Simple Bolognese sauce is a hearty and savory classic meat sauce. Even though it takes a few hours to make, it really is an easy recipe because most of the time is hands-off cooking time. So grab a book, a glass of wine and relax and enjoy the aroma of the simmering sauce.
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This homemade and tasty bolognese sauce is a pasta sauce recipe that everyone will love, and I mean everyone because I’m also including a vegetarian/vegan option that is just as delicious.
Here is what you will need to make homemade traditional Bolognese sauce: ground beef, Italian sausage, celery, onion, garlic, carrots, red wine, strained tomatoes, milk.
For the vegetarian version, you will need mushrooms, walnuts, and nut milk to replace the meat and milk.
First, The Wine
A few weeks ago, I attended a local wine tasting and pairing dinner. These dinners are a fun night learning about wine, and pairing with delicious food. We were served six courses that were perfectly paired with wines from a handful of small vineyards northern Italy. One of the courses included beef ravioli with Bolognese sauce which inspired me to make my own Bolognese sauce.
This is a lighter version of Bolognese sauce and I served it with linguine,so I chose to pair my sauce with a lighter, every day wine, Castello di Nieve Barbera d’Alba Basarin 2013. This wine is a smooth tasting wine which is made from 100% Dolcetto grapes.
Wine made with Dolcetto grapes is fruity (but not sweet) and low in acidity and is often described as an easy drinking and food-friendly wine. It is a pretty versatile wine when it comes to food pairing. You can enjoy Dolcetto wine with a wide variety of foods such as; a healthy charcuterie board , pizza, roasted chicken, homemade Bolognese sauce or you might even like it with this Mediterranean Chicken in a Slow Cooker.
A fun fact about these wines, is that they are made with grapes grown with a Green Attitude, which means the wineries are farming responsibly and leading efforts in conservation and sustainability.
Simple Bolognese Sauce
Bolognese sauce which originated in Bologna Italy, is a and super flavorful sauce that’s typically made with ground meat, tomatoes, wine, cream and what is called the holy trinity in many cuisines; diced celery, onions, and carrots.
Homemade Bolognese sauce starts with the celery, onions and carrots combined with garlic and olive oil. The flavor builds as the meat and other ingredients are gradually added to the sauce. Once you have a taste of this amazing sauce you will agree it was well worth the time waiting for it to cook.
Here is How to Make Simple Bolognese sauce
The ingredients are added gradually to the sauce to build a robust flavor. The meat, vegetables, wine and tomatoes are added, the sauce simmers slowly over low heat. This recipe takes approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours to make, so plan ahead.
How to Make Vegetarian Bolognese Sauce
A vegetarian version of bolognese gets it’s meaty texture from chopped mushrooms and walnuts. They are cooked in the wine and sauce just as you would the meat. It’s super flavorful and hard to tell the difference in both appearance and taste.
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Tips And Variations for Making Simple Bolognese Sauce
The best wine to use
The rule of thumb is to use the wine that you are going to drink with the meal in your recipe. If that doesn’t work, try a good Cabernet, Merlot, or Pinot Noir. If you don’t like to use wine in your cooking, you can substitute it with beef, chicken or vegetable broth. The wine adds so much flavor to this sauce and the alcohol cooks out, therefore, I highly recommend using wine if at all possible.
Meat Recommendations for making homemade Bolognese Sauce
There are many variations and ways to make Bolognese sauce. I like to use half ground beef and half Italian Sausage. Other options are a combination of ground, beef, pork and veal; ground beef and pancetta or just ground beef. This is the kind of recipe that you really can’t mess up, so use whatever you like for meat.
Vegetarian Bolognese Sauce Variations
I like too use mushrooms and walnuts to replace ground meat. The combination of the two has a meaty texture and the walnuts also add a little extra protein. Even if you are a meat eater, I suggest you give this version a try, you really won’t miss the meat in this sauce.
The best tomatoes to use in homemade Bolognese sauce
My preference is to use pure strained organic tomatoes without added salt like these strained tomatoes from Bionature . These tomatoes are pure tomatoes without any additives. They taste fresh, and you can control the amount of salt in the sauce by seasoning it to the way you like it.
Serving Suggestions
Bolognese sauce tastes great with a heartier pasta such as linguine, tagliatelle, pappardelle, rigatoni or even lasagna.
Serve pasta with Bolognese with a side salad like this Arugula Salad with Pistachios or this Arugula and Fig Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Check out These Recipes
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Easy Bolognese Sauce with a Vegetarian Option
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
This Homemade Bolognese sauce is a simple recipe for a hearty and savory classic meat sauce that can easily be made vegetarian.
Ingredients
Traditional Version
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef preferably grass fed
- 1/2 pound Italian pork sausage preferably pasture raised
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup diced carrots (about 2 carrots)
- 1/4 cup diced celery (about 2 stalks)
- 1/4 cup minced onion (about 1/2 of an onion)
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 3/4 cup red wine
- 1 1/2 cups strained tomatoes
- a pinch of ground nutmeg
- 1 bay leaf
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese for sprinkling
- 1/8 cup whole milk or light cream
Vegetarian Version
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large portobello mushroom caps,cleaned and minced
- 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup diced carrots (about 2 carrots)
- 1/4 cup diced celery (about 2 stalks)
- 1/4 cup minced onion (about 1/2 of an onion)
- 3/4 cup red wine
- 1 1/2 cups strained tomatoes
- a pinch of ground nutmeg
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese for sprinkling or nutritional yeast for a vegan version
- 1/8 cup whole milk or light cream or your favorite nut milk for a vegan version
Instructions
Traditional Version
Heat a cast iron pan or a dutch oven over low to medium heat.
Add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally until they begin to soften which will take about 6 to 8 minutes.
Add the meat to the pan and continue to cook over low medium heat breaking up the meat and stirring occasionally until it is mostly cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Gradually add the wine and allow it to cook until the wine evaporates.
Stir in the tomatoes, nutmeg and bay leaf. Reduce heat to simmer for 1 hour on very low heat.
Remove the bay leaf and stir in the milk, cover loosely and simmer for 30 minutes longer over low heat.
If sauce becomes too thick thin it out with water or broth.
Vegetarian Version
Heat a cast iron pan or a dutch oven over low to medium heat.
Add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally until they begin to soften which will take about 6 to 8 minutes.
Add the chopped mushrooms and walnuts to the pan and continue to cook over low medium heat stirring for about 5 minutes
Gradually add the wine and allow it to cook until the wine evaporates.
Stir in the tomatoes, nutmeg and bay leaf. Reduce heat to simmer for 1 hour on very low heat
Remove the bay leaf and stir in the nut milk, cover loosely and simmer for 30 minutes longer over low heat
If sauce becomes too thick thin it out with water or vegetable broth
Notes
Nutrition information is provided by Nutrifox,  an online calculator and is meant to be used for informational purposes only. Even though I try to provide accurate information, these figures should still be considered as estimates
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: bolognese, pasta sauce, Vegetarian bolognese
I love bolognese. And the non meat version is perfect for my vegetarian daughter too!
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What a great bolognese sauce! i love that you have both a beef version and a vegetarian option! my large family is split – i have my boys who need beef and my girls do not! i have the best for all with your recipe!
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Thanks Eileen!
What a great and flavorful recipe! I love the vegetarian option too!
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I am always looking for a vegetarian version of recipes. Thanks for sharing your beautiful dish and recipe with us.
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Homemade pasta sauce is so good. This looks easy and delicious. I would make a huge batch and freeze some. Great to pull out on a busy weeknight for a great meal.
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Oh this screams Sunday dinner all over it to me!!!! I love Bolognese!
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Yummy! I love a nice hearty bolognese sauce! Your sauce looks so delicious and the wine you used looks and sounds delightful! I love that you added a vegetarian option. I’ll be sharing this with my cousin as she’s vegetarian!
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There’s nothing quite like homemade bolognese sauce – I often find the store bought stuff too watery and loaded with sugar. Look forward to trying your recipe!
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For me the vegetarian version with mushroom and walnuts, please! Sounds amazing! Although my husband would go for the traditional meaty version. Thank you for both!
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This bolognese sauce is great for meal prep! I’ll have to make the vegetarian version next time to compare.
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I am a meat eater, but that vegetarian version sounds incredibly delicious! I have to try it.
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I love that you give a vegetarian option too! I can’t wait to try it.
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The long cooking in Bolognese sauce rewards the diner to a spectacular meal. My mouth is watering just looking at the pasta with the sauce. Ingredients are so important like you mention. If you’re going to take the time, only the best will do. Great recipe – that’s why it’s a classic.
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Thanks Marisa! It really is delicious even the vegetarian version
You had me at book and wine! Ha! This sounds heavenly. I’ll definitely be doing just that very soon 😉 Thanks for the recipe!
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I learned how to make Bolognese Sauce about 2 months ago and I am OBSESSED! It is so delicious, and the wine makes such a difference in flavor. Very nice recipe
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My family loves bolognese. But I never tried making vege option for them. With all these incredible ingredients you used here you got me really interested to give it a try. Looks really delicious.
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For someone who makes, and hoards pasta sauce in their freezer all year. This IS a great recipe! We tend to be busy and always keep sauce around for those tricky weeknight meals ! Thanks for sharing
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I love bolognese sauce and so happy to see the vegetarian sauce option here! I’ve always made bolognese sauce with lamb (I dont eat beef), I’m definitely going to try the vegetarian option. I sounds really good to me.
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