Beef Bolognese Sauce (Print View)
Hearty Italian meat sauce with tomatoes, red wine, and aromatic vegetables for pasta.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1.1 lbs ground beef (80/20 blend recommended)
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 medium carrots, finely diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, finely diced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
→ Liquids
06 - ½ cup dry red wine
07 - 28 oz canned whole tomatoes, crushed
08 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
09 - 1 cup whole milk
→ Herbs & Seasonings
10 - 2 tbsp olive oil
11 - 1 tsp dried oregano
12 - 1 bay leaf
13 - ½ tsp dried thyme
14 - 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
15 - ½ tsp black pepper
→ Optional
16 - Fresh basil or parsley, chopped, for garnish
17 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
# Step-by-Step Directions:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion, diced carrots, and celery; cook for 7 to 8 minutes until softened and fragrant.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until aromatic.
03 - Add ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until browned and no pink remains.
04 - Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes to deepen flavor.
05 - Pour in red wine, scraping the pot’s bottom to release browned bits. Simmer until wine is mostly evaporated, about 4 minutes.
06 - Combine crushed tomatoes, whole milk, oregano, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir thoroughly.
07 - Bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and cook for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
08 - Remove bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
09 - Serve sauce hot over freshly cooked pasta. Garnish with chopped fresh herbs and freshly grated Parmesan if desired.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- It fills your entire home with the kind of aroma that makes people ask what you're cooking before they even step through the door
- Once you master this, you'll never buy jarred sauce again—and you'll wonder why you ever did
- It's the perfect dish to make when you need to feel like you're doing something meaningful in the kitchen
02 -
- Don't skimp on the simmering time—I learned this the hard way when I tried to rush a batch in 30 minutes. It tasted sharp and one-dimensional. The 1.5 to 3 hours of gentle cooking is what transforms individual ingredients into something unified and complex.
- The milk is non-negotiable. I was skeptical the first time, but adding it near the end mellows the acidity of the tomatoes and creates an almost velvety texture that makes this sauce remarkable. It's the difference between good and transcendent.
- Always break up the beef as it cooks rather than leaving it in chunks—you want it finely ground throughout so every forkful has meat evenly distributed.
03 -
- For even deeper, more complex flavor, let the sauce simmer for up to three hours instead of the minimum ninety minutes. The longer it simmers, the more the flavors marry and mellow. Add a splash of water occasionally if it reduces too much.
- Freeze your sauce in ice cube trays, then pop them into freezer bags—you'll have perfect single-serving portions ready to thaw whenever you need a quick, soul-satisfying dinner.