I’ve been making this bolognese sauce for over a decade now. Over the years I have perfected my method and ingredients, and I am so excited to share my tricks for an amazing meat sauce with you!
This Bolognese is a Family Favorite Recipe that delivers big on flavor!
It all started back when a family friend (who also happens to be a chef) made us this for the first time. I just had to know how to make it. Thankfully, she taught me. I still have the sheet of paper I took notes on.
Then, over the years, I perfected my own methods and tweaks (some by accident, keep reading). Now this is a recipe my whole family loves, and probably my hands-down favorite meal.
This is a simple recipe that when made correctly makes a delicious, flavorful meat sauce that is like a warm hug in a bowl.
The Secrets to the Best Bolognese
Before we get into what’s in my bolognese recipe and how to make it, I’m going to cut to the chase and spill the secrets. These are the things that make a huge difference in the flavor. These specific tips take the recipe to a whole new level:
Cook it Low and Slow
This is a recipe that takes time to develop flavor, and cooking it low and slow is part of what makes it so good.
I like to make this on a weekend day when I can slow down and be home most of the day, or if I want to make it on a weekday, I start it while the kids are at school.
However it works best for you, I just recommend making sure you have plenty of time to go slow.
Cook until dry between adding each ingredient.
As you will see in the recipe below, you’ll add an ingredient and then “cook until dry”, which just means to let the ingredients soak up that ingredient fully before you add the next ingredient. More on this (and photos) in the recipe below.
Sweat the mushrooms (sort of).
This is one of the things I learned by accident. Years ago when I had two little kids running around I was making this, and I had just placed the chopped mushrooms on top of the other ingredients that were cooking.
Before I could mix them in, something happened that distracted me and when I came back, the mushrooms looked wet. That had sort of been steaming there on top of the rest of the ingredients.
I just simply mixed them in and moved on, but that batch came out so good. It had such a deeper flavor. I mentioned to my husband what I had done and he said he thought that was called “sweating” the mushrooms and that it’s an actual thing chefs do.
I looked it up and according to Google, in culinary language, sweating refers to cooking food on low heat with a small amount of fat, typically in a covered pot or pan.
So this is not technically what we’re doing in this recipe, but it is close, and it is a key step. One of those simple things that makes a big difference.
What You’ll Need to Make Bolognese Sauce
Get the full recipe with measurements and ingredients in the recipe card below. Here is an overview of what you’ll need for this recipe:
- Ground Beef: I highly recommend using good quality grass-fed beef. You can substitute the beef for ground turkey (which I used to do all the time) but I really think the beef gives it the best flavor.
- Mild Italian Sausage: Ground mild Italian sausage gives this a ton of flavor!
- Celery
- Carrots
- Onion (white)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Baby Portabello mushrooms
- Dry white wine: I recommend Chardonnay or Pinot.
- Whole Milk: Bring to room temp (or close).
- Petite diced tomatoes
- Salt and pepper
- Your favorite pasta: I actually prefer to eat this with linguine because the hardier thick noodles go great with the meat sauce, but some people prefer to use a more delicate pasta like spaghetti.
- Parmesan cheese:
How to Make the Best Bolognese
- Dice the celery, onion, carrots, and mushroom, all as close in size as possible (so they cook evenly).
- Add the olive oil to a large pan and add the celery, carrots, and onion. Cook on low-medium heat until just soft.
- While that is cooking, go ahead and measure out 1 cup of milk and let it sit on the counter nearby (so you’re not adding super cold milk to your sauce). I normally go ahead and measure out 1 cup of white wine at this point, too.
- Add the ground beef and ground mild Italian sausage to the pan, breaking up into small pieces as it cooks. Continue cooking on low-medium heat until the meat is fully cooked through. During this time, add a generous amount of salt and pepper (to taste). Remember you can always add more but you can’t take it out. I recommend adding some now, then taste-testing later in the process to see if you’d like to add more salt or pepper.
- Add the mushrooms on top of the rest of the ingredients in the pan, but DO NOT mix them in yet. Allow them to sit on top for about 2 minutes or until they start to look wet or steamed. Then mix them in and continue cooking for a few minutes, still on low-medium heat.
- Add 1 cup of white wine to the pan, mix in and allow to cook until dry (you can move the mixture in the pan and there is little to no liquid pooling in the empty space).
- Add 1 cup of milk to the pan, mix in and allow to cook until dry.
- Add petite diced tomatoes, stir in, turn the heat to low, and continue cooking for one to two hours, stirring occasionally.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve over pasta (I prefer to eat this with linguine because the hardier thick noodles go great with the meat sauce, but some people prefer to use a more delicate pasta like spaghetti.) We like to sprinkle some parmesan cheese over the top. Serve with garlic bread and a salad.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator (once you let it cool) for 3 days, or follow the instructions in the blog post for freezing.
Can you freeze bolognese sauce?
Yes, another thing I love about this recipe is that it freezes really well. In fact, I love to make a double-batch and freeze the leftovers for an easy meal another time.
Since this recipe takes a while to make if you follow the low and slow method, it’s worth it to double it up.
To freeze this sauce, place it in a ziploc bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. I prefer to thaw overnight in the refrigerator when I’m ready to serve it. If you forget and don’t take it out until the morning of or just before dinner, you could thaw it in the microwave or warm it slowly in a large pot.
Bolognese Sauce Recipe
Bolognese Meat Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb Mild Italian Sausage
- 3-4 ribs Celery diced small
- 3-4 Carrots peeled and diced small
- 1 White onion diced small
- 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 8 oz Baby Portabello mushrooms
- 1 cup Dry white wine I recommend Chardonnay or Pinot.
- 1 cup Whole Milk Bring to room temp or close.
- 28 oz can Petite diced tomatoes
- Parmesan cheese optional topping
Instructions
- Dice the celery, onion, carrots and mushroom, all as close in size as possible (so they cook evenly).
- Add the olive oil to a large pan and add the celery, carrots, and onion. Cook on low-medium heat until just soft.
- While that is cooking, go ahead and measure out 1 cup of milk and let it sit on the counter nearby (so you’re not adding super cold milk to your sauce). I normally go ahead and measure out 1 cup of white wine at this point, too.
- Add the ground beef and ground mild Italian sausage to the pan, breaking up into small pieces as it cooks. Continue cooking on low-medium heat until the meat is fully cooked through. During this time, add a generous amount of salt and pepper (to taste). Remember you can always add more but you can’t take it out. I recommend adding some now, then taste-testing later in the process to see if you’d like to add more salt or pepper.
- Add the mushrooms on top of the rest of the ingredients in the pan, but DO NOT mix them in yet. Allow them to sit on top for about 2 minutes or until they start to look wet or steamed. Then mix them in and continue cooking for a few minutes, still on low-medium heat.
- Add 1 cup of white wine to the pan, mix in and allow to cook until dry (you can move the mixture in the pan and there is little to no liquid pooling in the empty space).
- Add 1 cup of milk to the pan, mix in and allow to cook until dry.
- Add petite diced tomatoes, stir in, turn the heat to low and continue cooking for one to two hours, stirring occasionally.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve over pasta (I prefer to eat this with linguine because the hardier thick noodles go great with the meat sauce, but some people prefer to use a more delicate pasta like spaghetti.) Serve with garlic bread and a salad.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator (once you let it cool) for 3 days, or follow the instructions in the blog post for freezing.
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Hi, I’m Jessica! I am wife to Chris, and mom to Kaip, Alana and Koa. I am a website developer and blogger. In this space, I share about everything from parenting, making money from home, recipes, mom lifestyle, and things for kids! Learn more about me here.
