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BOLOGNESE
Bolognese is probably the most popular Italian recipe in America, with the exception of pizza, and the recipe I make more than ANY other recipe! It’s rich, saucy, meaty sauce is my ultimate comfort food. It’s perfect to slather on some pasta when you don’t want to go all out and make the World’s Best Lasagna or Manicotti, and you still get indulgent results. So, although it’s summer, I had to share this Pasta Bolognese recipe with you because I crave it all summer, fall, winter, and spring long. This Bolognese recipe is almost identical to the recipes I use in my Lasagna, Million Dollar Baked Penne, and Tortellini Al Forno. Many readers have commented that the Bolognese sauce used in those recipes is “the best [they’ve] ever had” and the “only Bolognese recipe I’ll use from now on,” so I knew it needed its very own recipe. This Bolognese Sauce recipe is made with the typical cast of characters of Italian sausage, beef, sautéed minced onion, garlic, carrots and celery, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste. We also add chicken bouillon (to mimic pancetta and reducing for hours), a splash of balsamic vinegar and pinch of sugar to add dimension and plenty of dried herbs –parsley, oregano and thyme and loads of fresh basil (although you can substitute dried). I also LOVE crushed red pepper flakes to enliven the entire pot of Bolognese sauce. Finally, we finish it off with heavy cream for an indulgent creaminess that elevates it to a whole new level – again. The end result is the BEST Bolognese Sauce in my humble opinion – divinely comforting, deeply satisfying, wonderfully rich, unbelievably flavorful, – worthy of your recipe binder, worthy of company, and most importantly, worthy of your time. I hope you love this Bolognese recipe as much as us! xo
What makes this the Best Bolognese Recipe:
Easy. Want to know my shortcut tip for EASY Bolognese Sauce?! I chop my onions, carrot and celery in my food processor! This means practically ZERO chopping. After you sauté the meat and veggies, all you have to do is stir a bit while it simmers for restaurant quality Bolognese at home! Pantry friendly ingredients. Just pick up some carrots, onions and celery (which I always have on hand anyway and last forever in the refrigerator), and you can make this Bolognese Sauce recipe any time because you probably already have the rest of ingredients already – or you can easily stalk up on them. Crowd pleaser. EVERYONE loves Pasta Bolognese! Serve it with your favorite pasta and even the pickiest eaters will be singing your praises! Makes a large quantity. This Bolognese sauce recipe makes enough to serve for dinner and then enjoy leftovers the next day OR it’s enough for large crowds, dinner parties or company. Less Expensive. This Bolognese recipe tastes like your dining at your favorite Italian restaurant but you can serve the entire family for the same price as one serving! Make Ahead. Bolognese only tastes better the next day, so it is perfect to make a day or two in advance and then just reheat at dinner time. Freezer friendly. You can make this best Bolognese sauce and enjoy some now and freeze the rest for later or make it strictly to freeze. It makes a fabulous gift for new moms or when someone has had surgery.
WHAT IS BOLOGNESE?
Bolognese is known in Italy as ragù alla bolognese, and gets its name because it originated in Bologna, Italy. Bolognese is a meat-based sauce which includes a sofrito of onion, celery and carrots along with fresh tomato purée, white wine, chicken broth and either milk or heavy cream. Pancetta is often added as well. The sauce is simmered low and slow to create a hearty, thick sauce. Bolognese is more meaty than saucy, unlike marinara or what you think of as spaghetti sauce. This Bolognese Sauce recipe is not an ultra authentic Bolognese recipe with pancetta that requires up to all day simmering, standing and stirring, BUT it tastes like it. Instead, I use tomato paste to deliver concentrated tomato flavor so you can be slurping Bolognese in less than one hour!
Homemade Bolognese Sauce Ingredients
This Bolognese Sauce recipe uses pantry friendly ingredients so you can make it any time. Here is what you’ll need:
Meat: I highly suggest using both lean ground beef and Italian sausage. Italian sausage comes seasoned with Italian seasonings, primarily fennel. Fennel is crucial for authentic Italian flavor so if you skip the Italian sausage, make sure you add some fennel to your meat sauce. For the lean ground beef, take care you are using (93/7) so that the sauce doesn’t end up greasy. You will also want to drain your meat of any excess grease after cooking. Vegetables: the best sauces begin with a sofrito of onions, celery and carrots to infuse the entire sauce with flavor. After the sauce is simmered you shouldn’t notice any chunks of vegetables but you WILL notice the depth of flavor. If you skip the sofrito, you are skipping a key element of Bolognese and skipping out on tons of flavor. Crushed tomatoes: you will need one 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (often called crushed tomatoes in puree). Take care your crushed tomatoes don’t have any additional seasonings or added salt. The crushed tomatoes add texture and of course our full-bodied tomato flavor. I recommend the brands San Marzano, Cento and Muir Glen. San Marzano tomatoes are usually sold “whole” so you will want to pour them into a bowl and crush them with your hands first. Tomato paste: isn’t a traditional ingredient in Bolognese but is the key to making our Bolognese sauce taste like it’s been simmering for hours. Just a couple tablespoons of tomato paste deliver the intense tomato flavor we’re looking for. Tomato sauce: I like to use tomato sauce instead of chicken broth because it creates a richer sauce with more flavor. Sugar: We balance the acidity of the tomatoes with a teaspoon or so of sugar. The amount of sugar will depend on the actual acidity of the tomatoes and personal preference. I actually find I add a different amount of sugar every time! I recommend starting with 1 teaspoon and adding additional sugar to taste at the end of cooking because the heavy cream or milk added at the end will balance some of the acidity. Garlic: is essential to flavorful Bolognese! I use 8 garlic cloves but you can use more or less depending on your garlic love. Seasonings: in addition to the aromatic onions and garlic, this Bolognese Sauce is seasoned withred pepper flakes, basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper and a bay leaf. You may substitute the fresh basil for dried basil with delicious results- I do it all the time. Red pepper flakes: I LOVE red pepper flakes in my Bolognese. They add just the right amount of kick and really make all the flavors come alive. I recommend ½-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes. If you aren’t sure how much you want to add, then start with less and you can add more to taste at the end of cooking. Chicken bouillon: bouillon replaces the cups of chicken broth in Bolognese that simmers for hours and instead, infuses the sauce with the same intense flavor (as well as replacing the salty pork). This one ingredient is KEY to flavorful Bolognese sauce! Heavy cream: is added at the end of simmering and is sublime. It balances the acidity of the tomatoes and adds a slight buttery creaminess. I HIGHLY recommend the heavy cream, but if you don’t have it on hand, then you can stir in a little milk and a little butter to mimic heavy cream if you’re feeling fun and flirty – or just a little milk if you’re not.
WHAT KIND OF PASTA FOR PASTA BOLOGNESE?
Although you might think any pasta goes with Bolognese, there is a reason you’ve heard of Spaghetti Bolognese, Pappardelle Bolognese and Tagliatelle Bolognese NOT Bolognese Macaroni. Every pasta sauce actually has certain pasta shapes that it pairs best with and makes a dramatic difference in the outcome of the pasta dish. For example, short, twisty pastas like rotini, fusilli, gemelli pair best with lighter, smoother sauces so the sauce can cling to the twists; long and skinny pasta shapes such as linguine, angel hair, or vermicelli pair best with light, oil-based sauces so they sauce evenly coats the noodles. So, what pasta shapes pair best with Bolognese Sauce to make the BEST Pasta Bolognese? The best pasta shapes for Pasta Bolognese sauce are broad, flat noodles because the shape holds the sauce and the thickness holds up to the sauce. Here are the most popular pasta shapes with Bolognese:
Tagliatelle Bolognese
Authentic Bolognese is paired with tagliatelle pasta, which are broad, flat, egg-based noodles shaped like ribbons. They are similar in width to fettuccine but thinner. You will always see tagliatelle Bolognese in northern Italy, and never spaghetti Bolgonese.
Pappardelle Bolognese
My other favorite and popular pasta for Bolognese sauce is pappardelle as pictured. Pappardelle is also a broad, flat, egg-based noodle but is wider than tagliatelle and thicker. Its broad, flat surface is perfect for the thick, meaty sauce.
Fettuccine Bolognese
Fettuccini is easier to find than both tagliatelle and pappardelle, but is very similar and a great substitute. It is thicker than tagliatelle but about the same width and thinner than pappardelle but about the same thickness.
Spaghetti Bolognese
Spaghetti Bolognese is not authentic to Italy but it is still one of my favorite combinations. Although many prefer thick, wide noodles to cradle the Bolognese sauce, spaghetti noodles circular shape still cradles the thick sauce and I love the texture. I do not suggest going any thinner, however, such as angel hair pasta, as its too delicate for the hearty sauce.
Rigatoni Bolognese
Rigatoni are large tube-shaped pastas, much larger and thicker than penne. Their tubular shape cradles the Bolognese sauce and the sauce sticks to their ridges. It is a superior choice to both penne and ziti because its larger shape allows the sauce to get inside.
PASTA BAKES
This Bolognese Sauce is also fabulous with pasta bakes such as lasagna, zucchini lasagna, manicotti, baked ziti, baked penne, and tortellini al forno.
How to make Bolognese Sauce
Making the best Bolognese Sauce is easy! Here’s how:
CAN I MAKE BOLOGNESE SAUCE IN ADVANCE?
Yes! Bolognese tastes even better the next day as the flavors further develop and meld so it is the ideal make ahead or meal prep dinner.
Bolognese Sauce Recipe Variations
Pancetta: Begin by cooking 4 ounces pancetta, finely diced, in one tablespoon olive oil before adding beef/sausage. Mushrooms: Add chopped mushrooms and sauté them with the meat and sofrito. Veggies: Add zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, or any other veggies you desire. You can also leave the carrots and celery in larger pieces if you want to taste their texture. Wine: Add 1/2 cup dry white wine or red wine after you drain the grease and deglaze the pan; cook until the wine evaporates, about 8 minutes.
What to serve with the Best Bolognese Sauce Recipe
As far as sides, Pasta Bolognese is delightful with a simple green salad and garlic bread, but we also love serving it with:
Buttery Breadsticks Soft and Fluffy Dinner Rolls Roasted Parmesan Broccoli Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Garlic, Lemon, Butter Tomato Cucumber Salad Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Brown Butter Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Ranch Berry Salad with Honey Mascarpone Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette Winter Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
How to use Homemade Bolognese Sauce
Aside from the obvious uses on pasta, for lasagna, or manicotti, Bolognese Sauce is also delicious:
stirred into some rice stuffed into peppers and baked served over zoodles or spaghetti squash stuffed in zucchini boats, topped mozzarella and baked stuffed in savory crepes as a base for lasagna soup on top of cheesy bread
HOW DO I STORE BOLOGNESE?
You will want to store your Bolognese sauce separate from any pasta you cook otherwise the pasta will soak up moisture from the sauce. To store, transfer Bolognese sauce to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Take care the container is glass or ceramic as the sauce can stain plastic containers. To store the pasta, toss it with a little olive oil to keep it from sticking together. Store in a freezer size plastic bag or airtight container in the refrigerator.
HOW LONG WILL BOLOGNESE LAST IN THE FRIDGE?
When stored properly, Bolognese will last for up to 5 days.
How to Reheat
stovetop: Transfer the sauce to a pot and heat over medium until warmed through, stirring occasionally. The sauce will have thickened, so add a splash of milk or broth to reach desired consistency. microwave: Transfer sauce to a microwave safe dish with a tablespoon or so of milk or broth. Microwave on high for 90-second, stir then at 15 second intervals as needed. oven: This method works great if you have already combined your Bolognese with your pasta. Simply transfer the sauce and past to an oven safe dish, cover tightly with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees F.
CAN I FREEZE BOLOGNESE SAUCE?
Yes, Bolognese Sauce freezes exceptionally well. To freeze:
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