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5 from 9 votes

Authentic Bolognese Sauce

Authentic Bolognese Sauce is one of the most comforting and delicious things you'll ever eat. A rich beef ragu made with pancetta, tomato and white wine and served with tagliatelle pasta. This traditional recipe is really simple to make at home with minimal prep work involved!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 10 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 657kcal
Author: Emily Wyper

Ingredients

  • ½ tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cups ground beef (10.5 oz/300g)
  • 1 cup pancetta (5.2 oz/150g)
  • 1 medium carrot (50g)
  • 1 medium celery (50g)
  • 1 medium onion (50g)
  • ½ cup low sodium chicken stock (120ml)
  • ½ cup dry white wine (120ml)
  • 1 cup crushed strained tomatoes (passata) (300g)
  • 1 cup full fat milk (240ml)
  • 1 lb tagliatelle pasta (500g)

Instructions

  • Finely chop the carrot, celery, onion and pancetta.
  • Heat the olive oil to a large pot and add the vegetables and pancetta, saute until the vegetables have softened but not browned (5-10 minutes).
  • Next, add the beef and cook until browned then add the white wine and reduce by half.
  • Add the strained tomatoes (passata) and stock and stir to combine. Cover the pot and simmer slowly for 2 hours.
  • After 2 hours uncover and add the milk. Simmer the sauce uncovered for 1 hour. After cooking, taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.
  • To serve, add cooked tagliatelle pasta to the ragu and toss until thoroughly coated in the sauce, serve.

Video

Notes

  • Don't rush it - Let the ragu simmer low and slow this is not a recipe you can speed up in any way and still achieve the same beautiful and authentic flavours.
  • Prep in advance - Like most sauces, this recipe tastes even better the next day so you can make it a day in advance and reheat it when you are ready to serve.
  • Make homemade pasta - If you fancy going all out and making some fresh tagliatelle to serve with this then check out our homemade pasta recipe and guide.
  • Avoid variations - To experience a true Bolognese sauce don't add any herbs (fresh or dried) or any other ingredients not stated in the recipe.
  • Storage - Leftover sauce will keep well in the fridge for around 4 days or can be frozen in suitable containers. Thaw completely before reheating.

Nutrition

Calories: 657kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 541mg | Potassium: 937mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 3032IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 4mg