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Recipe card image for homemade Bolognese featuring a bowl of spaghetti topped with rich meat sauce, grated Parmesan cheese, and fresh parsley. The photo showcases the finished Bolognese recipe served family-style with a side of Parmesan and fresh herbs.
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Bolognese

A rich, hearty bolognese sauce made with lean ground beef, white wine, and whole milk, simmered low and slow until thick and deeply flavored. Worth every minute of the cook time.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 15 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 1852kcal
Author: Shauna

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ cup sweet yellow onion finely diced
  • ½ cup carrots finely diced
  • ½ cup celery finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon garlic minced
  • 1½ pounds lean ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ¾ cup dry white wine Pinot Grigio recommended
  • 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 dry bay leaf

Garnish (optional)

  • Grated parmesan cheese
  • Fresh parsley

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat.
  • Add the diced onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook until the vegetables are tender and the onion is translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes.
    Diced onions, carrots, celery, and garlic sautéing in a stainless steel skillet to create the flavorful vegetable base for homemade bolognese sauce.
  • Add the ground beef, salt, and pepper to the pot. Break the meat apart as it cooks until no pink remains, about 5 to 6 minutes.
  • Stir in the tomato paste and white wine.
  • Let it cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the alcohol cooks off and the tomato paste is fully worked into the meat mixture.
  • Pour in the crushed tomatoes and whole milk and add the bay leaf. Stir to combine.
    Overhead process photo of Bolognese sauce ingredients cooking together in a skillet, featuring browned ground beef, whole milk, crushed tomatoes, and a bay leaf before being stirred into the classic Italian meat sauce.
  • Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
  • Simmer uncovered for 2 to 3 hours, stirring regularly, until the sauce has reduced by about half and thickened into a rich, hearty gravy.
    Overhead view of homemade Bolognese sauce simmering in a large skillet, showing the rich tomato-based meat sauce being stirred with a wooden spoon as the beef, tomatoes, and vegetables cook down into a thick, hearty sauce.
  • Remove and discard the bay leaf before serving. Garnish with grated parmesan and fresh parsley.

Notes

  • Dice the onion, carrots, and celery small and as uniformly as possible - about ¼ inch. You don't want visible chunks of vegetable in the finished sauce.
  • Lean ground beef (93/7 or 96/4) works best. If you're using a higher fat ratio like 80/20, drain the excess fat from the pot before adding the tomato paste and wine.
  • Use a good quality dry white wine. The flavor concentrates as the sauce cooks. Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Gris are all solid choices. To skip the wine entirely, substitute chicken or beef broth.
  • Don't substitute the whole milk if you can help it. The fat and natural sugars balance the acidity of the crushed tomatoes in a way low-fat milk won't.
  • Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months, or store cooled sauce in the fridge for up to 3 days. You may need to add a bit of water or broth when reheating on the stove.

Nutrition

Calories: 1852kcal | Carbohydrates: 103g | Protein: 172g | Fat: 73g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 37g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 451mg | Sodium: 4523mg | Potassium: 6293mg | Fiber: 21g | Sugar: 64g | Vitamin A: 14001IU | Vitamin C: 99mg | Calcium: 746mg | Iron: 30mg