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homemade Bolognese sauce recipe being served on top of spaghetti pasta

Bolognese Sauce

Get ready to elevate your weeknight dinner game with this rich and flavorful bolognese sauce. Made with a classic mirepoix base, ground beef and pork, and savory umami-boosting ingredients like Thai fish sauce and porcini mushrooms, this sauce is perfect for serving over pasta or using in other dishes. Plus, with a little prep work and simmer time, this recipe yields enough leftovers to enjoy throughout the week. Perfect for a cozy date night in or a family meal that everyone will love.
5 from 2 votes
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Course: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: batch cooking, freezer meal, pasta
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 350kcal
Author: juiceofsevenlemons
Cost: $35

Equipment

Ingredients

Mirepoux

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3/4 cup diced onion 1/2-1 small onion
  • 3/4 cup diced carrots 1-2 large
  • 3/4 cup celery ribs 1-2 ribs
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground pepper

Meat

  • 1 lb ground beef lean to medium fat content (i.e. <20% fat preferred)
  • 1 lb ground veal substitute dark meat (>=7% fat) ground turkey
  • 1 lb ground pork 20% fat
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
  • 3 tbsp minced garlic clove about 4 large cloves
  • 1 tsp ground pepper
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano Greek preferred
  • 1 bay leaf

Create sauce

Season sauce

Instructions

Sauté mirepoux

  • In a large 7+ quart Dutch oven or sauce pan, add oil and the mirepoix ingredients (onion, carrots celery)
  • Add salt to season and sauté for 8-10 minutes
  • Add a few pinches pepper and push ingredients to edges of pan to prepare to brown the meat

Brown meat

  • Turn the heat to high
  • Add about 1/3 tbsp salt to the ground beef and add to the pot
  • Let the beef sit for a minute or two to brown and then start breaking apart
  • Add another ~1/3 tbsp salt to the ground veal/turkey and add it to the pan with the beef, breaking apart as you stir
  • Add ~1/3 tbsp salt to the ground pork and add to the rest of the meat on the stove
  • Stir until the meat is halfway cooked

Season meat

  • Turn the heat down to medium-low
  • Grate nutmeg into the meat
  • Add oregano to the pan
  • Add pepper
  • Add bay leaf
  • Stir spices into meat

Create sauce

  • Stir in the tomato paste
  • Add white wine and use it to clean the pan of any brown bits if needed
  • Add milk to tenderize the mat
  • Using your hands, crush each whole San Marzano tomato from the can into the pan
  • Add the liquid from the San Marzano can into the pan
  • Add roughly 1/4 cup water to the San Marzano can, swish around and add that liquid to the pan as well
  • Pour the purée/passata into the pan
  • Add roughly 1/4 cup water to the purée jar, swish around and add that liquid to the pan as well

Season sauce

  • Add the fish sauce and stir
  • Add the porcinis with their liquid
  • Add more pepper
  • Stir the sauce and give it an initial taste test (because of the fish sauce and not cooked tomatoes, it may be a bit bitter and funky — this is ok!)
  • If the sauce tastes watery — add more salt (beware that the sauce will cook down further and the salt will intensify over time, so less is better at this point)

Simmer sauce

  • When the sauce starts to bubble, turn the heat to low and let simmer for two and a half hours, stirring occasionally to keep the bottom from burning
  • Check the sauce consistency after 2 1/2 hours and do a taste test; you are looking for a very meaty, not very saucey sauce; if needed add more seasoned liquid (tomato juice, salted water etc)
  • Let the sauce simmer for another hour and then be prepared to remove from heat and let cool
  • Season with salt and pepper if needed after tasting

Serve

  • Spoon into pasta and mix or serve on top of polenta
  • Add a nice finishing olive oil
  • Top with Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano

Notes

  • The sauce tastes even better the following day.
  • This recipe makes a large amount of sauce. Here are a few ideas of what to do with so much sauce:
    • Entertain some friends/family
    • Use leftovers to create a lasagna/baked pasta
    • Freeze part of it to enjoy later

Nutrition

Serving: 240g | Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 500mg | Potassium: 700mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 400IU