Spaghetti Bolognese

Prep: 35 mins

Cook: 2 hrs 15 mins

Total: 2 hrs 50 mins

Servings: 6

Yield: 6 cups sauce

I've got a friend who's obsessed with pasta. Whenever I come across a new pasta recipe, my mind jumps to her. I’ll think, "Oh, B would go crazy for this!" or "I bet this sauce would be a hit with B, especially on rigatoni." I'm always on the lookout for the ultimate pasta dish to wow her with, since she's my self-proclaimed pasta queen! This spaghetti Bolognese is just that wow-ing recipe with its rich and flavorful meat sauce. If it were up to her, this would be on the menu for every single meal. 

Although Bolognese requires a lengthy cooking time, it’s worth the wait. The foundation of this dish is its hearty tomato sauce, enriched with a trio of meats: ground pork, ground chuck, and the not-so-secret weapon, bacon! This meaty combination combined with milk and parmesan forms an unbeatable savory fusion enhanced by dried Italian seasoning and the aromatic dream team of garlic, onion, celery, and carrots.

Canned tomatoes, supported by dry red wine, play a pivotal role in this sauce, giving a tangy, umami sweetness that counterbalances the meat’s richness. And when I’m talking about canned tomatoes, I’m talking about using cream of the crop: canned San Marzano plum tomatoes. It enriches both the sauce’s flavor and texture, and gives it a vivid hue. 

Bolognese or Ragù?

While we in the US know this dish as spaghetti Bolognese, in Italy it is called ragù, and it is always served with wider noodles, such as tagliatelle or fettuccine. Feel free to substitute either of those pastas (or pappardelle) for the spaghetti here.

You can’t go wrong with this comforting, hearty spaghetti Bolognese, and it calls for the perfect companion. I recommend serving it with a crisp salad to offset the richness of the dish, toasted garlic bread for sopping up the sauce and maybe an appetizer of deliciously seasoned bruschetta to round out the meal.

Recipe Tips

• Use two types of meat—Aim for two meat varieties in your Bolognese sauce to achieve a delicious blend of flavors and richness. Avoid lean meat. Ground veal will impart richness and a few chicken livers will impart a depth of flavor in combination with ground beef and pork. 
• Don’t over-brown the meat—It can lead to dryness. Partially browning is enough and saves time. 
• Low and slow—Depending on your stovetop, you might need to adjust the position of your Dutch oven over the flame to ensure a gentle simmer for almost two hours.
• Quick food prep—Feel free to process the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 4 slices bacon, chopped

• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped

• 1 large carrot, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

• 1 large celery stalk, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 2 teaspoons salt-free dried Italian seasoning

• 1 pound ground chuck

• 1 pound ground pork

• 3 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 cup dry red wine

• 2 cups chicken stock

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk

• 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled San Marzano plum tomatoes, crushed by hand

• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more for pasta cooking water

• 1 cup (4 ounces) parmesan cheese, grated

• 1 (16-ounce) package spaghetti

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.

   

2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add 4 slices bacon, chopped and cook, stirring often, until most of the fat has rendered and the bacon is starting to brown, about 5 minutes.

   

3. Add 1 yellow onion, finely chopped, 1 large carrot, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup), 1 large celery stalk, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup), 3 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped, and 2 teaspoons salt-free dried Italian seasoning. Cook, stirring often, until softened but not browned, about 8 minutes. Scrape the onion mixture into a small bowl.

   

4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 pound ground chuck and 1 pound ground pork. Using a wooden spoon, break the meat mixture into large chunks to cover the bottom of the Dutch oven. Cook, undisturbed, until deeply browned on the bottom side, 8 to 10 minutes.

   

5. Reduce the heat to medium-high. Add 3 tablespoons tomato paste and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 3 minutes.

   

6. Stir the reserved onion mixture into the cooked beef mixture. Add 1 cup dry red wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the wine has evaporated, about 6 minutes.

   

7. Add 2 cups chicken stock, 1 1/2 cups whole milk, 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled San Marzano plum tomatoes, crushed by hand, and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high. Reduce heat to its lowest setting, and very gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and creamy, 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, skimming fat from the surface occasionally. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in 1 cup (4 ounces) parmesan cheese, grated.

   

8. Remove 3 cups Bolognese from the pot and reserve for another time (it freezes really well). Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high and salt the water generously. Add 1 (16-ounce) package spaghetti, and cook according to package directions for al dente.

   

9. While the pasta cooks, ladle 1 cup pasta cooking liquid into the Bolognese in the Dutch oven. Transfer the cooked spaghetti to the sauce in the pot. Place over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the pasta is coated in the sauce, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

   

How To Store

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

To freeze, transfer to an airtight container, label and date it, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw Bolognese in the refrigerator overnight before using.

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

• Level up your sauce—Amp up the umami by incorporating anchovies in the softened carrot mixture or stirring a tablespoon or so of fish sauce into your finished Bolognese.
• No ground meat? No problem!—You can substitute 1 pound ground meat for 1 pound ground Italian sausage. 
• Jazz it up—Play around with seasonings to your liking: grated nutmeg, fresh or dried hard herbs, bay leaves, fennel seeds, or mushroom powder would all be delicious.
• Give it more of a kick—One of my favorite Bolognese combinations includes ground cumin and substitutes harissa paste for tomato paste for a Middle Eastern flavor. 
• Make it even richer—Replace chicken stock with collagen-rich bone broth for added body.