This is the only Bolognese Sauce recipe you’ll ever need! This classic Italian sauce takes about 10 minutes of prep, then the rest of cook time is hands-free. The end result is a meaty, rich, hearty tomato sauce that’s so much better than anything from a jar.
Bolognese Sauce
There’s a whole lot to love about this easy bolognese sauce recipe. It features two types of meat for the ultimate savory bite! Both ground beef and Italian sausage come together to really make sure no one’s leaving the table still hungry. I also include all of the other classic bolognese elements like carrots, garlic, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and more. Serve it over any type of pasta you have in your pantry right now and watch it disappear! And if you happen to have leftovers, you’re in luck. Since the sauce is so thick, it doesn’t dry up like most other pasta sauces, so it’s still delicious the next day.
Can I freeze bolognese sauce?
YES! In fact, this is one of my favorite freezer-friendly recipes. Just wait for the sauce to fully cool to room temperature, then store it in a freezer-safe container. I recommend pouring it into a zip-top gallon bag, squeezing the air out, then laying it on a baking sheet. Let it freeze on that so it’s flat – this makes it great for storage space. Freeze for up to 2 months.
How to Make Bolognese Sauce
- Sauté the veggies. Heat the oil and butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook until softened. Stir in the garlic.
- Cook the meat. Add both the beef and sausage. Cook, breaking up as you go, until fully browned. Drain the excess grease if needed.
- Deglaze. Stir in the wine (or broth). Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. That’s where so much flavor is. Don’t skip this step!
- Add remaining ingredients. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, and seasonings. Break up the tomatoes with the back of your wooden spoon.
- Simmer. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Keep simmering for a minimum of 30 minutes, up to an hour for the best flavor.
- Enjoy! Serve with pasta and parmesan cheese.
Storing
Once cooled to room temperature, you can store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter – I like to add a little butter when sautéeing the veggies because it adds some flavor.
- Olive Oil – Avocado oil also works well.
- Onion – A yellow or white onion is needed. Don’t use a red onion!
- Diced Carrots – Try to make sure the carrots are very finely diced into small pieces so they blend in well with the sauce.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic is best for this recipe. Measure with your heart!
- Ground Beef – I try to use lean ground beef to avoid excess grease. If you use ground chuck, be sure to drain the grease as needed.
- Italian Sausage – Feel free to use hot sausage instead of mild if you want a little extra spice.
- Red Wine – Or, you can use beef broth instead.
- Whole Tomatoes – Don’t worry about how big they are. As they heat up, you’ll use your spoon to crush them and break them down to create the sauce.
- Tomato Sauce – A key ingredient! Don’t swap this with anything else.
- Granulated Sugar – This helps to cut through the acidity from the tomatoes. Don’t worry, if you use just what’s called for, it will not make the sauce taste sweet.
- Salt – You can swap this with garlic salt for extra garlicky flavor if you’d like.
- Italian Seasoning – A little goes a long way with this, so be careful.
- Black Pepper – Just a pinch!
- Pasta – Rigatoni, penne, spaghetti… the possibilities are endless.
- Parmesan Cheese – This is optional, but highly recommended! I like to grate mine fresh off the block for the very best flavor.
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Large Onion, Finely Diced
- 1/4 Cup Diced Carrots
- 4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
- 1 Pound Ground Beef
- 1 Pound Italian Sausage
- 1/4 Cup Beef Broth or Red Wine
- 28 Ounce Can Whole Tomatoes
- 15 Ounce Can Tomato Sauce
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
- 1 Pound Pasta, Cooked
- Parmesan Cheese for serving, optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes until tender.
- Add the garlic cloves and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
- Add the beef and Italian sausage to the pot and cook, breaking up the meat, until no longer pink.
- If necessary, drain the grease from the meat and return to the pan.
- Pour the wine or beef broth into the pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the whole tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, and seasonings to the pan. Stir, and break up the whole tomatoes with the back of your spoon.
- Allow the mixture to come to a simmer, reduce heat to low and continue simmering for at least 30 minutes and up to one hour for best flavor.
- Serve with your favorite cooked pasta and parmesan cheese.
Excellent!
My favorite go to! The kids cheer when I make this 🙂
Classic salty marshmallow never fails. This is the best sauce I’ve ever made. I used spicy sausage instead and my wife (who hates spice) likes it.
My favorite go to! The kids cheer when I make this 🙂
This recipe is delicious! Thanks so much for posting it.
Seriously excellent! Grated the garlic/onions/carrots to sauté in butter and olive oil and subbed all ground beef instead of beef and sausage. Still 5 stars with mods : )