I simmer a silky Bolognese Sauce Recipe slowly so rich beef, deeply caramelized soffritto and a splash of milk meld into a hearty, velvety sauce that hinges on a couple of old school tricks.
I never thought a sauce could be so stubbornly good, till I perfected my Bolognese. This version is smooth, rich and heaps of slow cooked flavor that makes you stare at the pot like it’s hiding secrets.
I use pancetta for an early hit of savor, and a splash of whole milk to soften the edges, but the technique is what transforms it. Readers on my Beef Bolognese Recipe posts always ask if it can be simpler, they want quick fixes, but this one rewards patience.
If you like Italian Pasta Recipes that feel honest, give this a try, you’ll want to know every tiny trick.
Ingredients
- Olive oil: Adds fruity richness, mostly healthy monounsaturated fats, helps carry flavors.
- Unsalted butter: Gives silkiness and depth, adds saturated fat and dairy protein, small sweetness.
- Pancetta or bacon: Salty smoky fat, melts into sauce adding umami and depth.
- Onion: Provides sweetness and savory base, some fiber and vitamins, caramelizes nicely.
- Carrot: Natural sweetness, gives color and fiber, balances acidity from tomatoes.
- Celery: Herbal crunch, subtle bitterness that boosts savory notes, has fiber and water.
- Ground beef: Main protein, rich in fat for mouthfeel, gives savory beefy flavor, iron.
- Crushed tomatoes: Provide acidity, body and sweetness, bring umami and tomatoey tang to sauce.
Ingredient Quantities
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 100 g pancetta or unsmoked bacon
- 1 medium onion about 150 g
- 1 medium carrot about 70 g
- 2 stalks celery about 80 g
- 500 g ground beef (or 400 g beef + 100 g pork)
- 1 cup whole milk 240 ml
- pinch ground nutmeg
- 1 cup dry white wine 240 ml
- 1 can crushed tomatoes 400 g / 14 oz
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves optional
- 1 small piece Parmesan rind optional
How to Make this
1. Prep everything first: finely dice 100 g pancetta (or unsmoked bacon) and the soffritto — 1 medium onion (about 150 g), 1 medium carrot (about 70 g) and 2 stalks celery (about 80 g). Measure 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp unsalted butter, 500 g ground beef (or 400 g beef + 100 g pork), 1 cup whole milk (240 ml), a pinch ground nutmeg, 1 cup dry white wine (240 ml), 1 can crushed tomatoes (400 g), salt and black pepper, 2 bay leaves and a small piece Parmesan rind if you have it.
2. Heat a large heavy pot over medium heat, add the olive oil and butter until melted and foaming, then add the pancetta. Cook until it gives up its fat and is lightly golden, about 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Add the diced onion, carrot and celery to the pot and sweat gently until soft and translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Do not let them brown, you want sweetness not bitter bits.
4. Turn the heat up a touch and add the ground meat. Break it up with a spoon and brown it well, but don’t over-sear into a crust, you just want good color and no big raw chunks. Season lightly with salt and pepper as it browns.
5. Pour in the whole milk and add the pinch of nutmeg. Let it simmer gently until most of the milk has evaporated, this makes the meat tender and mellows acidity, takes maybe 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Add the white wine and reduce until mostly gone, scraping any browned bits from the bottom. This builds flavor without making the sauce too sharp.
7. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, add the bay leaves and the Parmesan rind if using, bring to a very gentle simmer. Lower the heat so the sauce barely bubbles.
8. Cook low and slow for at least
1.5 to 2 hours, preferably 3 to 4 hours if you can. Stir every 15 to 20 minutes, break up any meat clumps, and if it looks too dry add a little water or stock. Skim excess fat from the surface occasionally for a cleaner finish.
9. When the sauce is thick, rich and silky, remove the bay leaves and rind, taste and adjust salt and pepper. Serve with pasta (tagliatelle or pappardelle are classic), toss with a little reserved pasta water and top with grated Parmesan. Leftovers get even better the next day, reheat gently and add a splash of water if needed.
Equipment Needed
1. Large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven (4–6 qt)
2. Chef’s knife (a good, sharp one)
3. Cutting board
4. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula
5. Kitchen scale and measuring spoons
6. Liquid measuring cup (240 ml markings)
7. Can opener
8. Fine grater or microplane for Parmesan
9. Colander or pasta tongs for draining and tossing pasta
FAQ
How To Make Bolognese Sauce (Authentic Recipe) Substitutions and Variations
- Pancetta or unsmoked bacon: use diced bacon or guanciale for similar fat and flavor; for a no-pork option try 1/2 cup finely chopped cremini or shiitake mushrooms plus 1 tsp smoked paprika to mimic smokiness.
- Ground beef (or beef+pork): swap with 500 g ground pork, or 500 g ground turkey or chicken but add 1-2 tbsp olive oil since those are leaner; vegetarian: 300 g chopped mushrooms + 200 g cooked brown lentils works great.
- Whole milk: use 1 cup evaporated milk 1:1, or 3/4 cup heavy cream + 1/4 cup water for same richness; dairy free: 1 cup unsweetened soy or oat milk + 1 tbsp olive oil for mouthfeel.
- Dry white wine: replace with 1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock + 1 tbsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice for acidity, or use 1 cup dry vermouth; red wine also works but it will darken the sauce.
Pro Tips
1) Dice the pancetta pretty fine and let it render slowly so you get flavor without burning. If it looks too greasy, scoop out a tablespoon or two of the fat before adding the meat, otherwise the sauce can taste heavy.
2) Don’t rush the milk step. Let it simmer until mostly gone, stirring now and then so the meat soaks up the creaminess. It really calms the acidity and makes the texture silkier, so be patient.
3) Keep the simmer tiny and low for the long cook, and stir every 15 to 20 minutes so nothing sticks. If it thickens too fast, add warm water or stock, not cold, so you dont shock the sauce.
4) Make it a day ahead when you can. Flavors deepen overnight and it reheats beautifully; when serving, toss with a splash of reserved pasta water to help the sauce cling to the noodles.
How To Make Bolognese Sauce (Authentic Recipe)
I simmer a silky Bolognese Sauce Recipe slowly so rich beef, deeply caramelized soffritto and a splash of milk meld into a hearty, velvety sauce that hinges on a couple of old school tricks.
6
servings
457
kcal
Equipment: 1. Large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven (4–6 qt)
2. Chef’s knife (a good, sharp one)
3. Cutting board
4. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula
5. Kitchen scale and measuring spoons
6. Liquid measuring cup (240 ml markings)
7. Can opener
8. Fine grater or microplane for Parmesan
9. Colander or pasta tongs for draining and tossing pasta
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
100 g pancetta or unsmoked bacon
1 medium onion about 150 g
1 medium carrot about 70 g
2 stalks celery about 80 g
500 g ground beef (or 400 g beef + 100 g pork)
1 cup whole milk 240 ml
pinch ground nutmeg
1 cup dry white wine 240 ml
1 can crushed tomatoes 400 g / 14 oz
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves optional
1 small piece Parmesan rind optional
Directions
- Prep everything first: finely dice 100 g pancetta (or unsmoked bacon) and the soffritto — 1 medium onion (about 150 g), 1 medium carrot (about 70 g) and 2 stalks celery (about 80 g). Measure 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp unsalted butter, 500 g ground beef (or 400 g beef + 100 g pork), 1 cup whole milk (240 ml), a pinch ground nutmeg, 1 cup dry white wine (240 ml), 1 can crushed tomatoes (400 g), salt and black pepper, 2 bay leaves and a small piece Parmesan rind if you have it.
- Heat a large heavy pot over medium heat, add the olive oil and butter until melted and foaming, then add the pancetta. Cook until it gives up its fat and is lightly golden, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the diced onion, carrot and celery to the pot and sweat gently until soft and translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Do not let them brown, you want sweetness not bitter bits.
- Turn the heat up a touch and add the ground meat. Break it up with a spoon and brown it well, but don’t over-sear into a crust, you just want good color and no big raw chunks. Season lightly with salt and pepper as it browns.
- Pour in the whole milk and add the pinch of nutmeg. Let it simmer gently until most of the milk has evaporated, this makes the meat tender and mellows acidity, takes maybe 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add the white wine and reduce until mostly gone, scraping any browned bits from the bottom. This builds flavor without making the sauce too sharp.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, add the bay leaves and the Parmesan rind if using, bring to a very gentle simmer. Lower the heat so the sauce barely bubbles.
- Cook low and slow for at least
- 5 to 2 hours, preferably 3 to 4 hours if you can. Stir every 15 to 20 minutes, break up any meat clumps, and if it looks too dry add a little water or stock. Skim excess fat from the surface occasionally for a cleaner finish.
- When the sauce is thick, rich and silky, remove the bay leaves and rind, taste and adjust salt and pepper. Serve with pasta (tagliatelle or pappardelle are classic), toss with a little reserved pasta water and top with grated Parmesan. Leftovers get even better the next day, reheat gently and add a splash of water if needed.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 273g
- Total number of serves: 6
- Calories: 457kcal
- Fat: 33.7g
- Saturated Fat: 12.8g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Polyunsaturated: 3.3g
- Monounsaturated: 13.3g
- Cholesterol: 99mg
- Sodium: 400mg
- Potassium: 970mg
- Carbohydrates: 9.5g
- Fiber: 1.8g
- Sugar: 5.5g
- Protein: 25.7g
- Vitamin A: 2000IU
- Vitamin C: 9mg
- Calcium: 75mg
- Iron: 2.8mg
