This bolognese sauce is made by simmering ground beef with a soffrito base of onions, carrots, celery, and herbs. It pairs well with spaghetti or pappardelle pasta for a comforting family meal.
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Bolognese Sauce Ingredients
- Soffrito: the bolognese's foundation has a deep taste owing to sautéed onions, carrots, and celery simmered in aromatic garlic until the onions are slightly softened.
- Fresh herbs: fresh thyme and basil are plucked from their stems and put in with crushed tomatoes to add a wonderful herby flavor to this sauce.
- Crushed tomatoes: when selecting tomato sauce, aim for San Marzano, when possible.
- Dry red wine: because I do not drink alcohol, I used an alcohol-free red wine alternative. This ingredient will add more flavor to the sauce.
- Beef: use ground sirloin or chuck.
- Milk: this ingredient will help cut the acidic notes of tomatoes.
How to Make Bolognese Sauce
1.) Place a large pot over medium heat. Drizzle olive oil, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onions are tender and the garlic is fragrant.
2.) Add the ground meat and season with salt and pepper. Stir-fry until the meat is brown, breaking up large chunks of beef into smaller pieces.
3.) Once the meat has browned, add the dry red wine (or red wine alternative) to the pot, string, and scrapping any bits on the bottom of the pot.
4.) Add milk and give it a quick stir to combine all ingredients. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
5.) Add crushed tomato sauce and herbs. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 30 minutes or up to 60 minutes.
6.) Serve over spaghetti or pappardelle with freshly grated parmesan cheese and freshly chopped parsley.
Crockpot Bolognese
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once heated, add olive oil, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, salt, and pepper; cook until tender; transfer to a slow cooker.
- Return the same pot to medium heat. Add the beef and separate chunks of meat with a spoon, and cook until the meat is brown and cooked through, stirring frequently; about 7-10 minutes.
- Add the wine to the cooked beef. Stir and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add the milk, give another stir, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Finally, add the crushed tomatoes, and herbs. Stir and combine all ingredients.
- Transfer to a slow cooker, cover, and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours, or until thickened.
What Does Adding Milk to Bolognese Sauce Do?
If you're looking to balance the acidity of the tomatoes and red wine in your bolognese sauce, adding milk is a great option. While some recipes suggest adding sugar to achieve the same effect, using milk is a healthier choice as it avoids adding extra sugar.
Serving Suggestion
Serve this incredible bolognese sauce over spaghetti or pappardelle pasta. Add a side salad like my family-friendly fattoush, marinated artichoke salad, or my beet salad with goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette.
For a well-rounded meal add a hearty soup like my zuppa toscana recipe (pork-free), or my avgolemono soup with saffron.
How to Store
Refrigerate any leftovers in a container with a lid for up to 3 days. Freeze any leftovers in a freezer-safe container or plastic bag for up to 6 months.
More crave-worthy beef recipes to try
- Steak Salad with Pickled Fennel and Parmesan
- Turkish Pepper Steak Recipe
- Slow Cooker Beef Shank Recipe
- Healthy Beef and Broccoli Recipe (Quick & Easy)
Bolognese Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups diced onion about 1 large onion
- ½ cup diced carrot about 1 carrot
- 1 cup diced celery about 2 celery stalks
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt divided
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper divided
- 2 pounds ground beef like chuck or sirloin
- 1 cup dry red wine I used alcohol-removed wine
- ½ cup milk
- 1 28 oz can San Marzano-Style crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
- 1 pound cooked spaghetti or pappardelle, chopped fresh parsley, and grated Parmigiano for serving
Instructions
- To begin, heat a big saucepan over medium heat. Once heated, drizzle in the olive oil. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Cook until the onions are soft and the garlic is aromatic, about 5 minutes.
- Add the ground beef. Season with beef with the remaining teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Cook until the meat has browned, breaking up any large chunks of beef into smaller pieces.
- Once the meat has browned, add the dry red wine (or alcohol-removed red wine alternative) to the pot, stirring, and scrapping any bits on the bottom of the pot.
- Add milk and give it a quick stir to combine all ingredients. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomato sauce, thyme, and basil. Stir to combine.
- Cover the pot with a lid and cook on low heat for at least 30 minutes or up to 60 minutes.
- Serve over spaghetti or pappardelle with grated parmesan and fresh chopped parsley.
Jared says
This bolognese sauce was so good! Thanks for the recipe!
Ashley says
You're welcome, Jared.
Nicole says
My family loved it! I'm going to make it again for my mother's birthday dinner.
Ashley says
That's great to hear, Nicole.