Easy Pasta Bolognese will elevate any weeknight dinner to a gourmet experience! This comforting Italian classic is a great recipe to have in your back pocket.
My easy pasta Bolognese Recipe is a classic Italian meat sauce that’s comforting and SO satisfying! It gets even better as it sits in the fridge, so plan to make a big batch over the weekend and enjoy it all week long.
pasta Bolognese is an instant upgrade for your family’s favorite meat sauce
I grew up on a plain meat sauce made with a brick of frozen hamburger, some chopped onion, and a jar of spaghetti sauce. It doesn’t sound like much but my sisters and I loved it, and I continued the tradition when I cooked for my own girls. It was part of our rotation of family meals for many many years and was such a favorite I never thought to mess with success. But somewhere along the line I was introduced to the classic Italian pasta Bolognese sauce, and it only took one bite to realize that we’d been missing a lot all those years.
what is Bolognese sauce or ragรน alla bolognese?
it’s an Italian meat sauce that’s traditionally long simmered and very rich.
it comes from the Italian city of Bologna.
Bolognese sauce is richer than American meat sauce; wine and a little milk or cream gives it a depth of flavor and a wonderful slightly creamy texture.
what you’ll need to make pasta Bolognese
olive oil
garlic
onion
carrot
a small hot red pepper orred pepper flakes
ground beef
ground pork
crushed tomatoes (buy the good Italian tomatoes)
tomato paste
red wine
bay leaf
fresh thyme
salt and pepper
heavy cream or milk (heavy cream is best!)
Worcestershire sauce (not traditional but adds a touch of acidity and umami)
the secrets to a perfect Bolognese sauce
There are a few key elements that will transform any simple meat sauce into a fabulous pasta Bolognese that tastes like more than the sum of it’s parts.
the slow browning of the minced vegetables develops the first level of deep flavor, so don’t skip it
a combination of beef and pork adds a second level of flavor and complexity
the hot pepper creates a spicy note, the wine and the fresh herbs contribute complexity, and the cream adds a final but essential dreamy richness
what pasta goes best with Bolognese sauce?
If you want to be scrupulously traditional, youโll toss your Bolognese sauce withย tagliatelle, a flat strand egg pasta similar to fettuccine. I usedย pappardelle, which is wider, but still delicate. A flat strand pasta encourages the sauce to cling and the wide pappardelle makes this satisfying sauce even more satisfying. That being said, you can use a Bolognese sauce in any recipe where you need a meat sauce ~ I love it in myย stuffed shells Bolognese.
Easy Pasta Bolognese will elevate any weeknight dinner to a gourmet experience! This comforting Italian classic is a great recipe to have in your back pocket.
Cover the bottom of a heavy pot with olive oil and saute the onion, carrots, pepper and garlic for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. This is an important step towards developing the special flavors of the sauce, so don’t skip it. Add more oil if the vegetables start to stick and stir frequently.
Add in the ground meats and cook until they are browned. While it is browning, break up the meat well, so there are no large chunks. Then add in the wine, tomatoes, and paste, along with the bay leaves and the fresh thyme leaves. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste (start with 1 tsp of each)
Cover and simmer for about 2 hours on a low heat. (Make sure the sauce is simmering slowly, not boiling furiously.) Add the milk or cream and Worcestershire sauce during the last half hour of cooking. Leave the top off during that time to thicken it.
When the sauce is done, remove the bay leaves, and check the seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if you like. The sauce can be made ahead of time and refrigerated.
Cook the pasta to an al dente stage according to the package directions and drain. Reserve a cup or so of the cooking liquid in case you need to loosen the sauce later.
Add the pasta to the sauce and toss with tongs to coat, then heap into big pasta bowls and garnish with some fresh cheese and thyme.
Notes
ย
If you have the time, by all means cook this sauce, covered, for up to 3 hours on a low heat.
This sauce gets better with age, so it makes wonderful leftovers.ย There’s nothing like coming home to a fridgeful of pasta Bolognese after a busy dayย ~ nothing!
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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I’m dying over here because I want to face plant into that bolognese sauce. I haven’t made bolognese is what feels like forever. Whelp, that’s about to change with your recipe! I’m definitely pinning this for later!
So glad you shared this one again because I am putting it on my list. It looks fantastic and so simple too. Perfect for this time of the year! Sharing ๐
I agree, there is nothing better than a bolognese sauce waiting for you when back home on a cold night. I am so very lucky that my husband cooks it (and cleans the mess afterwards) . But now, this recipe will be my take on the challenge. It is mellow with a lot of depth. I love Worcestershire sauce and here has the perfect fit. Sue, thanks for the secret!
Hey there ~ I'm Sue. I love to make delicious food, photograph it, and write about it, but mostly, I just love to EAT. Isn't that what it's all about? My recipes are creative, vibrant, and totally approachable no matter what your skill level. Let's grab a bite together!
I’m dying over here because I want to face plant into that bolognese sauce. I haven’t made bolognese is what feels like forever. Whelp, that’s about to change with your recipe! I’m definitely pinning this for later!
Glad I could inspire you Christina ๐
So glad you shared this one again because I am putting it on my list. It looks fantastic and so simple too. Perfect for this time of the year! Sharing ๐
A great bolognese is a thing of beauty and yours looks perfect! Great Fall comfort food ๐
I really don’t know why I am not eating this right now. I certainly will be soon: it looks cozy and perfect.
The meat sauce is my husband’s favourite! Yours looks super yummy, Sue.
Yes please, this looks incredible! The perfect comfort meal ๐
I agree, there is nothing better than a bolognese sauce waiting for you when back home on a cold night. I am so very lucky that my husband cooks it (and cleans the mess afterwards) . But now, this recipe will be my take on the challenge. It is mellow with a lot of depth. I love Worcestershire sauce and here has the perfect fit. Sue, thanks for the secret!
A shot of Worcestershire makes just about everything better…now if I could just learn to type it without spellcheck!
I know….. isn’t it great that Worcestershire shows up on your screen….
I’m always amazed, I think it’s because no one can spell it!
Haha, I think I grew up with the sauce! Yes, bolognese does trump spaghetti sauce any day and this one looks wonderful!
I think most of the moms back in the day made that sauce ~ we’ve come a long way ๐
Hi Sue, what a beautiful and satisfying meal. I bet the sauce taste better the next day, looks fabulous!
It really does taste better the next day, and that’s such an endearing quality in any recipe!
Perfect comfort food!