Journeying through the streets of Italy, we must have tried over 10 different Spaghetti Bolognese dishes (in the span of 3 days) to find the best authentic Bolognese sauce. Here’s our take on an Umamiology-authentic Bolognese sauce.
A few years ago in Italy, all my husband did was order Spaghetti Bolognese at every pasta restaurant we dined in. His mission: Find the perfect authentic Bolognese sauce. The search for Bolognese + Umami had started even before we knew it.
Good quality ground meat and fresh vegetables are the crucial start to an authentic Bolognese sauce.
The best part about this Bolognese sauce recipe is that it’s so versatile. It’ll be the perfect paring to a Spaghetti Bolognese dinner – try our Restaurant Style Spaghetti Bolognese – or Lasagna Bolognese. The Bolognese sauce goes so well with all kinds of pasta – just bring out your favorite!
What Is Bolognese Sauce?
The word “Bolognese” literally means “from Bologna” in Italian. Bologna is a city in Italy. The Bolognese sauce originates from Bologna, and is also referred to as ragù alla bolognese. The Bolognese sauce is made by slowly cooking ground meat, usually beef and pork, though we use beef only in our recipe, along with fresh vegetables and herbs.
Nowadays, it’s typically the simplest and most classic sauce you can order (with pasta, of course) at any Italian restaurant.
Key Elements Of This Recipe
- Ground Sirloin Beef: Good quality ground beef is crucial our Bolognese sauce recipe – I recommend ground sirloin, either 90/10 or 80/20.
- Red Wine: Grab a full-bodied red wine – trust me, it will add depth to the Bolognese sauce flavor.
- Crushed Tomatoes: I’ve found that the Cento brand of crushed tomatoes has the richest tomato taste!
- Fresh Basil: Fresh basil is a must! It adds such an enticing aroma at the end of the simmering process.
- Lemon Juice: This ingredient will brighten up the sauce at the end.
Bolognese Pronunciation
Most people think Bolognese is pronounced with 3 syllables – bow-low-nez. However, the proper Italian pronunciation has 4 syllables – bo-lo-gneh-zeh, where the “g” is silent.
Speaking of the Italian way, Bolognese cause is also authentically paired with tagliatelle pasta, rather than spaghetti pasta. What?!
The Ingredients for Bolognese Sauce
- 1 pound Ground Sirloin Beef
- 1 Small Carrot (finely diced)
- 1 Celery Stalk (finely diced)
- 1/4 Onion (finely diced)
- 4 Cloves Garlic (minced)
- 6 oz Tomato Puree
- 6 oz Crushed Tomatoes
- 3 oz Tomato Paste
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 2 teaspoons Black Pepper
- 5 Bay Leaves
- 1/2 Lemon (juiced)
- 4 Fresh Basil Leaves
- 1/4 cup Red Wine
The Equipment Needed
- Cuisinart Food Processor
- Large Sauce Pan
How To Make Bolognese Sauce
First, finely minced your vegetables. We use our Cuisinart Food Processor for this step. We simply load the carrot, celery, garlic and onion into the food processor and blend using the chop mode. Set aside the chopped vegetables once they are sufficiently diced and mixed.
Pro Tip: I opted to chop my vegetables a bit more finely so that kids don’t see the vegetable chunks in the sauce, making it a kid-approved sauce!
Next, in your large sauce pan, add the olive oil and ground beef, searing it until browned and is about 75% cooked (we’ll finish cooking the meat all the way when we simmer the sauce).
Afterwards, add the tomato puree, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, salt, pepper, minced vegetable mix, and bay leaves.
Pro Tip: I like to add the bay leaves early on since they help take away any undesirable aroma from the meat or other ingredients.
Give everything a good mix and let it simmer for a few minutes.
Lastly, add the red wine and lemon juice. Mix the sauce once more to incorporate all the ingredients. Let the mixture simmer for about 15 minutes.
Serve with your favorite pasta and enjoy! Buon appetito!
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Sirloin Beef
- 1 Small Carrot, (finely diced)
- 1 Celery Stalk, (finely diced)
- 1/4 Onion, (finely diced)
- 4 Cloves Garlic, (minced)
- 6 oz Tomato Puree
- 6 oz Crushed Tomatoes
- 3 oz Tomato Paste
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
- 2 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Black Pepper
- 5 Bay Leaves
- 1/2 Lemon, (juiced)
- 4 Fresh Basil Leaves
- 1/4 cup Red Wine
Instructions
How To Make Bolognese Sauce
- First, finely minced your vegetables (carrot, celery, garlic, and onion) with the Cuisinart food processor, or any other food processor.
- Set aside the chopped vegetables once they are sufficiently diced and mixed.
- Pro Tip: I opted to chop my vegetables a bit more finely so that kids don't see the vegetable chunks in the sauce, making it a kid-approved sauce!
- Next, in your large sauce pan, add the olive oil and ground beef, searing it until browned and is about 75% cooked (we'll finish cooking the meat all the way when we simmer the sauce).
- Afterwards, add the tomato puree, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, salt, pepper, minced vegetable mix, and bay leaves.
- Pro Tip: I like to add the bay leaves early on since they help take away any undesirable aroma from the meat or other ingredients.
- Give everything a good mix and let it simmer for a few minutes.
- Lastly, add the red wine and lemon juice. Mix the sauce once more to incorporate all the ingredients.
- Let the mixture simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Serve with your favorite pasta and enjoy! Buon appetito!
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FAQ
What exactly is Bolognese sauce?
The word “Bolognese” literally means “from Bologna” in Italian. Bologna is a city in Italy. The Bolognese sauce originates from Bologna, and is also referred to as ragù alla bolognese. The Bolognese sauce is made by slowly cooking ground meat, usually beef and pork, though we use beef only in our recipe, along with fresh vegetables and herbs.
How do you pronounce Bolognese?
Most people think Bolognese is pronounced with 3 syllables – bow-low-nez. However, the proper Italian pronunciation has 4 syllables – bo-lo-gneh-zeh, where the “g” is silent.
Can you make Bolognese sauce with chicken?
Yes – you can Bolognese sauce with chicken or ground pork. We recommend half beef and half pork too. If using chicken, avoid using chicken breast because it might get too dry in the cooking process; instead, use chicken thighs.
Genna
Oooo I’m so glad you have this. My husband loves this stuff.
Umamiologist
Yay! So glad you love it!
Mary
Do you only use 6oz of crushed tomatoes?
Umamiologist
Yes, that’s right! Hope you had a chance to make our Bolognese sauce!