Serves a Crowd

Simple Bolognese Sauce

by:
October 13, 2015
5
1 Ratings
Simple Bolognese Sauce
Photo by Big City Kitchen
  • Makes 6 cups
Author Notes

This is a great sauce for fall, although as I write this it's a balmy 70 degrees here in San Francisco. Serve over pasta or use it to make lasagna.

This sauce is pretty simple. Combine all of the ingredients, then just wait. The longer it cooks the more flavorful it becomes. I prefer this the next day but if you want to, uncork a bottle of Chianti and enjoy yourself. —Château Lingourdy

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 small carrots, chopped
  • 1 stalk of celery, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 ounces pancetta or bacon, finely chopped
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 28 ounce cans crushed San Marzano tomatoes
  • 1 cup homemade or low sodium beef or chicken broth
  • sea salt & black pepper to taste
Directions
  1. In the bowl of a food processor pulse onion, carrot, celery and garlic until finely diced. You can do this by hand as well.
  2. In a large heavy pot or dutch oven, heat olive and butter over medium -high heat, add pancetta and cook until slightly browned, mix in vegetables and cook until softened. Add ground beef and cook until well browned and extra moisture has evaporated. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds.
  3. Pour in white wine and cook until almost evaporated. Add tomatoes, milk, 1 c of broth and stir well. Cover and cook over low heat for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. Season with salt & pepper. Serve over egg pasta.
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2 Reviews

Bevi
Bevi October 6, 2016
Made this again - and tweaked by adding about 1/8 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg.
(Like Marcella's recipe). Delicious - a real stand-up sauce. I think the long cooking time is essential to really get the full benefit of all the layers of flavor, but think in a pinch or as an adjunct for lasagna, eggplant parmesan, or other casseroles a shorter time on the stove is perfectly fine.
 
Bevi
Bevi March 3, 2016
This recipe was easy to put together with very nice results. Nice, deep flavor and practically a pantry meal! Thanks for posting - this will go into the Italian meal rotation!