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    Home > Recipes

    My Favorite Bolognese Sauce

    Published: February 28, 2021 By Urban Foodie Kitchen Last Updated: November 24, 2021 12 Comments

    Skip to Recipe Print Recipe

    This Bolognese Sauce combines ground beef and pork for a hearty sauce that's perfect on a cold winter day!  

    Overhead shot of a large white bowl filled with penne pasta and topped with bolognese sauce and grated cheese

    I really do love a good pasta dish; especially one with a nice warm, rich sauce.  This one definitely fits the bill and is super yummy!! I know, I know, there are lots of carbs in pasta, but before you stop reading, like a lot of people I also try to cut down on (not cut out) carbs, so I typically use whole wheat or high fiber pasta when making pasta dishes.

    For me, pasta is great comfort food. On a cool fall night or cold winter day, there is nothing like a bowl of pasta with a lovely warm sauce and a nice glass of wine!!

    Contents:
    • What is bolognese?
    • Recipe Ingredients
    • How to make bolognese sauce
    • Serving Suggestions
    • More pasta recipes
    • My Favorite Bolognese Sauce
    • Latest Recipes

    What is bolognese?

    Bolognese is a traditional tomato-based meat sauce made with onions and garlic. It also includes the addition of carrots and celery in the base, as well as white wine and ground beef. Many versions also include a bit of milk or cream, however, I leave that out in this version.

    Large white pasta bowl filled with penne and bolognese sauce

    Recipe Ingredients

    Pancetta: You can either buy pre-diced pancetta or get the thinly sliced version and chop it yourself.

    Vegetables: The traditional onions, carrots, celery and garlic are the base for this sauce.

    Ground meat: A combination of ground pork and beef adds amazing flavor, but you can make it with just ground beef if you prefer.

    Tomatoes: I use crushed tomatoes when making this sauce as I feel you get a better consistency.

    White wine: The recipe calls for Chardonnay as it works well and is my personal preference, however you would substitute any dry white wine.

    Italian parsley: Also known as flat-leaf parsley. This really acts as a garnish, however I think the flavor is nice with the sauce so recommend including it.

    Pasta: Penne works well with this sauce though any larger pasta will work. It needs to be able to stand up to the heavy sauce.

    Spices: bay leaf, dried basil, dried oregano, dried thyme

    Pantry staples: olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, chicken broth, parmesan cheese

    How to make bolognese sauce

    During colder months, I often spend Saturday or Sunday afternoon making a sauce, and maybe a soup or chili too.  Prepping ahead of time gives you options for quick lunches and dinners during the week.  

    This bolognese sauce takes time to make but it really is easy! Once the prep work is done this recipe just simmers away until thickened.

    Cook the pancetta: The fat from the pancetta gives adds flavor to the sauce and gives you a base for cooking the rest of the veggies, so you want to start with this step.

    Add the veggies: Once you've cooked the pancetta you'll add the rest of the veggies to your dutch oven and sauté them. 

    Brown the meat: Then the ground pork and ground beef get added to the mix. Once they are cooked you'll add additional seasonings.  

    Simmer the sauce: Next comes the wine, broth and remaining ingredients. This sauce needs to simmer for at least an hour before it's ready to serve.

    Serve: I prefer to heat individual servings of pasta and sauce, which is how you'll usually see it done in restaurants.  It helps to get the pasta coated with sauce and ensures everything is nice and warm when you serve it.  You can skip this step and just add the sauce to the warm pasta, however, once you try it I think you'll agree it's worth the few extra minutes before serving.  It's also a good trick if you are using a sauce that was previously made.

    Meal Prep Tips

    This recipe makes about 6 servings, depending on who's eating and how hungry they are, and it freezes really well.  So if you are just feeding two people you can split the leftover sauce into two containers, freeze one and save the other for meals later in the week!

    Tips for Storing Leftover Sauce

    You can keep this sauce for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. I recommend storing separately from the pasta for the best consistency when reheating. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    To reheat, defrost the sauce and either reheat in the microwave, stirring about every 30 seconds, or heat in a pan over medium-low heat on the stovetop.

    Close up overhead shot of penne pasta with bolognese sauce

    Serving Suggestions

    This sauce works with just about any type of pasta though is best with larger pasta like penne, rigatoni, or even pappardelle. It can also be used for the sauce in homemade lasagne or other baked pasta dishes.

    For a complete meal, I'd add this Chopped Kale Salad or these carrots with ricotta, honey and cumin along with this homemade garlic bread. I like to serve this with either the Chardonnay from the sauce or if you prefer red wine, a nice light Pinot Noir.  Enjoy!!

    More pasta recipes

    If you like pasta, give one of these recipes a try:

    • Creamy Lemon Pasta
    • Cold Peanut Noodles with Grilled Chicken
    • Meditrranean Spaghetti

    tools you may want for this recipe

    Large Microplane grater - I love this larger format grater for hard cheeses like parmesan that are going to be a garnish for pasta, salads, etc.

    Large white pasta bowl filled with penne pasta topped with bolognese sauce

    My Favorite Bolognese Sauce

    Author: Kathryn | Urban Foodie Kitchen
    This Bolognese Sauce combines ground beef and pork for a hearty sauce that’s perfect on a cold winter day!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr 15 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 35 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 6 servings

    Ingredients
      

    For the sauce:

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 4 oz thinly sliced pancetta, chopped
    • ½ cup finely diced carrot, about 1 large carrot
    • ½ cup finely diced celery
    • 1 cup finely diced yellow onion
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 pound ground sirloin
    • ½ pound ground pork
    • 1 dried bay leaf
    • 2 teaspoons dried basil
    • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
    • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
    • ½ cup Chardonnay
    • ½ cup chicken broth
    • 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

    For serving: - all measurements in this section are per the number of people you are serving

    • ½ cup Barilla Protein Plus Penne
    • 1 tablespoon Italian Parsley leaves, chopped
    • 1 tablespoon grated parmesan or other hard cheese

    Instructions
     

    For the sauce:

    • Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook for 4 minutes.
    • Add carrots and celery; cook for one minute.
    • Add onion and sauté for an additional minute. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more.
    • Add pork and ground beef, cook until crumbly. Add spices; cook 1 minute until fragrant.
    • Add Worcestershire, wine, chicken broth and stir. Add tomatoes and stir until all ingredients are mixed.
    • Bring sauce to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.
    • Remove the bay leaf from the sauce.

    To serve

    • While the sauce is cooking, prepare the penne according to the package directions. When you drain the pasta, reserve about ½ cup of the pasta water.
    • When you are ready to serve, heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add ½ cup of sauce, about ¾ cup of pasta and 2 tablespoon of pasta water. Let heat for a few minutes, mixing occasionally.
    • Transfer to a warm bowl or plate; top with cheese and Italian parsley and serve immediately.
    • Repeat process for each person being served.

    Notes

    If you want to make the sauce ahead of time, stop after the sauce portion and store sauce. When ready to serve, heat the amount of sauce you need in a sauce pan (or the microwave) until warm, and the proceed with making the pasta and serving.
    Did you make this recipe?Tag @urbanfoodiekitchen on Instagram or hashtag it #urbanfoodiekitchen

    This post was originally published in October 2015. It was updated in February 2021 with some new information. No changes were made to the original recipe.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lexi says

      October 13, 2015 at 8:39 pm

      5 stars
      This looks really delicious! I love to make bolognese and I'll have to give your version a try! 🙂 I love to make a big batch and then freeze it for easy dinners later.

      Reply
      • FoodieGirlChicago says

        October 20, 2015 at 8:57 pm

        Thanks Lexi!

        Reply
    2. Angel the Alien says

      November 07, 2015 at 6:23 pm

      I love pasta! This may be genetic because I'm Italian. This actually looks like something I could make!

      Reply
    3. Katrin says

      January 04, 2017 at 9:08 am

      Bolognese is a staple over here. Will definitely try your version!

      Reply
    4. Jenni says

      January 05, 2017 at 8:45 pm

      This sounds amazing! Definitely putting it on the menu for next weekend!

      Reply
    5. Christine says

      January 06, 2017 at 7:41 pm

      It's freezing in Minnesota right now and this looks so perfect for a cold winter night!

      Reply
    6. Julie | Bunsen Burner Bakery says

      January 07, 2017 at 2:48 pm

      I don't eat a lot of pasta, but I am ready to grab that spoon and dig on in! I love a good bolognese sauce and the addition of pancetta sounds amazing!

      Reply
      • FoodieGirlChicago says

        January 16, 2017 at 7:46 am

        Thanks Julie! I love adding pancetta to different recipes.

        Reply
    7. Laura says

      October 12, 2017 at 9:52 pm

      5 stars
      Pancetta and pork are a great add to a Bolognese, but I also noted that you also have cut your carrots and celery in big chunks. I do the same, I love the taste of the vegetables bites in between.

      Reply
    8. Marlee says

      October 14, 2017 at 12:08 pm

      5 stars
      Well done! This sauce looks amazing!

      Reply
      • FoodieGirlChicago says

        October 18, 2017 at 4:32 pm

        Thanks Marlee!

        Reply
    9. Kelly Anthony says

      October 21, 2017 at 7:48 pm

      This looks absolutely PERFECT! Yum!

      Reply

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