Tessa's Recipe Rundown
Taste: Such an incredible depth of flavor. Each step is just building layer upon layer of savory goodness and if you take a quick look at the ingredients, you can just imagine how amazing this tastes.
Texture: Thick and rich and meaty. So satisfying.
Ease: Certainly not as easy as buying premade sauce. This requires a good amount of prep work, dirties quite a few dishes, and takes hours. This is a special occasion or Sunday supper recipe but the nice thing is that it keeps well in the fridge or freezer so it can be made ahead of time. I promise, it’s so worth it!!
Appearance: Like heaven on a plate.
Pros: The best sauce ever.
Cons: Sometimes the best things take the most work.
Would I make this again? Absolutely. I portioned off and froze the leftovers. This would also make a great lasagna sauce for a Christmas Eve lasagna!
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As we fast approach the first official day of winter, I have been in the mood for warm, savory, and satisfying food. Who wants to eat a salad during this time of the year? Not me. I want a serving of something rich and hearty, something like this bolognese sauce.
Yes, homemade bolognese sauce takes a long time. But there’s something relaxing about standing in front of a warm stove, stirring a pot full of delicious goodness that fills your kitchen with enticing aromas and lots of love. Making this sauce made me reminiscence about a fantasy Italian grandmother that I never had. If I did have one, though, I imagine she’d like this sauce. It’s the best bolognese sauce I’ve ever had, and probably the best pasta sauce ever.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, heavy, and deep Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat and add the ground beef and ground pork. Season with salt and pepper and cook until browned.
As you can see, my meat is practically steaming because my Dutch oven was a tad bit too small but I made it work.
Remove the meat to a paper towel-lined plate and add in the pancetta or bacon. I couldn’t find pancetta at my local grocery store so I settled for bacon instead of making two grocery trips. Cook until crisp then transfer to the same plate as the meat. This is when your kitchen will start to smell amazing!
Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.
Next add in the wine and simmer until almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Now your kitchen will smell completely heavenly, don’t be surprised if people start popping their head in to see what you’re making.
Add everything else, including the milk, tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, cheese rind, and the meats. Season with salt and pepper.
Bring to a simmer then reduce to medium-low heat and cook, partially covered, until the sauce thickens, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. You can also make this whole recipe in a stovetop-safe slow cooker insert, or transfer to a slow cooker insert at this point, and cook in the slow cooker on high for 3 1/2 hours.
See how much liquid has evaporated? The sauce is nice and thick and rich with lots of flavor now. Serve over pasta with grated Parmesan cheese and enjoy!!
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divded
- 1 1/4 pounds ground beef
- 1 1/4 pounds ground pork
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 4 ounces pancetta or bacon, sliced
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 1 celery stalk, finely diced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/3 cup (3 oz) tomato paste
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 cup milk
- 2 (28 ounce) cans whole tomatoes, passed through a food mill*
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 bunch fresh thyme, tied together with kitchen string
- 1 Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind
- 1 pound fresh pasta, such as fettuccine, tagliatelle, or pappardelle, cooked until al dente and drained
- Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for serving
Instructions
- In a large, heavy, deep lidded Dutch oven or pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, ground pork, and salt and pepper to taste and cook until browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the meat to a paper towel-lined plate. Add the pancetta/bacon and cook until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to the paper towel-lined plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the milk, tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, and cheese rind and stir until combined. Add in the meats and season with salt and pepper.
- Bring to a simmer then partially cover and reduce to medium-low. Cook until the sauce thickens, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. You can also transfer the mixture to a slow cooker and cook for 3 1/2 hours. Discard bay leaves, thyme, and cheese rind. Season to taste with more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve with pasta and grated cheese.
Just made this sauce. Could not find parmesan rind but added some shaved parmesan to the sauce. Finally topped it off with some half and half cream and served it over gnocchi. Excellent!
This is the best sauce. Thank you so much! It’s become a staple.
I rate this recipe a 5 . I tripled the recipe and made it for a crowd. It was the hit of my party . Yes , it’s work but, very worth it . I have made it 3 times .
So happy to hear that, Carole! Thanks for letting us know!
This is the BEST Bolognese that I have made outside of Italy. It has all of the intense flavor and cooks in much less time. This is my GO TO recipe for my picky Italian Husband. Thank you!
I have made this over 20 times now and it’s a no fail, not to mention delishious. My family cannot get enough!! I enjoy making it, and love how each flavour pops out when you add them. I follow it exactly. Thank you! It is now my go to and replaces all my spaghetti dishes! Well done!
I want to make this today, but don’t have any red wine. Can I use a white? I have Moscato in my fridge. If not, any other substitute? Thank you very much.
Hi Lynn, did you end up finding a good sub for the wine?
Late to the party. Just making this now for the first time. You wouldn’t necessarily use white wine with red meats, but if that’s your taste then a dry white might be your best bet. Personally I think it would overpower the flavour too much.