Bolognese Is The Perfect Dish For Any Day Of The Year.
Learn how to make this beautiful, delicious, easy-to-make spaghetti bolognese. This recipe and the instructions are easy to follow, and the end product is incredible. This bolognese recipe contains a few ingredients that are easily substituted or left out, but I’ve included all of that in the notes. Once you try this recipe, you’ll never repurchase store-bought sauce, trust me.
Ingredients
- 200g (7.05oz) - Streaky Bacon, Diced
- 2 - Brown (Yellow) Onions, Grated
- 2 - Carrots, Grated
- 2 - Ribs of Celery, Grated
- 4 - Garlic Cloves, Minced
- 10g (0.3oz) - Picked Oregano Leaves, Roughly Chopped
- 10g (0.3oz) - Picked Rosemary Leaves, Roughly Chopped
- 500g (1.1lbs) - Beef Mince (Ground Beef)
- 500g (1.1lbs) - Pork Mince (Ground Pork)
- 1 Cup (250ml) - Cheap Red Wine
- 200g (7.05oz) - Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Roughly Chopped
- 10g (0.3oz) - Picked Basil Leaves, Roughly Chopped
- 2 Cans (800g-1.76lbs) - Diced Tomatoes + Splash Of Water To Rinse Them
- 150g (5.2oz) - Spaghetti Or Pasta Of Choice 150g (5.2oz) = 1 Serve
- Seasoning To Taste
- Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese, Freshly Grated To Serve
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil To Serve
- Cracked Black Pepper To Serve
- Fresh Basil To Serve
Instructions
- Place a large pot over high heat, add in the diced bacon & fry for 3 minutes or until golden and the fat has started to render. Add in the onion, carrot, celery, rosemary & oregano, saute for 6 minutes or until golden.
- Add in the beef & pork mince, fry for 10 minutes or until browned all over & the water content has evaporated. Pour in the red wine, bring to a boil & reduce the wine for 3 minutes, stirring regularly. Season to taste.
- Add in the sun-dried tomatoes, basil, diced tomatoes & a splash of water to rinse the tomatoes. Mix to combine, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, place on a lid and cook for 30 minutes undisturbed.
- In the meantime, place a large saucepan of water over high heat, season generously with salt & bring to a boil. Cook pasta as per packet instructions, moving it regularly to prevent it from sticking.
- Carefully remove the lid, mix to combine, check for seasoning adjusting accordingly & continue simmering for 15 minutes uncovered, mixing it regularly. Remove from heat.
- To serve, add the cooked pasta straight into the sauce bringing along some pasta water or placing the pasta into a mixing bowl also bringing along some of the pasta water. Reserve some pasta water if necessary (it helps the sauce stick to the pasta). If the pasta is added to the sauce, mix it well add in the reserved pasta water if need be & serve in bowls.
- If the pasta is added to a mixing bowl, spoon out as much sauce as you'd like into the bowl and mix well (this method is for leaving leftover sauce for another day). Serve into bowls.
- Garnish with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, crack over some black pepper & serve with fresh basil leaves. Dig in!
Nutrition Guide
The above nutrition guide is based on daily averages and is calculated for a single portion.
Recipe Notes
Bolognese Storage Instructions
The bolognese can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days and frozen for up to 5 months. Once assembled and pasta is mixed through the sauce, it will last 3 days and is not recommended to be frozen as the pasta won’t thaw well (it will fall apart). That being said, it’s only a visual concern; the flavours will still be amazing.
Bolognese Reheating Instructions
To reheat, place the bolognese into a pot or pan over medium-high heat and heat it gently for 8-10 minutes, stirring often. Alternatively, put it into a microwave and heat it in short bursts, mixing between each one. These heating methods work with both the sauce and the fully assembled dish.
Bolognese Recipe Substitutes & Options
- Streaky Bacon can be substituted for 1 1/2 Tbsp (30ml) – Olive Oil.
- Celery can be left out if you don’t like it.
- Fresh herbs can be substituted for 2 tsp or 5g of each dried version.
- Both beef & pork mince are interchangeable.
- Red wine can be substituted for vegetable, chicken or beef stock.
- Sun-dried tomatoes can be left out but are highly recommended.
Why do I Use Sun-Dried Tomatoes?
Sun-dried tomatoes contain a highly concentrated flavour that is sweet and a little tart. They usually come soaked in an oil infusion which consists of garlic, mixed herbs and salt. As a result, they lose most of their water content but retain their natural sugars and nutrients, and what you’re left with is a delicious concentrated infused tomato flavour.
I use them for the above example, but they add intense flavour and depth to bolognese and many other dishes where tomatoes are one of the main ingredients. Along with the taste, they have a lovely soft and chewy texture once cooked into such a sauce, complementing the other ingredients to create a mouth-watering experience.
Do I Need To Add Milk To My Bolognese?
The answer to this question is both yes and no. For generations, bolognese is traditionally made with no dairy apart from a good topping of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to serve. As the years have gone on and recipes have been modernised, lots of traditional recipes have been experimented on, and one of those experiments is milk added to the meat sauce.
The reason for this is due to low-quality meats. If the quality of the meat is very poor, milk can be added to the sauce and is known to help tenderise the beef or pork, adding depth to the sauce. As meat production regulations have changed and the quality of the meat has increased (also the price), there’s no need to add milk as the meat is already tender.
The full answer to this question is no right or wrong answer. Make the recipe with whichever ingredients you like. No one is judging, and as long as it tastes nice, that’s all that matters.
Watch How To Make The Recipe
Did You Like This Bolognese Recipe?
Please take a second to leave a comment and rating below, and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Stunning recipes, stunning website! I made the Korma Curry tonight, it was so delicious, I had never cooked anything so wonderful, the flavour lingered, the smell when it was cooking, ahhhh.. I sent the recipe to my daughter,
Next week I will make your everyday Curry.
I just want to cook Everything, I am Hooked and HAPPY, thank you, Jack!!!!
I really do appreciate the kind words, Heather. I’ve given my all to create this website and I’m super proud of the progress that’s been made. The korma recipe will be added to the website soon as will the rest of my recipes, Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you!
I tried this tonight and it tastes delicious. I feel, it has very authentic flavour. Sun dried tomatoes make such a difference. Thanks Jack!
That’s awesome to hear. Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks, Nick.
Your recipes never fail. I only skipped the sun-dried tomatoes and wine (replacing it with broth as per instructions) and it was absolutely delicious. The combination of meats made a very flavorful dish. From now on I will be using this bolognese recipe.
Fantastic to hear! So glad you enjoyed it with the substitutions. Thank you.