Bolognese Sauce

Everyone needs a great bolognese recipe, and here’s mine! My secrets are to cook the veggies slowly and to add beef stock.

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but you deserve a really good bolognese recipe in your life. The kind you can whip up without too much fuss, that makes the house smell amazing, and tastes even better the next day. This is mine – and after years of tweaking, taste-testing, and letting the kids be the ultimate judges (brutal), it’s become the one I always come back to. The trick? Cook your veggies slowly – don’t rush that bit – and add a splash of beef stock for richness.

It’s seriously simple and economical to make, leftovers are great (if not better!) the next day, you can make large batches and it freezes so well. I make a double batch and freeze the extras – Future Me always says thank you. Use it for lasagnes, bakes, with gnocchi, loaded onto potatoes or stuffed into vegetables like capsicums (bell peppers).

You’ll also find a heap of customisation tips in the recipe – whether you want to sneak in extra veggies, add red wine, spice things up with a bit of chilli or take it in a totally different flavour direction, I’ve got you. Serve it with your favourite pasta (spaghetti, rigatoni, fettuccine – they all work!), add a leafy green salad or some garlic bread on the side, and you’ve got yourself a dinner that’s comforting, crowd-pleasing and endlessly adaptable.

Can I customise my Bolognese Sauce?

You certainly can!
Wine – For an even richer-tasting sauce, add ½ cup (125 ml) dry red wine after you have cooked down the veggies in step 1 – if you use an Italian red wine, even better!
Vegetables – You can also add more grated or finely chopped vegetables to the sauce. Try grated zucchini (courgette) or broccoli, or finely chopped mushrooms or red capsicum (bell pepper). Add some chopped sundried or semi-dried (sun-blushed) tomatoes for extra tomato flavour plus sweetness.
Herbs and spices – Try adding oregano, basil or thyme. Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, star anise, celery salt or garlic or onion powder can also vary or enhance the flavour – you can push your bolognese in more of an Asian or Mexican direction if you love those flavours!
Add umami sauces – If you want to be experimental, try adding a touch of soy sauce, tamari or Worcestershire sauce to enhance the umami (savoury) flavour of your bolognese.

What can I serve with pasta with Bolognese Sauce?

I love to serve my pasta with a simple Green Leafy Salad with Balsamic Dressing. I also highly recommend some garlic bread on the side – maybe you have a stash of my Freezer Friendly Garlic Bread on hand, or you could try my 5 Minute Cheesy Garlic Bread. If you like, you could even serve some steamed green veggies on the side, such as green beans, broccoli or broccolini (tenderstem broccoli).

Which types of pasta go best with Bolognese Sauce?

Apart from the classic spaghetti, it is more traditionally Italian to serve a bolognese-style sauce with flat, long pastas like tagliatelle as the wider noodles tend to soak up the sauce especially well. Fettuccine, linguine and pappardelle are also great. If you use short tube shapes like penne and rigatoni, especially If they have a ridged surface, the sauce will cling to the ridges on the surface and be deliciously captured inside the tubes.

If you enjoyed Bolognese Sauce, I think you’ll love:

Slow-cooked Beef Ragu
One-pot Lasagna
One-pan Gnocchi Bolognese
Gnocchi Bolognese Bake
Cheeseburger Pasta

Bolognese Sauce

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Everyone needs a good Bolognese Sauce recipe and here is my take on this classic. My secret to success is cooking the veggies slowly and adding some beef stock.

• Total Time: 55 mins
• Yield: 4–6 1x

Ingredients

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• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 carrots, grated or finely diced
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ¼ cup (60 ml) water 
• 750 g (1 lb 11 oz) minced (ground) beef (or the minced/ground meat of your choice, e.g. pork or veal, or a combination – you can use up 1 kg/2 lb 3 oz of mince in this recipe)
• ½ tsp sea salt flakes, plus extra to taste  
• ¼ tsp cracked black pepper, plus extra to taste 
• 2 tbsp tomato paste (concentrated puree)
• 700 g (1 lb 9 oz) passata (can be substituted with 800 g/28 oz canned crushed tomatoes) (see note 1)
• 2 bay leaves (fresh or dried)
• 2 cups (500 ml) beef stock
• 1 tbsp white sugar (optional) (see note 2) 
• Cooked pasta, to serve (see note 3)
• Freshly grated parmesan, to serve
• Chilli oil, to serve (optional)

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Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep, heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes until soft and full of flavour (do not rush this step). Add the water gradually as this will help to soften the vegetables and stop them browning/caramelising. 
2. Increase the heat to high, add the beef, salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes until the beef has browned, breaking it up as you go with a wooden spoon or spatula. 
3. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. 
4. Add the passata or crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, beef stock and sugar, if using. 
5. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cook, covered, for 35 minutes (see note 4).
6. Once cooked, season with more salt and pepper to taste.
7. Stir the sauce through the cooked pasta and serve with freshly grated parmesan and chilli oil, if using.

Equipment

Large Wooden Spoon

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Tongs

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Notes

Note 1 – I prefer to use passata as it results in a thicker bolognese.

Note 2 – The sugar is optional, but helps to balance the acidity in the tomatoes and makes them taste extra sweet.

Note 3 – Serve with spaghetti or other long pastas like tagliatelle, fettuccine, linguine or pappardelle. Short tube shapes like penne and rigatoni work well, especially If they have a ridged surface – the sauce will cling to the ridges on the surface and be deliciously captured inside the tubes.

Note 4 – The longer the bolognese is cooked, the higher the intensity of flavour. Cook for up to 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes and adding up to ½ cup (125 ml) of water if the sauce starts sticking to the bottom of the pan.

 

Make ahead 

Refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container, or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the fridge overnight before use. Reheat in the microwave.

Leftovers

Refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container, or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the fridge overnight before use. Reheat in the microwave.

• Author: Nicole
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Category: bolognese
• Method: deep pan
• Cuisine: Italian