This 4-hour sauce is rich and so flavorful. It is absolutely my favorite meal to make in the winter months for the GREATEST comfort food.

Yes, I said 4 hours and I know it sounds intense but trust me it is essential to achieving the perfect melt in your mouth sauce. The meat and vegetables break down and become so soft. It’s better than any restaurant and freezes really well too! I have spent a few years tweaking this recipe to get it where it is today, and it is something I love to serve to guests and also use in my lasagna. Talk about elevating a meal. I swear it is the best lasagna you will ever make!

You can find that recipe here- The BEST 7 Layer Lasagna!

A little history about Bolognese-

The earliest documented recipe for ragu comes from the 18th century in Bologna. There is lots of speculation about what is the authentic ragu alla Bolognese but one thing all the recipes have in common is sofrito (combination of vegetables) meat, tomatoes and wine. Over the years there have been many chefs that have offered their own take on this beautiful dish, and I feel it’s kind of a personal thing as to how you like it.

I love to use grass-fed 15% fat-85% lean ground beef. Sometimes I will add in ½ pound ground pork or Italian sausage. One thing is absolute every time is using quality ingredients. The best canned whole tomatoes, tomato puree, and a good red wine make all the difference. Here are the brands I use. The wine varies but I am obsessed with Cento and Mutti brands for my tomato products.

Pasta-

This is also a personal choice. Sometimes I like to make it with traditional flat noodles like tagliatelle, pappardelle or even spaghetti noodles. However, for this go around and the pics you see, I used shell pasta cooked to the perfect al dente and it was amazing! The shell held the sauce so well and every bite had a great number of noodles and sauce. I may never go back! The best way to serve is with a healthy amount of fresh grated parmesan cheese.

Okay let’s get started!

Print Recipe

Bolognese Sauce

4-hour sauce that will take you to Italy in one bite. Rich and full of flavor, this is the best sauce!

Prep Time10

Cook Time4

Total Time4 10

Course: dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: bolognese, Bolognese sauce, cento tomatoes, comfort food, italian classic, italian cooking, italian food, Meat sauce, mutti sauce, pasta, rich sauce, shell pasta, trending, winter meals, winter recipes

Ingredients

1 lb Ground beef ( You can add 1/2 pound of ground pork or Italian sausage too) I use 85/15 blend-grass fed
1/2 red onion, chopped small
2 celery sticks chopped small
1 1/2 carrots, peeled and chopped small
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 ounces tomato paste
7 ounces peeled whole tomatoes I like cento brand
24 ounces passata or tomato sauce I like Mutti brand
1/2 cup red wine
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp garlic flakes
salt and pepper
Fresh grated parmesan cheese
Choice of pasta, cooked al dente

Instructions

Start by prepping/chopping the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic.
In a large Dutch oven or stock pot add 2 tbsp. of olive oil and set to medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the celery, carrot, and garlic. Saute for 4-5 minutes.
After the 5 minutes are up, add the meat then season with 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp. pepper. Cook mixing up into small meat pieces until no longer pink.
After most of the liquid is gone add the 1/2 cup of red wine.
Cook until almost evaporated and then goes the passata,
To the passata bottle, fill 1/4 way full of water, shake up and pour into the pot. Cannot waste any goodness!
Next to the party is the whole tomatoes and tomato paste.
Turn the heat to low and give it a good stir.
Let the sauce cook for 1 hour uncovered on low.
Mix every 20 minutes or so.
After 1 hour add 2 cups of hot water, stir, and let cook for another hour.
This step is especially important as this is how we achieve that melt in your mouth bite that you get in a fancy restaurant. Trust the process!
Okay hour 3, add the Italian seasoning garlic powder, garlic flakes, stir well, and give it a taste to see if you need to add more salt and pepper.
Now add 1 more cup of water, stir and let it do its thing. Cook for 30 more minutes.
Remember to stir and keep an eye on it.
After 30 minutes is over, get the noodles going. Boil until al dente.
Serve with a healthy scoop of the sauce and garnish with lots of fresh parmesan cheese.
ENJOY!