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Traditional Bolognese Sauce

Traditional Bolognese Sauce – a rich, beefy tomato sauce for your pasta. Traditional beefy tomato sauce great with ribbon and tube type pastas.

Finished bolognese sauce with spaghetti in a serving bowl.

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I just recently realized that in all the years I’ve been blogging, I have never posted a classic spaghetti sauce recipe. How could that be? It’s one of my standards that makes an appearance on our table at least once every couple of weeks. Well, I’m here to correct that omission today with my Bolognese Sauce recipe.

I once worked with a woman who every Wednesday prepared her family their “weekly dose” of spaghetti. It was her standard recipe and this one is mine. It’s a rich, long simmering tomato sauce that is delicious with any kind of pasta.

You can combine this with long, thin ribbon pasta like spaghetti or linguini, or you can serve it with short tube pastas like ziti or penne. Since it has that traditional rich tomato taste that is loved by all ages, I could definitely use it in my Ziti Bake or Baked Spaghetti recipes.

All you need for a complete dinner is this Bolognese Sauce with spaghetti, a good tossed salad, and some freshly baked garlic bread. Enjoy!

How to Make Traditional Bolognese Sauce


Onions and celery sauteing in a skillet.

In a large, deep pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the celery and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the celery is tender.

Ground beef added to skillet with onions and celery.

Add the ground beef and cook until no pink color remains.

Photo collage showing the additional of wine, tomatoes, and seasoning to sauce.

Stir in the white wine, passata or canned tomatoes, basil, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a gentle low simmer. Partially cover and cook for one hour.

Adding half and half to sauce in skillet.

Stir in the half and half and continue cooking, partially covered, for an additional two hours. Stir occasionally and add a small amount of water if the sauce seems to be too thick.

Finished bolognese sauce with spaghetti in a serving bowl.

When ready to serve, cook the pasta in salted water according to the package directions. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and stir until thoroughly mixed and coated. Serve with shaved Parmesan cheese.

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Lana Stuart.

More Questions? I’m happy to help!

If you have more questions about the recipe, or if you’ve made it and would like to leave a comment, scroll down to leave your thoughts, questions, and/or rating!

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Recipe

Finished bolognese sauce with spaghetti in a serving bowl.

Traditional Bolognese Sauce

Traditional Bolognese Sauce – a rich, beefy tomato sauce for your pasta!
5 from 2 votes
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Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 618kcal
Author: Lana Stuart

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 rib celery diced
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 1 pound ground chuck 80/20 ground beef
  • ¾ cup dry white wine
  • 24 ounces passata or canned plum tomatoes
  • 5-6 large basil leaves torn
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup half and half
  • 1 pound spaghetti
  • Shaved Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • In a large, deep pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the celery and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the celery is tender.
  • Add the ground beef and cook until no pink color remains.
  • Add the white wine, passata or canned tomatoes, basil, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, and salt.
  • Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a gentle low simmer. Partially cover and cook for one hour.
  • Stir in the half and half and continue cooking, partially covered, for an additional two hours. Stir occasionally and add a small amount of water if the sauce seems to be too thick.
  • When ready to serve, cook the pasta in salted water according to the package directions. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and stir until thoroughly mixed and coated.
  • Serve with shaved Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 | Calories 618kcal | Carbohydrates 71g | Protein 26g | Fat 24g | Saturated Fat 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat 2g | Monounsaturated Fat 11g | Trans Fat 1g | Cholesterol 61mg | Sodium 511mg | Potassium 976mg | Fiber 5g | Sugar 10g | Vitamin A 724IU | Vitamin C 14mg | Calcium 81mg | Iron 5mg

Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.

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13 Comments

  1. Hi Lana, this sounds delicious. Do you not drain the grease from the meat?
    Thanks. Mary

    1. Lana Stuart says:

      Hi Mary. Yes, normally I do drain off the excess fat.

  2. Peter Drake says:

    What is half and half please . Thanks pete

  3. This looks delicious and want to try this but I’ve never cooked with wine. What do you recommend?

    1. Lana Stuart says:

      Any dry red wine is good in Bolognese. I usually use a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Pinot Noir.

      1. momandnana says:

        Just checked again and the recipe calls for white wine. Red or white?

        1. Lana Stuart says:

          Well, yes it does. You can use whichever you like, though. A red wine will give your sauce a richer, more full-bodied flavor. White will give it a fruitiness. Whichever you choose, it should be dry.

          1. momandnana says:

            Thank you for clarifying!

        2. Lana Stuart says:

          Or you can just leave out the wine if you prefer.

  4. That looks so inviting. I have never tried the addition of half and half. Next time!

    Miss P

  5. There’s nothing better than a good bolognese sauce! This looks yummy :)

    1. Lana Stuart says:

      Thanks Sues! It’s a good, classic recipe that everybody needs to have in their repertoire.