Authentic Bolognese Sauce (Ragù alla Bolognese)

What is Bolognese?

Bolognese sauce, referred to in Italy as 'Ragù alla Bolognese', is a sumptuous, savory, hours-long slow-simmered Italian ragù that originated in Bologna, Italy. Simply put, it's ragù made in the Bologna style. It's also found in its authentic form throughout the surrounding area of Emilia Romagna (including Modena, Parma, and Reggio-Emilia).

This 'sauce' is technically a ragù and is used most often to create 'Lasagna Bolognese' and 'Tagliatelle alla Bolognese' (simply known as 'tagliatelle al ragù in Bologna), but you can find it used in many other ways.

The special thing that's hard to wrap your head around is that even with its simple list of ingredients, no two ragùs (in Bologna or the larger province) ever taste exactly the same, yet somehow, when prepared traditionally, they all miraculously still taste just like Bolognese. And it can be used for so many delicious traditional dishes!

The Bolognese Sauce We Make Most Often

This recipe produces the genuine and unmistakable flavors and aromas of classic Bolognese sauce, just like what you'll find wafting from windows and restaurants throughout Bologna (it's really a thing).

It's the version we've gravitated toward most on our trips to Bologna and the greater Emilia-Romagna region: creamy, balanced, and enormously savory, with a smooth mouthfeel and a deep, slow-simmered, unctuous flavor.

There's plenty of room to make a few customizations while staying authentic, and further down I've included two authentic variations with photos so you can see exactly what I mean: a healthy Bolognese with leaner beef and less fat, and a white wine Bolognese, both with about 133 fewer calories per serving.

Dispelling a Couple of Myths About Bolognese Sauce

Here's a surprising truth about Bologna, Italy - not every Bolognese sauce made here is created equal. After 19 years of traveling and eating my way through Bologna, I've discovered that even in the birthplace of ragù alla bolognese, quality can vary dramatically.

While tourist-trap restaurants and viral 'must-try' YouTube spots may promise "authentic" experiences, many serve mediocre versions of this classic sauce. It's fairly easy to get subpar Bolognese sauce...even in Bologna.

Why? The short answer is that often shortcuts and subpar ingredients take the place of passion and authenticity. There are plenty of savvy business owners who care more about their bottom line than abiding by that tasty thing called 'tradition'.

They're running a numbers game with an endless turnover of tourists just waiting to try this iconic ragù at a premium. Rinse, wash, repeat - it's like this with any regional dish in any highly touristed city in the world.

Traditional Bolognese pasta in any form typically costs anywhere between €9-€18 per portion, depending on whether you're ordering it from a d'asporto (takeout place), a butcher shop to be reheated at home, or dining in a restaurant or trattoria. And FYI, Lasagna will not be served in ginormous portions as you'll find in the States. Instead, it's usually served in 250g to 330g portions, which is the perfect amount.

And sometimes even when it looks perfect and is made from scratch (like in the lasagna alla Bolognese photo just above), it can still have a lackluster flavor compared to others in the city.

What Makes Bolognese Sauce Authentic?

The short answer: the ingredients and how long it's cooked. There are as many variations of authentic Bolognese as there are Nonna's making it. This is because there's a lot of flexibility within the parameters of traditional ingredients used and the order in which they are added to the sauce.

This means you can create your own Authentic Bolognese but still make it totally your own. Below is a list of traditional ingredients (some must be included, while others are optional).

Authentic Bolognese Ingredients:

• beef (must be included: usually the neck, skirt, or well-marbled chuck works great and even better if you can get your butcher to grind it twice -some recipes include a little veal, but this really isn't seen much and it's not necessary or worth the higher price when making Bolognese)
• pork (you will almost always find some type of pork in bolognese, most often pancetta, but prosciutto di Parma, pork belly, and ground pork may also be added. If pork meat is not added, it will still usually add pork fat or 'strutto' (lard) for both flavor and texture)

• soffritto (must be included: the holy trinity of Italian cooking: onions, carrots, and celery usually finely diced, but more rustic versions use a regular dice)

• tomato (must be included, but not an exaggerated amount, because Bolognese is not meant to be a 'tomato sauce with beef'. Instead, it's supposed to be a beef ragù with tomatoes. Options include: tomato paste, canned tomatoes, or tomato passata)
• fat (extra virgin olive oil, or a combination of extra virgin olive oil and butter, or 'strutto' (lard) is used, although much less often - in Italy, I have never seen canola oil or any other fat besides EVOO, butter, or lard used in a real Bolognese recipe)
  
• milk or heavy cream (optional and almost always used: whole milk is used most often, but occasionally a little heavy cream can be added just before tossing it with the pasta)
  
• wine (red wine and white wine are both used, with red wine being the most traditional and our favorite for its robust flavor compared to the more delicate white wine Bolognese; stick to a dry red like Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet, or Pinot Nero, for white wine bolognese see the Variations section below)
  
• homemade meat broth (beef broth is used most often, but chicken broth is also used and delicious - it's worth it to make your own broth from scratch (I make mine in a pressure cooker in 30-45 minutes), but any low-sodium store-bought broth will work)
  
• freshly grated whole nutmeg (optional and rarely used, this spice adds a little warmth to the sauce but isn't required -- a little goes a long way, and try not to use pre-ground nutmeg because it doesn't taste the same)
  
• bay leaf (optional and rarely used as a subtle addition of flavor, but don't leave it simmering in the sauce too long, because it can overpower the other flavors)

• chicken livers (this has historically been used in some traditional Bolognese sauces for extra depth, but isn't used as often as perhaps it once was)

I've included the Official Bolognese Recipe below (courtesy of the Bologna Chamber of Commerce) towards the end of the post for you to reference. 

Traditional Cooking Method for Authentic Bolognese

Here are the basics for cooking Bolognese that'll give you the melt-in-your-mouth quality it's known for.

• Cook it in an earthenware pot or enameled cast iron pot (but don't let it be a deterrent if you don't have one, just use stainless steel)
  
• Cook it covered on the lowest flame possible while still maintaining a gentle simmer. (Bolognese needs to be gently simmered so it can withstand the longer cooking time that's necessary to go from 'sauce' to a bonified 'ragù')
  
• Cook it for an absolute minimum of 2 ½ hours (but even better for 4 or 5 hours; this recipe usually takes 4 to 4 ½ hours total from beginning to end, from when I first start sautéing the vegetables to the finished ragù)
• Allow ample time in between the addition of each new ingredient (the vegetables, pork, beef, and wine) in order to allow the moisture to evaporate from each ingredient before adding the next (this helps concentrate the flavors in the finished sauce)
  
• Allow adequate time for the alcohol to burn off before adding the next ingredients. A major mistake often made when cooking with wine is not knowing how long to let the alcohol cook (to evaporate) before adding the next ingredient (usually another liquid like stock or tomatoes). If you don't give the alcohol time to burn off, you can easily ruin the dish. Below is a good rule of thumb that works great and will help keep you in the safe zone for this sauce or any recipe calling for wine:
  • When you're adding around 1 to 3 tablespoons of wine to a sauce and working in a sautê pan or skillet, give it 3 to 5 minutes for the alcohol to cook off.
  • When you're adding ½ to ¾ cups, give it about 10-15 minutes to cook off.
  • When you're adding 1 cup or more to a sauce, give it anywhere from 20 to 25 minutes to cook off before adding any other liquid. 
    
• The ragù should be cooked until the fat noticeably separates from the meat and the rest of the sauce. (You'll see in the photo below that even with the Healthy Bolognese variation, which uses leaner beef and very little olive oil, and no butter, the fat still separates nicely when the ragù is ready. The separation is more noticeable in the main recipe because it uses more olive oil and butter, but when paired with fresh egg pasta and a splash of pasta water to combine, it becomes emulsified and absoultely heavenly.)

Ingredients You Won't Find in an Authentic Bolognese Recipe

The purpose of this post is to get down to the nitty-gritty of what is and isn't in a true Bolognese sauce. Of course, you can happily break all the rules when you're cooking in your own kitchen (I do it all the time!), but maybe give your ragù a fun, slightly different name if you do veer off the path.

• garlic (although not found traditionally, home cooks sometimes use it - 1 or 2 smashed garlic cloves (not chopped or minced) added to the sauce and then removed just before serving). It tastes great and doesn't make the ragù overly garlicky, or overpower the authentic flavor of the sauce. Note, I've added a few cloves of garlic to my white wine bolognese sauce variation to taste it, and it's still delicious, just not original/authentic.
• oregano
• rosemary
• sage
• thyme
• basil
• Worcestershire sauce
• beef bouillon (although if you need it to make a low-sodium beef broth go for it)
• American bacon(although I'm positive it would taste great and lend a really nice smokiness to the sauce, much like a 'pancetta affumicata' or smoked pancetta)

Authentic Bolognese Sauce Ingredients

This is the recipe I use in my authentic Lasagne alla Bolognese. It uses butter along with the olive oil for a richer, smoother ragù. You can add a couple of smashed garlic cloves if you like, just remove them before serving.

• extra virgin olive oil
• unsalted butter
• onions
• carrots
• celery
• ground pancetta (you can finely mince it if you don't have a food processor)
• ground beef (well-marbled cuts like the neck, skirt, chuck, or sirloin)
• dry red wine such as Sangiovese di Romagna (sub cabernet, merlot, pinot nero, or other dry red wine)
• homemade chicken broth (use low sodium store-bought for convenience)
• whole milk
• tomato passata
• tomato paste (sub regular tomato paste)
• salt and black pepper to taste

How to Make Authentic Bolognese Sauce

Step 1. Make the Soffrito: Sauté the vegetables in extra-virgin olive oil and melted butter, adding them one at a time and allowing each to cook for a few minutes before adding the next (this concentrates flavor).

Step 2. Cook the Pork. Add the pancetta to the vegetables and cook (about 10 minutes) or until cooked through.

Step 3. Cook the beef in two stages: Add ½ the beef and cook until no longer pink and it's lost most of its moisture (about 5 minutes). Then add the last ½ of the beef and cook until no longer pink and it's lost its moisture (about 10 minutes).

Step 4. Deglaze the pot with wine. Add the wine and cook for 20 minutes.

Step 5. Add the remaining ingredients & slow simmer. Add the tomato passata and the tomato paste diluted in chicken stock and milk. Cover and simmer for 2 ½ hours. Use it right away for pasta or lasagna, or cool it and store it.

How to Store Bolognese Sauce (Portion, Freeze, Reheat & Eat)

Bolognese sauce tastes even better the day after it's made. If you want to meal prep it, you can make it up to 3 days in advance, allow it to cool completely, and refrigerate it in an airtight container until ready to use. 

Bolognese sauce also freezes really well. Portion it into 225-250g (about 1 cup) portions in an airtight container, cover the top with parchment paper or wax paper, and freeze it for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and when ready to use it, reheat it slowly over low heat.

Real Pasta Bolognese Photos (From Bologna, Italy & the Greater Emilia-Romagna Region)

Pasta Bolognese varies from restaurant to restaurant and home to home, and these photos of real Bolognese from the region are proof of that.

Hopefully, this will help give you a better idea of what to expect if you travel there, or just want to make it at home. For the most part, the sauce is very creamy and has an orangeish-red color from the addition of tomato paste or tomatoes, and sometimes milk or butter.

The ragù itself typically has small bits of beef and pancetta, and vegetables that seem to mostly melt into the sauce. If you want to mimic this style, be sure to finely chop or grind the beef and pancetta, finely dice the soffrito, and add plenty of milk.

Bolognese Sauce Variations

The recipe above is the Bolognese we make most often. Over years of cooking and eating our way through Bologna and the greater Emilia-Romagna region, it's the version we keep coming back to.

Below are two authentic variations for when you want something a little different: a healthier Bolognese with less fat, and a white wine version that leans a bit more delicate. Both are traditional, absolutely delicious, and both start from the same foundation as the main recipe.

Variation 1: Healthy Bolognese

This is a slightly more refined, slightly less bright, less fatty-unctuous take on the main recipe. It uses leaner beef, less pancetta, no butter, less milk, beef stock instead of chicken stock, and much less olive oil, so the flavor stays intense and you get discernible bits of pork and vegetables in each bite.

The method differs slightly, too: the pancetta renders first, the soffitto is cooked altogether instead of in stages, and the simmer is a bit shorter. Yet, still perfectly delicious and authentic!

Healthy Bolognese Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or more to taste (30g)
• 2 medium onions, finely diced (9 ½ ounces) (270g)
• 2 medium carrots, peeled, finely diced (6 ounces) (170g)
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced (3 ½ ounces) (100g)
• ½ cup (4 ounces) Mutti finely chopped canned tomatoes (120g)
• 1 pound lean 90/10 ground beef (450g)
• 6 ½ ounces cubed pancetta, finely chopped (185g)
• ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (5 ounces) dry red wine (like Sangiovese, Pinot Nero, Cabernet) (150g)
• 2 ½ to 3 cups low-sodium homemade beef stock, or store-bought (240g-720g)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons double concentrated tomato paste (30g-45g) (sub regular tomato paste)
• 1 cup whole milk, or more to taste (240g)
• salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

How to Make Healthy Bolognese Sauce Step-by-Step Photos

1. Render the fat from the pancetta. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, add the pancetta, and cook for approximately 15 minutes to allow some of the fat to render.
2. Cook the soffritto. Add the onions, celery, and carrots to the pot, season with a little salt, and sauté for 8-10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and the moisture has evaporated.
3. Cook the beef. Add the beef to the pot, breaking it up into small pieces with the back of a spoon, season with salt, and cook until no longer pink and the moisture has evaporated, about 15 minutes.
4. Deglaze the pan and add the tomatoes and broth. Add the wine while scraping the browned bits (the fond) from the bottom of the pan. Let the mixture cook for 3-5 minutes to allow the alcohol to evaporate. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and beef stock and stir everything well to combine. Season with a little salt and black pepper, reduce the heat to low, and gently simmer covered, stirring occasionally for approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours. Adjust seasonings. See recipe notes for how to season so you don't end up with an overly salty Bolognese after it has reduced.
5. Add the milk and finish the ragù. Add milk to the sauce, cover with the lid left slightly ajar, and continue simmering over low heat, stirring occasionally until the milk is absorbed, about 45 minutes, adding more beef stock by ¼ cup at a time to thin it out only if needed. Turn off the heat, adjust the seasonings, and serve right away, or cool it to room temperature, and store it in the refrigerator or freezer. Enjoy!

Variation 2: White Wine Bolognese

White wine Bolognese is a traditional, more delicate version that lets the brightness of the tomato and the savoriness of the meat come through without the deeper notes of a red. It's the style often used for tagliatelle and pappardelle. To make it, follow the Healthy Bolognese recipe and ingredients above with these 3 changes:

• Swap the wine. Replace the ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (150g) dry red wine with the same amount of dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio, Pecorino, or Sauvignon blanc.
• Swap the beef stock for chicken stock.
• Omit the tomato paste.

Everything else stays the same.

How to Make White Wine Bolognese Sauce Step-by-Step Photos

A note on garlic: you can add a smashed clove or two with the soffritto if you like, but it's not a traditional ingredient found in an authentic Bolognese, nor is it needed for flavor. Your kitchen, your rules!

Bolognese Substitutions

While these substitutions and variations will never create an authentic Bolognese ragù, they are good ways to still make something tasty if you have health, dietary, or religious restrictions for specific ingredients.

• Make a slow cooker Bolognese. Transfer the sauce to a slow cooker after you've added the milk, tomatoes, and broth, and cook on low for 6 hours. For the healthy variation, transfer after adding the tomatoes and broth, cook on low for 5 hours, then add the milk and cook 1 hour more.
• No-Wine Bolognese Sauce. Substitute wine with equal amounts of chicken broth or beef broth.
• No-Pork Bolognese Sauce. Omit the pork and continue with the recipe as is, or substitute the pork with equal amounts of beef.
• Dairy-Free Bolognese Sauce. Omit the butter and substitute extra virgin olive oil, and substitute the milk with chicken or beef broth.
• Make a Kosher Bolognese Sauce. Omit any dairy called for in the recipe (butter or milk) and any pork, and instead use only olive oil and beef.
• Make a turkey 'Bolognese'. Okay, if we're being technical, there's no such thing, but if you're trying to eat less beef, substitute it with ground dark turkey meat and give it a great name like "Gobbler Ragù".

A Note About "Spaghetti Bolognese"

I'm going to take a minute to gently clear the air. In Italy, Spaghetti Bolognese is a pasta dish that doesn't exist. There is no such thing as Spaghetti Bolognese Sauce, Spaghetti alla Bolognese, Spaghetti Bolonaise, Spaghetti Bolognaise, or slow cooker Spag Bol.

That's really a long list, I know, but unfortunately, it's what this time-honored ragù has been reduced to outside of Italy.

You won't find Bolognese sauce served with spaghetti in Italy unless (unfortunately), you happen to be in a tourist-only (often foreign-owned) restaurant catering to other foreigners. In all my years here, I've never actually even seen the dish offered anywhere, but scammers are gonna scam, so I'm sure it's happening somewhere.

Italians consider spaghetti to be too small of a shape without enough surface area to fully complement or hold up to this hearty ragù. And egg pasta is considered the gold standard (not semolina) to serve with Bolognese.

If you're a die-hard spaghetti bolognese fan, that's cool - it's your kitchen, and this is why cooking at home is so awesome! But I recommend also trying it with an egg pasta like tagliatelle or pappardelle to see how the sauce complements the pasta and elevates the entire dish.

Ragù vs Bolognese 

In Italy, "ragù" is a general term or umbrella category used to describe meat sauces that are simmered for hours using a low and slow cooking method similar to braising.

You're probably familiar with some of these regional ragùs like the duck ragù from here in the Veneto, or the Neapolitan ragù with its mixed cuts of meat. So, Bolognese is a ragù from Bologna (or ragù made in the Bologna style). On the other hand, a sauce or "sugo" can be cooked in 30 minutes or less.

FAQs

More Bolognese Recipes

If you love authentic Bolognese and pasta as much as we do, here are a few more recipes to inspire your next dinner.