Bolognese Sauce
This rich, hearty, and authentic meat sauce brings slow-cooked Italian comfort to your family table.
Ingredients
- •2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- •1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- •1 medium carrot, finely diced
- •2 stalks celery, finely diced
- •2 cloves garlic, minced
- •1 pound ground beef (80/20 or ground chuck)
- •1 cup dry red wine (like Chianti or Merlot)
- •1 cup unsalted beef broth
- •1 can (28 ounces) crushed Italian tomatoes
- •2 tablespoons tomato paste
- •1 bay leaf
- •1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- •1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- 2
Add the finely diced onion, carrot, and celery, cooking gently for about 8 to 10 minutes until softened and translucent.
- 3
Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant, making sure not to burn it.
- 4
Add the ground beef, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, and cook until it is well browned on all sides.
- 5
Pour in the dry red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and let it simmer until the wine has mostly evaporated.
- 6
Stir in the tomato paste until well combined with the meat and vegetables.
- 7
Add the crushed tomatoes, beef broth, bay leaf, kosher salt, and black pepper, stirring everything together.
- 8
Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover with the lid slightly cracked, and simmer for at least 2 and a half hours, stirring occasionally.
- 9
Remove the bay leaf, taste for seasoning, and serve hot over your favorite cooked pasta.
💡 Chef tips
- For an even richer flavor, you can make this sauce a day in advance and reheat it gently on the stove.
- Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze it for up to 3 months.
✅ How it should turn out
The finished sauce is thick, deeply savory, and aromatic, coating the back of a spoon with a rich, glossy meat texture.