Name: Mom's Classic Bolognese Sauce
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil; 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter; 2 carrots - peeled, minced; 2 stalks of celery - cleaned, minced; 1 large onion - minced; 4 garlic cloves - minced; 1.5 pounds of leanest ground beef; 3 tsp. salt - divided; 1/8 tsp. black pepper; 2 dashes of cayenne pepper; a handful of fresh basil; a handful of fresh parsley- chopped; 1/2 cup red wine (or white wine); 2 (28-ounces) cans of peeled tomatoes; 1 cup of water

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Mom’s Classic Bolognese Sauce is a rich, savory tomato sauce loaded with lean ground beef, vegetables and Italian imported peeled tomatoes. Then it is slowly cooked down to a thick, rich tomato sauce, creating the BEST-tasting Bolognese sauce ever!

Classic Bolognese Sauce

Mom’s Classic Bolognese Sauce is our all-time favorite ragu sauce – hands down! When it comes to the richest and most savory Italian tomato sauce of them all? Bolognese is at the top of that list.

They say that this tomato sauce originated in the beautiful city of Bologna, Italy. And, it’s true. Bologna, located in the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy is known for its signature dishes like ragù alla Bolognese (Bolognese sauce), along with mortadella, and handmade pasta.

Classic Bolognese Sauce is one of the best-tasting tomato sauces ever created. And, our mom’s makes hers with ground beef. It is so good, you can eat it alone with some crusty bread and call it a meal. But we love it best when it’s served over pasta. You can serve it with gnocchi, or add it to your lasagna and make the meal memorable!

Our Moms’ Classic Bolognese Sauce is loaded with meat, vegetables, wine, fresh herbs, and canned tomatoes. It simmers slowly until it cooks down into this rich, thick savory sauce. Keep in mind, you can make this Bolognese sauce with other meats as well. Try it with a mixture of ground beef, veal, and pork.

If you love Italian ragu recipes, then try our Mom’s Quick Marinara Sauce, Best Pork Ragu Recipe, and Rigatoni alla’Matriciana. And, don’t miss an authentic Neapolitan ragu called Pasta with Genovese Sauce. For more tomato sauce recipes, be sure to check out some of our additional recipes for The Sunday Sauce.

A wooden spoon filled with a thick tomato sauce inside a pot on stove top.

Ingredients for Mom’s Classic Bolognese Sauce

For our recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

Vegetables: You will need 2 carrots, 2 stalks of celery, 1 large onions and 4 garlic cloves. And they will need to be diced or mince. This is called “soffritto” and it is a crucial step in building the flavors with Bolognese.
Ground Beef: Choose the leanest ground beef you can find. Less fatty is better.
Seasonings: You will need some salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper for this recipe.
Fresh Herbs: Choose fresh basil and fresh Italian parsley for this recipe. Fresh herbs will make this Bolognese sauce flavors pop. So don’t leave them out.
Wine: Our mom always adds some wine into her Bolognese sauce. It adds a depth of flavor the browning the meat and the soffritto. Plus, you can add either some red or white wine.
Canned Tomatoes: We recommend choosing Italian imported peeled tomatoes for the best quality and best flavor.

How to Make Mom’s Classic Bolognese Sauce?

Find our full printable recipe card with measurements below. There are a few steps to making our mom’s classic bolognese sauce. It takes about 15 minutes to prep the vegetables, and a little over one hour for cooking time. So, let’s go over our 4 easy-to-follow steps so you can understand what’s involved before you start.

A mini chopper filled with sliced raw onions, and some raw ground beef on a wax paper.

Step 1: PREP ALL THE VEGETABLES: Use a food processor or a mini chopper to mince or dice all the vegetables first. This will cut down the prep time.

Step 2: SAUTE THE SOFFRITTO: Next, heat olive oil in a large sauce pot, add the chopped vegetables and sauté them, until they are softened, about 15 minutes. Soffritto in Italian means: a mixture of diced onions, carrots, and celery gently cooked in olive oil or butter.

Step 3: COOK THE MEAT: Next, add the ground meat and brown it. Use a wooden spoon to help break up the pieces, and large lumps. Toss in the seasonings, and cook until all the meat is fully browned, no pink is visible.

Chopped veggies sauteing on the bottom of a sauce pot. And ground chop meat cooking in the pot.

Step 4: ADD THE FINAL INGREDIENTS: Finally, pour in the wine and toss in the fresh herbs, stir and simmer for about 2 minutes. Then add the canned tomatoes, and water, cover, and let it simmer for at least one hour, stirring occasionally.

A wooden spoon filled with thick tomato sauce inside a pot on stove top.

Important Recipe Tips:

USE BEST CANNED TOMATOES: It’s best to use good quality tomatoes for this recipe. Cento Imported Tomatoes is the brand we recommend. You will need 2 large cans (28-ounces each) of peeled tomatoes.
THE SOFFRITTO: Cooking the veggies until they softened and caramelize is crucial when building flavors in this thick, rich sauce.
FRESH HERBS: Always use fresh herbs when making Bolognese sauce, they will give the most aromatic flavors to the sauce.
GROUND BEEF: Always choose the leanest ground beef, between 90 to 95% lean! It will not only make the tomato sauce healthier, but less fat, is better for heart health.
WATER: You will need some water with this recipe. Plus, when the sauce gets too thick, you can always add additional water.

Options To Make Meals Using Bolognese Sauce:

There are so many delicious ideas to use up this thick, rich tomato sauce, and here are some of those recipes for quick and easy meals:

Cheese Ravioli with Bolognese Sauce
Best Rice Ball Casserole Stuffed with Meat and Peas
Easy Meat Lasagna with No-Boil Noodles -Lightened!
Zucchini Stuffed with Bolognese and Cheese
How to Make Lasagna with No-Boil Noodles (4 Easy Steps)
Serve it over polenta, rather than pasta.

FAQ’s

1. Can we make Bolognese sauce in a Slow Cooker? Yes, but you cannot toss all the ingredients and walk away. You still have to sauté the vegetables and brown the meat at the beginning, followed by wine, herbs, tomatoes, and water. Then cover and cook on a low setting for 6 to 8 hours.

2. How to store this ragu? Best to keep Bolognese sauce in air-tight containers. It will stay fresh for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

3. Can we freeze Bolognese sauce? Bolognese sauce will freeze well for up to one month. It’s best to allow the sauce to cool completely before freezing.

4. If frozen, how do we reheat it? Allow the sauce to fully defrost on your counter for a few hours or thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then pour it into a saucepot and reheat it on the stovetop on moderate heat. Bring it to a low boil and simmer for only a few minutes, until it’s heated through.

More Recipes for Italian Ragu

Your comments are helpful! If you tried our mom’s classic Bolognese sauce, let us know and leave a comment below, and don’t forget the stars! Thank you!

Mom's Classic Bolognese Sauce

Yield: 2 quarts

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Mom's Classic Bolognese Sauce is a rich, savory tomato sauce loaded with lean ground beef, vegetables and Italian imported peeled tomatoes. Then it is slowly cooked down to a thick, tomato sauce, creating the BEST-tasting Bolognese sauce ever!

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 carrots - peeled, minced
2 stalks of celery - cleaned, minced
1 large onion - minced
4 garlic cloves - minced
1.5 pounds of leanest ground beef
3 tsp. salt - divided
1/8 tsp. black pepper
2 dashes of cayenne pepper
a handful of fresh basil
a handful of fresh parsley- chopped
1/2 cup red wine (or white wine)
2 (28-ounces) cans of peeled tomatoes
1 cup of water

Instructions

Use a mini chopper to mince all the vegetables for this recipe.
Start with a large heavy saucepot to make the sauce. Heat on medium heat, and add the olive oil and butter.
Place the minced carrots, celery, onion, and garlic into the pot. Cover and stir occasionally the veggies, simmering on medium-low heat for 5 to 8 minutes, until softened.
Raise the heat to medium, then add in the meat. Use your hands to crumble the meat as you drop it into the saucepan. Then use a wooden spoon to break up the chunks, until the chopped meat is completely crumbled. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt, then add fresh cracked pepper and 2 dashes of cayenne pepper over the meat mixture.
Cover and allow the meat to fully cook with the veggies, stirring occasionally for about 6 to 8 minutes.
Stir in the fresh basil and fresh parsley and simmer for one minute to be fragrant.
Pour in the WINE and uncover, allow the wine to simmer with the meat mixture until it slightly absorbs into the mixture, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, open the cans of peeled tomatoes. Doing one can at a time, slowly pour the tomatoes into a blender, and pulse to puree the tomatoes. Repeat with the second can of tomatoes. Pour them into the pot.
Then pour 1 cup of water into the pot. Stir in 2 additional teaspoons of salt.
Cover. Bring to a low boil, then lower the heat to the lowest, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
After one hour, taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings to your taste. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a little more water, about 1/4 cup. Turn off the heat. Your bolognese sauce is ready for you to use.

Notes

Take the Time to Build Flavors! THE SOFFRITTO: Browning the meat and cooking the veggies until they softened and caramelize is crucial when building flavors in this thick, rich sauce.
Use the BEST Canned Tomatoes! It's best to use good quality canned tomatoes for this recipe. San Marzano Tomatoes, Cento Imported Tomatoes is the brand we recommend. You will need 2 large cans (28-ounces each) of peeled tomatoes
FRESH HERBS: Always use fresh herbs when making Bolognese sauce, they will give the most aromatic flavors to the sauce.
GROUND BEEF: Always choose the leanest ground beef, between 90 to 95% lean! It will not only make the tomato sauce healthier, but less fat, is better for heart health.
WATER: You will need some water with this recipe. Plus, when the sauce gets too thick, you can always add additional water.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 2 quarts Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 107Total Fat: 5.8gCarbohydrates: 1.7gProtein: 10.5g

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