Pasta Bolognese

Savor the warmth of our rich, slow simmered Pasta Bolognese. This classic Italian dish is a hearty, comforting meal made with love.

I've been making this Pasta Bolognese recipe for my family for years. The smell of this sauce simmering on the stove just feels like home. Unlike simple meat sauce, my Bolognese combines ground beef and ground pork for satisfying, complex flavor. And it's not just great over pasta. We like it layered into lasagna, spread on flatbreads, and even as a dipping sauce for homemade focaccia bread.

What we love most about this recipe is that you get rich, full-bodied flavor in just over 30 minutes. Sure, you can simmer it longer if you have time. But like our Pasta Pomodoro, this recipe makes an easy, family favorite weeknight dinner.

Serve it with: Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad, Burrata Toast, or Rosemary Focaccia Bread

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Ingredients

• GROUND BEEF: we like 85/15 ground beef
• GROUND PORK: 70/30 ground pork
• CARROTS: fresh carrots, finely diced
• GREEN ONIONS: fresh green onions (scallions), chopped
• GARLIC: garlic cloves, chopped
• TOMATOES: canned whole peeled tomatoes
• PARSLEY: fresh parsley, chopped
• OLIVE OIL: use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can afford
• BLACK PEPPER: ground black pepper
• SALT: sea salt or kosher salt
• PASTA: we like fettuccine pasta for this recipe

*see recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

1. Cook the Meat: add ground beef and ground pork to heavy bottom stock pot. Cook over medium high heat until browned.
2. Drain Meat: Drain meat and discard fat. Set browned meat aside to add later.
3. Make the Roux: Add to stock pot olive oil, carrots, onions and garlic. Cook over medium heat until carrots are tender (about 10 minutes). 
4. Add Tomatoes: Add tomatoes along with juice from cans, along with salt and pepper, cook for 15 minutes breaking up tomatoes as it cooks.
5. Blend: Add 1 C water and using an emulsion blender, blend until smooth or until you reach desired consistency.
6. Add Meat to Tomato Sauce: Add ground meat back to pot and cook for 10 minutes over medium high heat stirring often. 
7. Add Parsley: Add chopped parsley and stir to combine. Allow sauce to simmer on low while you cook the pasta.
8. Cook Pasta: Cook pasta according to package directions (we like ours al dente). Drain.
9. Serve: Top cooked pasta with Bolognese sauce. Serve.

Variations

• Add a Splash of Wine: add about ½ cup of red wine to the sauce as it is cooking for even more rich, complex flavor.
• Make it Creamy: add a ½ cup heavy cream after you remove the Bolognese sauce from heat. It adds a level of smooth, rich flavor.
• Meatless: try our Meatless Mushroom Ragù. It's a satisfying vegetarian option
• Let it Simmer: let the meat and tomato sauce mixture simmer on the stove over low heat for up to an hour for a traditional Bolognese Sauce like grandma would make.
• Pasta: we love fettuccine for this recipe because its flat shape holds the flavor best. You can also use pappardelle, tagliatelle, spaghetti, or penne pasta.

Wine Pairing

Caymus-Suisun Grand Durif is a robust Petite Sirah that has enough weight and flavor to pair with this hearty Bolognese Sauce. Its acidity perfectly balances the tomatoes.

Storage

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Reheat in a sauté pan over medium heat, adding olive oil if necessary.
• Freeze leftover Bolognese sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
• Make ahead: Bolognese Sauce can be made ahead of time and refrigerated.

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