Description
This classic Bolognese Sauce recipe features a rich and hearty meat sauce made with a combination of ground beef, Italian sausage, and pancetta, slowly simmered with aromatic vegetables, white wine, tomatoes, and fresh herbs. Creamy whole milk is added at the end to balance the acidity, creating a deeply flavorful sauce perfect for tossing with your favorite pasta.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Vegetables
- 1/2 onion, very finely diced
- 2 carrots, very finely diced
- 2 celery stalks, very finely diced
- 1 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic, very finely diced
Meats
- 4 ounces pancetta or bacon, finely diced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage
Liquids and Sauces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup beef broth
- 28 ounce can San Mariano crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup whole milk
Seasonings and Herbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
Additional
- 1 pound pasta, cooked according to package directions
Instructions
- Sauté the vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the finely diced onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook gently for 5 minutes until softened but not browned. Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside.
- Brown the meats: Add the pancetta, ground beef, and Italian sausage to the same pan. Cook over medium heat, breaking up the meat finely as it cooks, until no pink remains and the meat is well browned.
- Season and combine: Season the browned meat with salt, cracked black pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg. Stir in the sautéed vegetables.
- Deglaze with wine: Pour in the dry white wine and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes to reduce slightly and develop flavor.
- Add broth and tomatoes: Stir in the beef broth, crushed San Mariano tomatoes, and tomato paste until fully combined.
- Simmer with herbs: Add the sprig of fresh thyme and bay leaf to the sauce. Reduce heat to low and allow the sauce to simmer gently for 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Finish with milk: About 15 minutes before serving, stir in the whole milk and continue to simmer gently to meld the flavors and soften the acidity.
- Cook pasta and serve: Meanwhile, cook your pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and toss the pasta with the Bolognese sauce. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Finely dicing the vegetables and meat helps create a smooth, well-integrated sauce.
- Using San Mariano crushed tomatoes adds authentic Italian flavor, but any good quality crushed tomatoes will work.
- Adding milk at the end rounds out the acidity from the tomatoes and enriches the sauce.
- Simmering the sauce slowly for at least an hour allows the flavors to deepen and the texture to thicken.
- For a thicker sauce, cook a bit longer to reduce further.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup sauce with pasta
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 560 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
