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The Best Homemade Bolognese

The Best Homemade Bolognese

Yield: 8 servings
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 1 hour
THE VERY best (freezer-friendly) bolognese sauce! So rich, so hearty, so perfect. Serve over pasta or gnocchi!
5 stars (16 ratings)

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 medium sweet onion, diced
  • 1 carrot, peeled and diced
  • 1 celery rib, diced
  • ¾ pound ground beef
  • ¾ pound ground pork
  • 4 ounces pancetta, diced
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¾ cups dry red wine
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • 1 pound pappardelle pasta

Instructions

  • Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Add ground beef, ground pork, pancetta, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook until browned, about 5-8 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef and pork as it cooks; drain excess fat.
  • Stir in tomato paste, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, nutmeg and cinnamon until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  • Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  • Stir in milk. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until reduced, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir in crushed tomatoes. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered and stirring occasionally, until thickened and flavors have blended, about 20 minutes.
  • Stir in parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste.*
  • In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
  • Serve immediately with bolognese sauce.

Notes

*TO FREEZE: Let cool completely; portion into plastic freezer bags in individual servings, squeezing out any excess air before sealing. Lay the bags flat in a single layer in the freezer (this will help them freeze quickly). To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, reheating over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.