Ragù alla Bolognese

This ragu alla Bolognese recipe is a classic Italian pasta meat sauce, slowly simmered to develop deep, rich flavour and a beautifully balanced texture. Made with a hearty combination of meat, aromatics, and gentle heat over several hours, this sauce is all about patience and restraint – the kind of dish that rewards time and care with exceptional results.

Hey folks – I hope you all are doing well!

And if your winter weather does not make you feel like spending a lot of time outside (like here in Nova Scotia where we has had more than 30 cm of snow this Saturday…and more than another 20 cm is expected on Sunday), then you should spend a few hours in the kitchen making Ragu alla Bolognese. In my humble opinion, it is one of the best comfort foods that you can enjoy in winter. If it is cold, snowy, or gloomy outside, this recipe is a must. While simmering the ragù, your kitchen will smell amazing and so cozy.

Last winter we were trying a lot of pasta sauces. And while I have many pasta recipes on my blog, I wanted to focus on something more authentic. And when I look for an authentic method (not necessarily full recipe) from Italian cooking, Frank’s blog is always a perfect answer to me. I have already shared this Sicilian Style Pasta with Cauliflower and Pasta alla Genovese.

Why You’ll Love This Ragu Bolognese

• Deep, developed flavour. Long, slow simmering creates a rich and complex meat sauce.
• Perfect for make-ahead cooking. The flavour continues to improve as it rests.
• Ideal for hearty pasta shapes. Thick sauces like this cling beautifully to wide, flat pasta.
• Freezer-friendly and practical. A generous batch means multiple comforting meals.

Ragu alla Bolognese Recipe

And now, it was time for ragu alla Bolognese recipe.

Of course, I’ve made Bolognese sauce many times before, and I’d say those earlier versions were more or less authentic. But this time, I wanted to skip the “more or less.” I know myself well enough — I tend to sneak extra herbs or spices into traditional pasta sauces. Not this time. I wanted to be a good student and follow the classic steps as closely as possible.

The sauce begins with a sofrito – a fragrant mixture of finely chopped onion, celery, carrot, and pancetta. Wine and tomato purée are equally important, while milk is optional but traditional. You’ll also want some water or light broth on hand, just in case the sauce needs a bit of moisture during its long simmer.

When choosing meat, avoid anything too lean. The traditional recipe uses beef, but a combination of beef and pork works well if your beef is on the lean side. Veal is another excellent option – and if you enjoy veal-based sauces, be sure to check out Veal Ragù Pasta and Veal Orzo.

And as for herbs and spices? Just salt and black pepper. Some variations include nutmeg, but that’s about it.
Disclaimer: the bay leaf you might spot in the photos was used strictly for décor purposes only :)

What Pasta Shape to Use with Ragu Bolognese?

Fun fact: I originally planned to serve this sauce with tagliatelle – probably the most traditional pasta pairing for Bolognese. However, while choosing pasta at the store, I accidentally picked up pappardelle instead. As it turns out, pappardelle’s wide, flat shape and slightly rough surface make it just as perfect for a hearty meat sauce.

There are, of course, other pasta shapes that pair beautifully with ragù. That said, spaghetti should be avoided – it simply doesn’t work well with a chunky, slow-cooked meat sauce like Ragu alla Bolognese.

The authentic sauce should be simmering for hours. At least 2 but better 4-6 hours. This time I was simmering it for more than 4 hours, and the result was wonderful. The good think about this that you do not need to babysit the sauce; just give it a good stir every now and then. And of course, you can make it a few days in advance. Indeed, the flavour will continue to develop once cooked and resting.

This is a large batch that will be enough for about 450-500 gr. of uncooked pasta. There is no reason to cut the recipe in half, if you not planning to utilize it all with pasta. After all, it is a time-consuming recipe, so why not make a larger batch and enjoy for a couple of days? Also, while I have not done that myself, google says Bolognese sauce freezes really well.

If you like to read a more detailed profile on Bolognese sauce, please check this post Ragù alla bolognese (Bolognese Sauce) – Memorie di Angelina

I hope you like this ragu alla Bolognese recipe, and you will give it a try this classic Bolognese sauce pasta shortly. If you make it, let me know in this post or send me an Instagram message or share your photos adding the hashtag #havocinthekitchen.

Cheers!

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Ragù alla Bolognese (Pappardelle Bolognese)

Recipe by Ben | Havocinthekitchen

5.0 from 3 votes

Course: Pasta and GnocchiCuisine: Italian

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time (Bolognese)

3-4

hours or longer

Ragu alla Bolognese recipe made with slow-simmered meat, sofrito, wine, and tomato, creating a rich and comforting Italian meat sauce.

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Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. (30 ml.) olive oil

• 2 tbsp. (30 gr.) butter

• 1 small-medium onion

• 1 medium carrot

• 1 celery stalk

• 100 gr. pancetta

• 225 gr. ground beef (see notes)

• 225 gr. ground pork

• 1/2 cup (120 ml.) dry red or white wine (I used red)

• 1/2 cup (120 ml.) milk (if using) or broth;

• 1/2 cup (120 ml.) to 1 cup (240 ml.) if not using milk of beef broth; keep another 1/2 cup or so of broth or water – in case the liquid has evaporated a lot

• 1 cup (225 gr.) puréed tomatoes / passata (see notes)

• 1/2 tsp. salt or more, to taste

• 1/4 tsp. freshly grated black pepper or more, to taste

• about 450 gr. of pasta such as pappardelle (in this recipe) or tagliatelle

• finely grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

• Equipment:

• large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven

Directions

• Chop the onion, carrot and celery into small dice. Slice and chop the pancetta into small strips or dice.
• To make a soffritto, place a pot or Dutch oven over medium low heat. Add the oil, butter, vegetables and pancetta and sauté gently, stirring regularly until softened and aromatic, about 10 minutes.
• Once the soffritto is done, add the ground meat. Stir constantly breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon or spatula; cook for about 5-7 minutes or until the meat(s) is no longer pink.
• Add the milk, if using and allow it to evaporate (if not using, proceed to the step 5)
• Pour in the dry wine and allow it to completely evaporate.
• Stir in the pureed tomatoes / passata as well as the broth. Season with the salt and pepper..
• Turn the heat down very low, place the lid on and simmer for a minimum of 2 hours – preferably up to 4-6 hours (I simmered about 4 hours). Check periodically to adjust the temperature; it should be just simmering not boiling. If the sauce becomes too dry add a little extra broth or even water. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper if necessary.
• You can make this sauce 1-2 days ahead. In fact, its rich flavour will develop even stronger if let the Bolognese stay a night before serving. Please note that this recipe is enough for 450-500 gr. pasta (4-5 servings). If you are making pasta for 2-3 people, remove the excess of the sauce and reserve for another recipe.
• To cook pasta, bring a large pot of water to the boil. Salt well. Add in the pasta and cook according to the package instructions, until al dente.
• When done, drain the pasta, reserving a cup of the cooking water. Transfer the pasta to the sauce, gently mix to combine, for a minute. Serve sprinkled with parmesan and if desired, with a few extra ground peps. Enjoy!

Notes

• You can use beef only, but it should not be too lean. If you only have lean beef on hand, it is better to combine it with ground pork.
• You can use tomato paste instead of pureed tomatoes/passata, but it will need to reduce the amount to 2-3 tablespoons (otherwise its acidity will disbalance the flavour.) Since paste does not have as much liquid as passata, you will need to incorporate more broth or water.
• This sauce will be enough for 450-500 gr. pasta, so if you need dinner for 2-3 folks, you should roughly divide the sauce in half and reserve the leftovers for another recipe.