What Is Bolognese?
Bolognese is the traditional meat sauce of Bologna, Italy. It’s mostly ground beef with a bit of pork thrown in, stewed in tomatoes, with a touch of milk and butter added to round out the sauce’s acidity. You won’t find aromatics like rosemary, garlic, oregano, or bay leaves in traditional bolognese. Flavors are developed over a long simmer.
Ingredients for Bolognese Sauce
Our bolognese recipe is not traditional. To keep things budget-friendly, we omitted the pork that’s usually paired with ground beef. Instead, we used a bit of garlic to add depth. Here’s what you’ll need to make bolognese.
What’s the Difference Between Bolognese and Meat Sauce?
The biggest difference between Italian Bolognese and American meat sauce is the ratio of meat to tomato. While bolognese is technically a meat sauce (or as they say in Italy, ragù) It differs from American meat sauce because it has a higher ratio of beef to tomato, making it much thicker. It’s also creamier as it’s made with a touch of milk. Another difference is that pasta bolognese is not made with spaghetti. It is made with heartier pasta that can hold the weight of such a meaty sauce, like tagliatelle, pappardelle, or rotini.
What To Serve With Bolognese
If you’re looking for some great budget-friendly dishes to serve with bolognese, I’ve got you covered! Try any of these Budget Bytes favorites:
How To Store Bolognese
Bolognese, the dreamy (and easy) Italian meat sauce, pairs with more than pasta. Work it into baked potatoes, bell peppers, rice, or nachos!
Servings: 8 cups
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 200 minutes (3hrs and 20mins)
Total time: 3 hrs 30 mins
Ingredients
InstructionsÂ
- Place a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add butter to the pan. When the butter foams, add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sautée until translucent.
- Add the celery and carrot and sautée for two minutes, until they have softened some.
- Next, add the garlic and sautée until fragrant, about 1 minute
- Add the ground beef and pepper. Brown the beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
- Once the beef has browned, add the milk, wine, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir occasionally and simmer until the liquid has evaporated completely.
- Add the crushed tomatoes. Mix until incorporated. Lower the heat as soon as the tomatoes come up to a boil.
- Cook, uncovered, for 3 hours. Stir occasionally. If the sauce dries out, stir in a half cup of water. Once it is finished, taste for salt and pepper.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup Calories: 280kcal Carbohydrates: 12g Protein: 13g Fat: 18g Sodium: 386mg Fiber: 3g
How to Make Bolognese – Step by Step Photos
Place a heavy-bottomed pot (like a Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add 4 tablespoons of butter to the pan. When the butter foams, add 1 medium diced onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sautée until translucent.
Add the 2 stalks of diced celery and the diced carrot and sautée for two minutes, until they have softened some.
Next, add the 2 cloves of minced garlic and sautée until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the pound of ground beef and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Brown the beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
Once the beef has browned, add the cup of milk, the cup of wine, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir occasionally and simmer until the liquid has evaporated completely.
Add the 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes. Mix until incorporated. Lower the heat as soon as the tomatoes come up to a boil.
Cook, uncovered, for 3 hours. Stir occasionally. If the sauce dries out, stir in a half cup of water. Once it is finished, taste for salt and pepper and adjust the seasoning. Serve this over hearty pasta like tagliatelle, pappardelle, or rotini. You can also pair it with a baked potato, stuff it into a bell pepper, or serve it over rice or nachos!
Recipe by Cook Good Recipes
