The best creamy bolognese sauce

Rich and savory homemade bolognese sauce. Made with bacon, pork, and beef and San Marzano tomatoes. This meaty sauce is the absolute best bolognese sauce recipe, and will be a family favorite for sure!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian, Italian-American

Keyword bolognese, family dinner, from scratch, homemade, italian, sauce, spaghetti sauce, sunday dinner

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 2 30

Total Time 2 45

Servings servings

Calories 776kcal

Author Lauren LeBlanc

Equipment

Knife
cutting board
Large Dutch oven with lid
Wooden spoon
Potato masher, optional
Measuring spoons
Measuring cups

Ingredients

8 ounces bacon chopped
¾ pound ground chuck
¾ pound ground pork
1 cup finely diced onions
⅔ cup finely diced carrots
⅔ cup finely diced celery
6 cloves garlic minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
¾ cup dry red wine like cabernet sauvignon
28 ounces whole peeled tomatoes 1 large can
1 cup beef stock or 1 tablespoon beef base + 1 cup water
2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 bay leaves
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
2 ounce parmesan rind
1 cup whole milk heavy cream or half and half will also work
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh basil or fresh parsley for topping
Pasta of your choice spaghetti or linguine work well with this sauce.
Ricotta and/or parmesan for topping optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

CRISP: Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat. Cook bacon until crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon and set on paper towels. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the pan.
8 ounces bacon
SEAR: Roughly form 2 inch balls with ground chuck and ground pork. Lightly salt the meat balls and sear for a few minutes on each side, until a browned crust develops, and meat is cooked through. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of remaining fat.
¾ pound ground chuck, ¾ pound ground pork
SAUTÉ: Sauté onions, carrots, and celery while stirring with the seared meat, bacon, and remaining fat until vegetables are translucent and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Break up the meat into fine pieces while the vegetables are cooking. Add garlic and cook while stirring until fragrant, another minute or 2.
1 cup finely diced onions, ⅔ cup finely diced carrots, ⅔ cup finely diced celery, 6 cloves garlic
CARAMELIZE: Stir in the tomato paste and cook while stirring for about 3 minutes until the paste is caramelizing.
3 tablespoons tomato paste
DEGLAZE: Deglaze the pot with red wine. Cook while scraping up any fond with a wooden spoon until alcohol has burned off, about 5 minutes.
¾ cup dry red wine
SIMMER: Add in the tomatoes, water, beef base, Worcestershire sauce, and oregano and stir well. Break up tomatoes with a wooden spoon or potato masher. Add in bay leaves, fresh thyme, and parmesan rind. Cover and simmer on low for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Skim any fat that pools on the surface.
28 ounces whole peeled tomatoes, 1 cup beef stock, 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 3 bay leaves, A few sprigs of fresh thyme, 2 ounce parmesan rind
FINISH: Uncover and allow sauce to reduce some if needed. Remove bay leaves, thyme, and parmesan rind. Stir in milk and simmer for about 2 minutes then remove from heat. Do a final taste test for saltiness and add more if needed.
1 cup whole milk, Salt and pepper to taste
SERVE: Serve with pasta of your choice. Reserve a few teaspoons of pasta water to mix in with the pasta and sauce before serving. Top with parsley, basil grated parmesan, and/or a dollop of ricotta.
Fresh basil or fresh parsley for topping, Pasta of your choice, Ricotta and/or parmesan for topping

Notes

Substitute ground chuck or ground pork for Italian sausage.
Forming the balls with beef and pork give a better surface area to help with browning.
How to store leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. When possible, store pasta sauce separately from pasta.
How to freeze: Freeze sauce without pasta in a freezer safe container for up to 6 months.
How to reheat: Reheat sauce in the microwave, or in a saucepan with a splash of water to loosen up. For frozen sauce, defrost in the refrigerator overnight or in a bath of cool water.
Make ahead: This is a great sauce to make ahead of time since it tastes even better the next day. Make a day or 2 ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Reheat in a pot on the stove. Boil pasta just before serving.

Nutrition