Simply by Maha
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DinnerSlow simmered beef bolognese tossed through fettuccine and finished with parmesan
Italian · Dinner

Bolognese Pasta

Bolognese pasta is one of my favorite comfort dishes — rich, hearty, and full of flavor. Slow-simmered with beef, vegetables, stock, and parmesan rind, this sauce gets better the longer it cooks and is perfect tossed with fettuccine.

5.0 (4 reviews)
20m
Prep
120m
Cook
140m
Total
4
Serves
easy
Level
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How to Make Bolognese Pasta

  1. Cook the vegetables
    In a large pot or deep pan, heat some olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and minced garlic. Cook until softened and fragrant.
  2. Brown the beef
    Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks.
  3. Build the sauce
    Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a minute or two. Add the tomato puree, beef stock, bay leaves, parmesan rind, salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and oregano. Mix well.
  4. Simmer
    Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. The longer it cooks, the better the flavor.
  5. Cook the pasta
    Boil the fettuccine until al dente, then drain.
  6. Combine
    Add the cooked fettuccine directly into the meat sauce and toss to coat. Keep some sauce on the side for topping when serving.
  7. Serve
    Plate the pasta and top with the extra bolognese sauce.

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5.0 (4 reviews)

About Bolognese Pasta

A proper bolognese is not a quick sauce, and that is exactly the point. This is ragu alla bolognese, the slow-simmered meat sauce from northern Italy that gets soft, deep, and almost creamy after a couple of hours on the stove. I make it on a slow afternoon when I want the house to smell incredible and dinner to feel like a hug.

The base is a soffritto, finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery cooked down gently until sweet. Then the meat browns properly, the wine cooks off, and a little milk goes in to keep everything tender. A small amount of tomato, not a flood of it, lets the meat stay the star. After that it is just time and the occasional stir.

In Italy this sauce is traditionally served with tagliatelle or baked into lasagne, not spaghetti, because the wide ribbons hold the meat better. I am not strict about it at home, but if you have flat pasta on hand, reach for it. A good grating of parmesan over the top finishes it off.

Per serving
  • 520Calories
  • 28gProtein
  • 22gFat
  • 52gCarbs
estimated

Bolognese Pasta Tips and Notes

Why you'll love it

  • Deep, slow-cooked flavour you cannot rush or fake.
  • Makes a big batch, so you can freeze half for a busy week.
  • Mostly hands-off once it is simmering.
  • Cheap ingredients that turn into something special.
  • Gets even better the next day.
  • Works over pasta, in lasagne, or on a baked potato.
  • A real crowd-pleaser that almost everyone loves.

Ingredient notes

Minced beef: A mix of beef and pork gives the best balance of flavour and tenderness. If you use only beef, pick one with some fat in it (around 15 to 20 percent) so the sauce is not dry.

Soffritto vegetables: Onion, carrot, and celery are the flavour base. Chop them small and fine so they melt into the sauce rather than standing out as chunks.

Milk: A splash of whole milk added early tenderises the meat and softens the acidity. It is traditional and it really does make a difference.

Wine: A dry white or red both work. White is the more traditional choice in Bologna, but use whatever you would happily drink.

Tomato: A little tomato paste or passata, not a whole tin of chunky tomatoes. Bolognese is a meat sauce, so the tomato should support, not take over.

Tips & tricks

Take your time with the soffritto. Cook the onion, carrot, and celery low and slow for 10 minutes until soft and sweet before the meat goes in.

Brown the meat properly in batches over decent heat so it caramelises rather than boils. Those browned bits are where the flavour lives.

Add the milk before the tomato. It tenderises the meat and the sauce comes out softer and rounder.

Simmer it gently for at least 2 hours, longer if you can. A bare blip of a simmer, not a hard boil, is what makes it silky.

Finish the pasta in the sauce. Drain it just shy of done, toss it through the sauce with a splash of pasta water, and let it finish cooking there so it grabs the sauce.

Storage & make-ahead

Keep the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The flavour actually improves overnight.

Freeze the sauce (without the pasta) for up to 3 months. Portion it out so you can thaw just what you need.

Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water or stock to loosen it, stirring now and then so it does not catch on the bottom.

Variations

Lasagne: Layer the ragu with bechamel and sheets of pasta and bake until bubbling. This is the most traditional use of all.

Add pancetta: Render a little chopped pancetta at the start for an extra savoury, slightly smoky depth.

Mushroom or lentil version: Swap some or all of the meat for finely chopped mushrooms or cooked lentils for a meat-free ragu.

Pappardelle or tagliatelle: Serve over wide ribbon pasta instead of spaghetti so the sauce clings to every strand.

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Bolognese Pasta FAQs

Traditionally tagliatelle or pappardelle, the wide ribbon shapes that hold the meat. It is also classic in lasagne. Spaghetti works but flat pasta grabs the sauce better.
Milk tenderises the meat and rounds out the acidity from the wine and tomato. It is a traditional step that gives the sauce its soft, almost creamy texture.
At least 2 hours over a gentle simmer, and longer is better. The slow cook is what makes the meat soft and the flavour deep. Do not rush it.
Yes, and you should. It tastes even better the next day. Keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Yes, though a beef and pork mix is more tender and flavourful. If using only beef, choose one with some fat so the sauce does not turn out dry.
Either works. Dry white is the more traditional choice in Bologna, but red is common too. Use a wine you would be happy to drink.
Just keep simmering it uncovered. As the liquid reduces the sauce thickens naturally. There is no need for flour or cornstarch in a proper ragu.
Yes. Brown the meat and soften the soffritto in a pan first, then transfer everything to the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
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