Description
This homemade Bolognese sauce is a rich, slow-cooked Italian classic made with ground beef, pork, tomatoes, and aromatic vegetables. It’s the perfect complement to gigli pasta, a beautifully shaped pasta that holds the sauce beautifully in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Bolognese Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 lb ground pork
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- For the Pasta:
- 12 oz gigli pasta (or other pasta of choice)
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (for serving)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 7-8 minutes, until the vegetables are softened and the onion is translucent.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the ground beef and pork to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.
- Pour in the milk and stir to combine. Let it simmer until the milk has almost completely evaporated, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the red wine to the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let it cook for 5 minutes to allow the alcohol to evaporate.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes (if using), and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 1.5 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. The sauce should thicken and become rich in flavor. If it gets too thick, add a little water or broth to adjust the consistency.
- While the sauce is simmering, cook the gigli pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving some pasta water.
- Once the sauce is ready, taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed. Remove the bay leaf.
- Toss the cooked pasta with the Bolognese sauce, adding a little pasta water to help coat the pasta if needed.
- Serve the pasta in bowls, topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and extra basil if desired.
Notes
- This Bolognese sauce can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- If you don’t have gigli pasta, any short pasta like rigatoni or pappardelle will work well with this sauce.
- For extra richness, you can add a tablespoon of butter to the sauce at the end of cooking.
- To make this recipe more indulgent, add a dollop of ricotta cheese or a sprinkle of fresh parsley when serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (1/6 of recipe)
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: undefined
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: undefined
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: undefined
- Trans Fat: undefined
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: undefined