Stir in your minced garlic and tomato paste. Cook the paste for 2–3 minutes until it turns a deep, dark red; this caramelization adds incredible flavor.

3. Deglaze

Pour in your white wine. Use your spoon to scrape up all those delicious browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. This is where the magic starts to happen!

4. Add Half n Half or ( Whole Milk)

Once the wine has slightly reduced, stir in the half n half. Simmer gently until it has slightly evaporated. This step protects the meat from the acidity of the tomatoes and wine, resulting in a much silkier texture.

5. Slow Simmer

Add crushed tomatoes, low sodium chicken broth, and a bay leaf. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cover the pot partially and let it gently simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours. If the sauce looks too thick, add a splash of broth occasionally.

6. Serve

Before serving, discard the bay leaf. Season generously with salt and pepper, and add a tiny pinch of nutmeg.

Tips for Serving

• The Pasta: Tagliatelle or Pappardelle goes very well with this sauce. The wide ribbons are designed to hold onto the heavy sauce.
• The Garnish: Finish with a generous grating of fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and a drizzle of high-quality olive oil.

Monica Leake

Homemade Bolognese Sauce Recipe

The perfect slow cooked sunday sauce. Easy to make and so delicious!

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1.5 lbs Ground Beef 80/20
• 1.5 lbs Ground Pork or mild Italian sausage, casings removed
• 7 oz Pancetta finely chopped
• 3 tbsp Butter unsalted
• 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1.5 cups Yellow Onion finely diced (about 1 large onion)
• 1 cup Celery finely diced (about 3 stalks)
• 1 cup Carrots finely diced (about 2 large carrots)
• 8 cloves Garlic minced
• 4 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 1.5 cups Dry Wine Dry White
• 2 cups Whole Milk or Half and Half
• 2 cans 28 oz each Crushed Tomatoes (San Marzano preferred)
• 1 to 2 cups Chicken Broth added gradually as needed
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg freshly grated is best
• To taste: Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Equipment

• 1 large dutch oven
• 1 wooden spoon

Method

 

1. Sauté the Base: In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped pancetta and cook until crisp and the fat has rendered.
2. Soften Aromatics: Stir in the onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 8–10 minutes until very soft and just starting to turn golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
3. Brown the Meat: Add the ground beef and pork. Increase the heat to medium-high. Break the meat apart with a wooden spoon and cook until browned and no longer pink.
4. Caramelize: Stir in the tomato paste. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens to a deep red.
5. Deglaze: Pour in the wine. Use your spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot to release the fond (the browned bits). Let the wine simmer until it has reduced by half.
6. Half n Half or Milk: Pour in the 2 cups of milk and the nutmeg. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the milk has almost entirely evaporated. This ensures the meat stays tender.
7. The Slow Simmer: Stir in the crushed tomatoes and the bay leaves. Add 1 cup of broth. Bring to a very low simmer. Cover the pot halfway with a lid and cook for 2.5 to 3 hours. Stir every 20 minutes, adding a splash more broth if the sauce looks too thick or dry.
8. Season: Remove the bay leaves. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
9. For 8 people, you will need approximately 2 lbs (32 oz) of dry pasta.

Notes

Tip: If you aren’t serving all 8 people at once, this sauce freezes beautifully. Store it in airtight containers for up to 3 months. It always tastes even better the next day!

Stay Fancy!