It doesn’t take much work to make a delicious, meaty, incredibly flavorful Bolognese sauce, but it takes time. The secret of any tomato sauce is allowing it to simmer and build the flavor profile of the sauce. But I know you’ll agree that it’s time well spent after one bite of this dish to declare it is the Very Best Bolognese Pappardelle Recipe you’ve ever tasted.
When it comes to pasta with meat sauce, nothing compares to a traditional Italian Bolognese sauce.
Bolognese sauce is known in Italy as Ragù alla Bolognese or simply Ragù. The meat-based sauce has its humble origins in Bologna, Italy.
As with most Italian dishes there are as many ways to make them as there are Italian grandmothers. My Classical Bolognese sauce embraces the traditions of the recipe with just a few variations, creating the flavor profiles I find more appealing.
While the basic recipe starting with a soffritto (onion, celery and carrots) remains fairly constant, the amount of meat, types of ground meat, amount of tomatoes, and types of herbs used in the sauce. You’ll find this varies from region to region.
But one thing remains constant, it’s delicious! And during my restaurant days, Bolognese Pappardelle was as popular as Veal Parm and Fettucine Alfredo.
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Bolognese Sauce. In Chef Speak this is called the Mise en Place which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
How to quickly cut vegetables for bolognese sauce
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Use a food processor to finely chop the carrots, onions and celery. This will make your sauce smoother and look less like a stew.
The first step in creating this classic Italian meat sauce is creating the soffritto. This mixture of celery, onions and carrots is cooked in butter over medium heat for about 10 minutes. This allows the veggies to slowly cook and caramelize.
At the end of the cooking process of the soffritto, add the minced garlic and continue to cook for an additional 2 minutes.
I use my 6 qt. Copper Core 5-ply All-Clad pot to make the bolognese. It’s classified as a roaster but works for soups, sauces and so much more. It’s the most used pot in my kitchen!
*You could also use a dutch oven to make the sauce.
The next step is cooking ground beef, sausage meat, and seasonings. Each type of meat should be cooked separately so the meat has room to brown with as much of it touching the pan as possible.
Don’t disturb the meat. Let it cook without turning it over until the very end.
This allows the meat to caramelize adding another layer of flavor to the sauce. When the cooking is complete deglaze the pan with red wine. This will release all the flavorful bits that get stuck to the pan during the cooking process.
*Use a wire whip to break up the chunks of meat. It’s the quickest and easiest way to make the pieces smaller and more palatable.
Do I have to use carrots, onions and celery in my Bolognese sauce?
No you don’t. But I urge you to try it with all the ingredients I’ve used before you make any changes. If you use a food processor to finely chop the vegetables you won’t even know they’re in the sauce.
My wife who is a cooked carrot hater, looked at me when she saw the carrots and wasn’t happy. This was the first time I’d made the sauce for her and she couldn’t believe how ah-mazingly delicious it was (with no visible sign of carrots).
But as I’ve stated in the past, recipes are guidelines and if you cook with ingredients you enjoy eating, you’re going to enjoy cooking and spend more time creating delicious dishes for your friends and family.
Traditional Italian Meat Sauce ( Best Using San Marzano Tomatoes )
What is Italian meat sauce?
There is nothing more comforting than a delicious Italian meat sauce that is served over pasta and topped with fresh Parmesan cheese. This Italian American meat sauce is the perfect meat sauce because it is loaded with flavor from the ground beef, onions, garlic and good quality tomatoes and so easy to make.
What is the difference between marinara sauce and spaghetti sauce?
Marinara sauce is primarily made from tomatoes and other spices and condiments like pepper, garlic, herbs, olives, capers etc. It is thin in consistency and easily prepared in a span of an hour or less than it. On the other hand, spaghetti sauce uses carrots, onions, garlic and meat ( occasionally ) along with tomatoes and seasonings. It takes relatively more time to prepare compared to marinara sauce.
How to make Italian meat sauce?
1. Sauté Onions. 2. Brown the meat. 3. Add garlic. 4. Add Tomatoes and Herbs. This Italian meat sauce recipe comes together very quickly. Once you add everything to the pot, you only need to let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes and then dinner is ready. That is it. I told you this Italian meat sauce was quick! PRO-TIP:
What is the best Italian meat sauce tossed with spaghetti?
The best Italian meat sauce tossed with spaghetti. 1. Sauté Onions. 2. Brown the meat. 3. Add garlic. 4. Add Tomatoes and Herbs. This Italian meat sauce recipe comes together very quickly. Once you add everything to the pot, you only need to let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes and then dinner is ready. That is it.