italian bolognese sauce

I'm so excited to be sharing this with you guys today! This is my mamma's Italian bolognese sauce, and it's an absolute staple in our household. It's perfect simply served atop pasta with a generous sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, but we also use this for lasagna and pasta bakes and stuffed shells. We even went to a restaurant recently that used bolognese sauce on their pizza in place of regular tomato sauce! It was a delicious pizza, in case you were wondering 😉 Long story short, this sauce is so easy and scrumptious, it'll become your new favorite thing!

I did actually blog this recipe in 2013, but well, I think we can all correctly guess that the pictures on that post aren't very pretty 😉 I'm just gonna go ahead and scrap the old version for this new-and-improved one! This recipe is actually deceivingly simple, which is probably why it's so good. No fussing, no weird ingredients, just some basics cooked with a lot of love to create one perfect bolognese! I'm often asked if the only herb/spice in this sauce is bay leaves, and why there aren't more. Contrary to popular belief, Italian cuisine is not super herby or super spiced like their American adaptations. Of course, feel free to add some parsley or oregano or whatever in here, but honestly I don't think the sauce needs it!

In my household, we actually call bolognese sauce "ragu," but I feel like if I call it that, people will think I'm talking about the jarred pasta sauce. Haha! We normally make this with half ground beef and half ground pork {not sausage, just plain ground pork}, which makes this meat sauce super tender and flavorful. That being said, I've also used ground turkey in place of the pork before, and ground veal is fantastic too! The trouble with veal is just being able to find it. I encourage you to experiment and see which mix you like best! Bolognese sauce is such a staple in Italian cuisine, and I hope this becomes your go-to recipe!

Want to use this Bolognese sauce in other recipes? Check out my Lasagna Pasta Bake, Pasta al Forno, Zucchini Lasagna Pasta Bake, and Zucchini Lasagna. Happy cooking!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

italian bolognese sauce

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Author: Valentina | The Baking Fairy

Ingredients

• 2 carrots
• ½ white onion
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 lb ground meat {I did half beef and half pork}
• 2 15 oz cans of tomato sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• pinch of sugar
• Parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions

• Rinse and dry your carrots and celery stalks, and roughly chop, along with the onion. Add all of the veggies to a food processor, and pulse until finely ground.
• Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick pot over medium-high heat. Add in the veggies, and let them cook for a few minutes, until they smell fragrant.
• Add in your ground meat, and break it up as you stir. Season with some salt and pepper, and cook until browned.
• Drain any excess fat, then add in the two cans of tomato sauce, plus about 1 can’s worth of water. Add in the bay leaf and the sugar. Stir well, then turn the heat down to a low simmer.
• Cover, and let the sauce cook on very low heat for at least 1 hour, or more time if you have it. Remember to stir occasionally to prevent the meat from sticking to the bottom.
• When ready, cook your favorite pasta according to package directions, and serve with a generous scoop of the bolognese on top. Don’t forget to top with freshly grated Parmesan!