Authentic Bolognese Sauce (2024)

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After a week of slinging quick-cooked dinners at my family, I absolutely love having the luxury of lazy weekend days to cook whatever I feel like. I crave the opportunity to doodle around in the kitchen all day, making a recipe that just gets better with time. My Authentic Bolognese sauce recipe is just that. One of my favorite weekend recipes - especially when it's chilly outside. It's about a 3-4 hour process, but most of the time it's just bubbling away making my house smell amazing. I imagine if I had an Italian grandmother, this is what her house would always smell like.

Recipe Background and Details

Once you gather the ingredients it doesn't take long at all to make this bolognese sauce - maybe 45 minutes to get to the point where you can just ignore it. This recipe makes a nice big batch, and it freezes beautifully. I like to serve it with pappardelle or tagliatelle, but linguine or fettuccine are both good, too. Really, any noodle you choose will be perfect. My kids love "little ears" (orecchiette) because the sauce gets stuck inside them. It also makes the best (best!) lasagna. And of course you can never go wrong tossing some in a bowl and dipping really good, crusty bread in it.

I often serve this with my Homemade Soft French Bread loaf. It makes the best garlic bread but it is also perfect as-is. I tend to serve that bread with most of my pasta dishes including my Classic Meatballs with Marinara, Chicken Marsala Pasta, and Creamy Bucatini Cacio e Pepe. We are all about carbs on carbs in this household.

**This blog post and recipe were originally published on November 24, 2013. They were updated on October 15, 2022 with a new recipe card, new photos, and a bit more text and tips**

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Recipe Background and Details
Authentic Bolognese Sauce Ingredients
A few important notes on making this authentic bolognese sauce
Authentic Bolognese Sauce secret flavor weapons
More Delicious Dinner Recipes
FAQ's
Authentic Bolognese Sauce Recipe

What makes this bolognese sauce recipe authentic?

I have read many Italian cookbooks, scoured the internet for recipes and articles, watched so many travel and cooking documentaries, channeled my Italian heritage as well as questioned my Italian friends. I basically added all the recipes up and combined all of the best and most frequently recurring ingredients to create my authentic bolognese sauce recipe.

Authentic Bolognese Sauce Ingredients

meat - a combo of beef and pork is very authentic and very delicious. Veal can be used as well.
soffritto - known as mirepoix in French cooking. A classic flavor building block. A mix of chopped celery, carrot, onion and in Italian cooking garlic and often parsley are included.
tomato - I use tomato paste and crushed tomatoes to layer the flavors
liquid - wine, broth, milk are all added at different times to add moisture, richness, and acidity. Using homemade or really high quality store-bought broth makes a huge difference.
about that wine - you can use red or white. For a long time I only used red in my authentic bolognese but I really love the white these days.
flavor boosting secret weapons - pancetta, porcini mushrooms, and parmigiano reggiano rinds all add a salty, meaty, umami undertone that can't be replicated. I love sneaking in a couple of anchovies. Shhhhh.
herbs - important in all cuisines, but I feel especially in Italian cooking. Bay leaves while it simmers. Rosemary for earthiness and depth. And fresh parsley for a bit of brightness when serving.

A few important notes on making this authentic bolognese sauce

First, make sure you really, really brown the meat and veggies. Like, get the meat to the point where it's sizzling and popping, even sticking to the bottom of the pan and scaring you a little. This caramelization is how you get the deep, rich flavor in the finished sauce. I often use separate pans as it allows me to get the veggies and meat going at the same time, while also allowing them to brown individually. Veggies have a lot of water, and it would be very difficult to get the meat properly browned if they were combined, and by the time the meat finally browned the veggies would undoubtedly burn. It's only one extra pan to wash... I promise it's worth it - I mean how often are you making bolognese sauce? Take your time, channel your inner Italian, blast some Pavarotti, pour a glass of wine and enjoy the process.

BUT, having written that - you don't have to use two pans. You will start with the meat and then basically deglaze the pan with the veggies. I've given instructions for both in the recipe.

Authentic Bolognese Sauce secret flavor weapons

I know this might sound weird, but I rinse the dried porcini before I soak them in the stock. I know everyone says, "don't rinse mushrooms," but 1.) I'm a rebel 2.) They're going to soak anyway; and 3.) Porcini are notoriously gritty, and I'm not wasting 4 hours making a gritty sauce. So there.

Also, even if you don't think you like mushrooms, you have to trust me, these will be ground up so small that, texturally, you won't notice them. When it comes to the flavor though, they are so important. They add such a depth and richness and really round out the flavors.

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Here are a few recipes I visited when coming up with my authentic bolognese sauce recipe:

Perciatelli with Bolognese - Geoffrey Zakarian

Marcella Hazan's Bolognese Sauce - NY Times

Classic Ragu Bolognese - Bon Appetit

... and many more that I watched over the years or read about in my dad's old cookbooks. I think it is important to honor the authenticity and history of recipes while also making them your own. By adding your secret weapons (anchovy! chicken liver! parm rinds!) or by using a technique that works better for you and your style of cooking. This was how my father cooked. He read and read, researched and learned, traveled and paid attention. Then he came home and put it all together and made magic.

The truth is, there are probably thousands of versions of "authentic" bolognese sauce. Find the one that speaks to you and don't be afraid to customize it. Recipes are always changing and evolving which is one of the things I love about cooking and food culture in general.

FAQ's

What are the ingredients in traditional bolognese sauce?

4 ounces pancetta, diced
1 ounce dried porcini
4 cloves fresh garlic
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 lb ground pork
1 lb ground beef
6 ounces tomato paste (one small can)
2 cups wine, red or white
4 cups chicken or beef broth (homemade if you can; choose a good all-natural, low-sodium one if store-bought)
2 cups whole milk
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
Parmesan cheese rind
2 bay leaves
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
2-3 oil-packed anchovies (optional)

Do Italians add milk to bolognese?

Yes milk or cream is a traditional Italian ingredient that adds richness to the bolognese sauce while also mellowing some of the acidity from the tomatoes.

Authentic Bolognese Sauce Recipe

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5 from 3 reviews

Author: anita | wild thistle kitchen
Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
Yield: about 2 quarts

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Description

My Authentic Bolognese Sauce is true comfort food and comfort cooking. Perfect snowy weekend food. Make a big batch and serve it with pasta, in lasagna, or with crusty bread.

Ingredients

4 ounces pancetta, diced
1 ounce dried porcini
4 cloves fresh garlic
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 lb ground pork
1 lb ground beef
6 ounces tomato paste (one small can)
2 cups wine, red or white
4 cups chicken or beef broth (homemade if you can; choose a good all-natural, low-sodium one if store-bought)
2 cups whole milk
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
Parmesan cheese rind
2 bay leaves
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
2-3 oil-packed anchovies (optional)

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Instructions

In a small sauce pan combine 4 cups of stock with the rinsed porcini. Bring to a simmer while you begin to prep the veggies.
You can either small dice the veggies by hand OR Roughly chop onion, celery, carrot and garlic and add to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until all ingredients are finely minced but not turned to mush.
Preheat a large Dutch oven with a few tablespoons of olive oil, sauté pancetta for a minute or two before adding the minced veggies, rosemary, big pinch of salt (teaspoon) and a few grinds of black pepper.
Once porcini are soft, carefully scoop them out (reserving the stock for later) and add them to the same food processor bowl. Pulse until very finely minced and add to the Dutch oven with the veggies. Slowly sauté while you get the meat started.
Preheat a separate large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat with a few tablespoons olive oil (at least a 10-12 inch skillet, but larger if you have it). Add meat, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Break meat up with a wooden spoon and stir every few minutes. This process should take at least 20 minutes, but up to 30 to get the proper caramelization. Take your time, channel your inner Italian, blast some Pavarotti, pour a glass of wine and enjoy the process.
Once your veggies are really soft and beginning to brown (should take about 20 minutes), add anchovies, and tomato paste and cook for another minute.
Once the meat is really brown (should take about 20-30 minutes), add 1 cup of wine to the skillet and scrape the pan, getting all the brown bits off the bottom.
Add the meat to the Dutch oven with the veggie/tomato paste mixture, and add another cup of wine.
Give it a big stir, and allow the wine to reduce for about 5 minutes, then add crushed tomatoes, stock, milk, bay leaves, and parmesan cheese rind. Bring to a simmer and cook very gently for 3-4 hours - you want it barely bubbling. Stir occasionally.
Remove the bay leaves and Parmesan cheese rind when finished.
This sauce gets better as it sits, and is even more delicious the next day and the day after. It is so rich and satisfying.

IF YOU ONLY WANT TO USE ONE PAN:

In a large dutch oven, begin by browning meat as instructed above except here you will add the pancetta to the meat and brown them all together. Once meat is very brown and caramelized, turn heat to medium and add all veggies and mushrooms and cook until softened and caramelized - scraping bottom as you go.
once veggies are softened after about 20 minutes, add tomato paste, anchovy, cook for about 5 minutes then add total amount of wine and continue with step 9-11

For serving this authentic bolognese

When you're ready to serve, cook your favorite noodles just a little under al dente, and reserve a cup or two of the pasta water. The Italian trick to finishing pasta is to cook the noodles with the sauce and a little pasta water for the last few minutes. It makes a huge difference, and is so much better than just plopping sauce on top of noodles.
So, transfer the sauce you aren't using to containers and when your pasta is done add it directly to the remaining sauce in the pot along with a little pasta water and cook over medium heat for a few minutes until it is thick and glossy, I just toss it around with tongs and shake the pan until the sauce really clings to the noodles. You want plenty of sauce, but not so much that the noodles are drowning in it. Serve with fresh chopped parsley and/or basil and LOTS of freshly grated parmigiano and/or pecorino romano. (I like a combo like my dad always used)

Notes

This makes about 2 quarts of sauce which is enough to generously dress 2 pounds of pasta. You do not have to use it all at once though as the sauce freezes beautifully (see below).

to freeze: allow to cool completely before packaging in freezer safe containers or bags. I like to freeze it in either 2 cup or 4 cup portions. Make sure to label the sauce with date, size, and contents and freeze for up to 6 months.

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Category: dinner, main course
Method: stovetop
Cuisine: Italian