Rich and complex are the words for this sauce! Get ready to have a pot of meat sauce bubbling away on the stove for an afternoon because it is completely and totally worth it. Take it from this Italian-American girl, here is the Bolognese sauce you need in your life.
Need more Italian comfort food in your life? My ‘Get the Girl’ Chicken Parmesan Casserole is there for you
I’m not kidding. This is the recipe that I made when I was 9 months pregnant. I was in total nesting mode and knew I needed some food that would be completely easy once my daughter was born. And so I cooked up a big pot of sauce and put it away. When my mom came after my daughter was born, what did she bring? This sauce. What more can you say than this sauce has the stamp of approval of Noni?
All other sauces go home! No…not really. I have lots of other awesome ragus to share, but this one is my favorite.
The recipe makes enough for leftovers (8 servings in all), since I think if you are going to have dinner cooking for hours and hours, you should get two meals out of it. And I frequently double it! I actually did this time as well. We had dinner AND lunch AND I put four bags into the freezer. That’s four yummy dinners that are just sitting and waiting and won’t take hardly any work to get on the table. Win. 🙂
The most important part of the sauce is the layering of the ingredients.
You need to let each addition get a chance to cook down before you add the next. First the onions and carrots, then the meat, then the milk, and then the wine.
Once the base has been laid, it’s time for the tomatoes! And a long, slow bubble on the stove or in a low oven (325F) until the sauce is thick and silky and ready to be ladled over pasta. This takes time, but it is totally worth it! Just pick a day when you are going to be home and let it do its thing while you do yours and before you know it the house is going to smell amazing and dinner will be ready.
At that point make your pasta. Then a little cheese, a little basil or parsley, maybe a little red wine to sip on, and you have dinner!
Well, I would suggest a salad to go with – maybe my Homemade Caesar Salad or my Green Bean Salad with Goat Cheese and Almonds or my Blue Cheese and Brussels Sprout Salad or a favorite salad of your own. Because no matter how much we wish, we cannot live on Bolognese sauce alone. No matter how yummy it is.
-Happy Eating, Annemarie
Rich & Complex Traditional Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup minced white onion
- 1/2 cup minced carrots
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 lb ground meat either all beef or a mix
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups white wine
- 2-28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1-28 oz can whole tomatoes pureed in the blender
- toppings: fresh basil, fresh parsley, parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the salt, onion, and carrots. Saute for 5 minutes, or until just starting to get soft and golden. Add the garlic; saute for 30 seconds. Add the meat and oregano. Cook the meat, breaking it up as you go into small pieces, until there is almost no red left, about 10 minutes.
- Add the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring it to boil, then reduce the heat so that it maintains a gentle boil (the milk should be bubbling but in no danger of burning or boiling over). Cook the milk down for 20-30 minutes.
- Add the wine. Again increase the heat to bring it to a boil and then lower the heat to maintain a gentle boil. Cook the wine down for 20-30 minutes.
- Add the pureed whole tomatoes and crushed tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and then lower the heat so that the sauce is just occasionally bubbling. At this point you can leave it on the stove on very low heat (I usually move it to a small burner on low) or put it in the oven at 325F, either way with the pot uncovered so the sauce will cook down. Simmer the sauce for 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Serve with a wide pasta such as pappardelle or fettuccine and top with parmesan cheese, basil, and parsley.
Notes
Victoria says
I’m making this now and used the bottle of wine I had on hand- a Sauvignon Blanca from Trader Joe’s. I think it’s sweeter than I realized and now I’m worried about the sauce. Currently simmering. Thoughts?
justalittlebitofbacon says
I was out to dinner and just saw this! How is the sauce? As for the general idea of Sauvignon Blanc, I have used the grape and had great results. That said, if the sauce is too sweet, add a bit of vinegar to it (a wine vinegar would be nice) and that should balance the flavors.
Karen says
You don’t want to open another bottle of wine? Seriously? What is Wrong with you? LOL
justalittlebitofbacon says
Perhaps it’s more accurate to say that the next bottle of wine is for drinking, not putting in the sauce! 🙂
Sarah Beth says
I just realized my wine is not unoaked… it’s a Chardonnay .. is this a big deal?
justalittlebitofbacon says
If the wine is one of those big, buttery chardonnays (which have tons of oak) then that can take over and give off flavors. With your basic more lightly oaked chardonnays it’s not a problem.
Darren says
Great Dish.
Ive tried this many times and never failed.
Yum Yum.
justalittlebitofbacon says
I’m glad you’ve been enjoying it! 🙂
Shayla says
I don’t consume alcohol. Are you able to sub or leave out the wine?
justalittlebitofbacon says
I’ve been thinking about this, and I have never made the sauce without wine so I have no idea. Maybe stock or stock + a little balsamic? Or maybe just skip that step? If you make it without the wine, please come back and let me know what you did and how it came out.
Kathy says
I just made it without the wine and it is perfect! I substituted beef broth instead. Super yummy!! Thank you for sharing.
Priscilla says
The alcohol evaporates and flavor is left behind.
Laura says
Although it will still result in a flavorful sauce, when you cook this, the alcohol evaporates out leaving only traces behind. . The wine flavors and tenderizes the meat, creating a more complex flavor.
Melissa says
Ive been using this recipe for a long time now, it is divine! I’ve used it with red and white wine, and the outcomes are very different but equally amazing!
I just followed the recipe again however this time I substituted ground beef for 1 cup of dried lentils and 1 cup of diced mushrooms and made it vegetarian. Worked a treat and now I have a beautiful dish for vegetation guests!
justalittlebitofbacon says
What a great idea for a vegetarian bolognese! The combination would definitely be ‘meaty’ and satisfying. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Laura says
I absolutely love this sauce it’s so rich. It’s the only sauce I make now.
justalittlebitofbacon says
That’s great! I’m so happy you love the sauce as much as I do. 🙂