Spaghetti Bolognese

A rich, slow-simmered Italian meat sauce tossed with al dente pasta. Pure comfort in a bowl.

By Cressio Rinaldi

A real Bolognese is not a quick sauce with ground beef and a jar of tomatoes. It is a ragù, a slow, patient sauce where meat, vegetables and a little liquid cook together over very low heat for hours, until everything melts into something deep, rich and savory. There is no shortcut, but there is almost no work either. Most of the two hours is just waiting.

This version follows the traditional logic. A finely chopped base of onion, carrot and celery is softened in oil. Ground beef and pork go in next, because the mix of the two gives a better flavor and texture than beef alone. The broth cooks off first, then the tomatoes go in for a long, gentle simmer, and a splash of milk at the end rounds off the acidity.

The recipe makes six generous servings, and it freezes beautifully, so it is worth making a full batch.

Read this first

1. Chop the onion, carrot and celery very fine. They should disappear into the sauce.
2. Keep the simmer very low. A few small bubbles every few seconds is enough.
3. Toss the cooked pasta in the sauce, with a splash of pasta water, before you serve.

Prep time: 15 mins · Cook time: 2 hrs · Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 lb Ground beef (80/20)
• 1/2 lb Ground pork
• 1 medium Onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium Carrot, finely chopped
• 1 Celery stalk
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 can (28 oz) Crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup Beef broth
• 1/2 cup Whole milk
• 1 lb Pappardelle pasta

Instructions

1. In a large Dutch oven, sauté onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil until soft. Look for: Soft, sweet-smelling vegetables, with no raw crunch and no browning.
2. Add ground beef and pork, cooking until browned. Drain excess fat. Look for: Browned crumbles of meat with no pink, and a pan with brown bits on the bottom.
3. Pour in beef broth and simmer until mostly evaporated. Look for: The pan looks almost dry, with the meat coated in a little glossy liquid.
4. Add crushed tomatoes, reduce heat to very low and simmer uncovered for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally. Look for: A deep red-brown sauce, thick enough that a spoon leaves a trail, with a thin layer of oil on top.
5. Stir in milk and cook for another 15 minutes. Look for: A smooth, rounder sauce, with a slightly lighter color.
6. Cook pasta according to package directions. Toss with sauce and serve with fresh parmesan. Look for: Glossy ribbons of pasta coated in sauce.

Nutrition

Amount per serving. Nutritional values are estimates calculated from the ingredients above and can vary.

• Calories: 470
• Fat: 30g
• Saturated Fat: 10g
• Carbohydrates: 25g
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 4g
• Protein: 25g
• Sodium: 280mg
• Cholesterol: 90mg

Notes

• Storage: Refrigerate the sauce in an airtight container for up to 4 days — the flavor deepens overnight, so it's even better the next day.
• Freezing: The sauce freezes beautifully for up to 3 months; freeze it separately from the pasta and cook fresh noodles when ready to serve.
• Low and Slow: Resist the urge to rush the simmer — the full 1.5 hours is what breaks down the meat and thickens the sauce properly.

Cook It With Me

Build the base

Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion, carrot and celery stalk. Cook, stirring now and then, for about 8 to 10 minutes, until they are soft and the onion is translucent. Don’t rush this. The sweetness of the vegetables is the foundation of the sauce.

Brown the meat

Turn the heat up a little and add the 1 lb of ground beef and 1/2 lb of ground pork. Break them up with a wooden spoon and cook until they are browned and no pink is left. Drain off any excess fat, but leave a little for flavor.

Cook off the broth

Pour in the 1 cup of beef broth and simmer until it has mostly evaporated. This step concentrates the meat flavor and keeps the sauce from becoming watery.

The long simmer

Add the 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes or so. The sauce will darken and thicken, and the oil will start to pool at the edges. If it gets too dry, add a splash of water.

Add the milk

Stir in the 1/2 cup of whole milk and cook for another 15 minutes. The milk softens the acidity of the tomatoes and makes the sauce rounder and silkier. Taste, and season with salt and pepper.

Cook the pasta and serve

Cook the 1 lb of pappardelle in well-salted water according to the package directions. Before draining, save a cup of the pasta water. Toss the pasta with the sauce for a minute over low heat, adding a splash of pasta water to loosen it, and serve with plenty of fresh parmesan.

The Ingredients, One by One

Ground beef and ground pork

Using both gives more flavor and a softer texture than beef alone. 80/20 beef has enough fat to keep the sauce rich. Ask your butcher for fresh ground pork.

Onion, carrot and celery

This trio is the base of Italian cooking, called soffritto. Chop them as fine as you can, so they melt into the sauce.

Crushed tomatoes

One large can gives the sauce its body. Choose a good brand, because this is a major flavor. San Marzano tomatoes are worth it.

Beef broth

It adds depth. Use a low-sodium one to control the salt.

Whole milk

A traditional ingredient. It tenderizes the meat and balances the acidity.

Pappardelle

Wide ribbons hold the heavy sauce well. Tagliatelle is the classic pairing in Bologna. Spaghetti works too.

The Technique Behind It

Why the long simmer

Over low heat for 1 1/2 hours, the meat fibers break down and the flavors concentrate. A quick sauce can’t match that depth.

Why cook off the broth first

Reducing the broth adds flavor to the meat and keeps the final sauce thick instead of soupy.

Why finish the pasta in the sauce

Tossing the pasta with the sauce and a splash of pasta water lets the sauce cling to every ribbon.

Mistakes That Cost You the Dish

• Simmering too hard The sauce can scorch and the meat toughens.
• Chopping the vegetables too big They don’t melt into the sauce.
• Skipping the stir The bottom sticks.
• Pouring the sauce on top of the pasta It doesn’t cling. Toss it together.
• Not seasoning at the end The sauce can taste flat.

Fix It: If This Happens, Do This

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Sauce is too thin	Not enough time	Simmer longer, uncovered.
Sauce is too thick	Reduced too far	Add a splash of water or pasta water.
Sauce is too acidic	Tomatoes	Add a little more milk or a pinch of sugar.
Sauce is greasy	Too much fat	Skim the oil from the top.
Sauce is bland	Needs salt	Add salt, and finish with parmesan.

What Each Ingredient Does (and What You Can Swap)

Ingredient	Its job	Swap, and what changes
Ground beef and pork	Flavor and richness	All beef works. Add veal for a more traditional version.
Beef broth	Depth	Chicken broth works.
Crushed tomatoes	Body	Whole peeled tomatoes crushed by hand work.
Whole milk	Softens acidity	Cream works.
Pappardelle	Wide ribbons	Tagliatelle, rigatoni or spaghetti work.

Plan Ahead

• Make ahead: The sauce is better the next day.
• Fridge: 4 to 5 days.
• Reheat: Gently with a splash of water.
• Freezer: Freezes well for 3 months.

What to Serve With It

Serve with plenty of grated parmesan and a green salad. A glass of red wine and some crusty bread are the natural partners.

Questions People Ask

About the Author

Cressio Rinaldi

Cressio Rinaldi is the recipe developer behind Cressio Recipes. He cooks, tests, and writes every recipe on the site himself — refining each one until it's simple enough for a weeknight and good enough to make again. He's not a trained chef, just someone who cooks constantly and pays close attention to what actually makes a recipe work.