Marcella Hazan’s Bolognese sauce recipe is authentic as can be and is, according to many we’ve heard of the absolute best Bolognese sauce recipe ever. It’s also easy and impressive.
Marcella Hazan, in her inimitable fashion, offers the home cook an authentic Bolognese sauce recipe, the traditional kind an Italian grandmother would approve of, thank you very much. This is my version of her recipe, with very subtle tweaks. It takes a while to make, although most of the time the Bolognese is spent simmering, unattended, on the back burner except for occasionally making lazy eights with a wooden spoon.–David Leite
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☞ Contents
Bolognese Sauce FAQs
What’s the difference between Bolognese and spaghetti sauce?
In essence, Bolognese sauce is spaghetti sauce. Though it’s no ordinary meat sauce. It’s a long, slowly simmered sauce that’s richer and creamier than your everyday marinara due to the inclusion of milk. It also is less predominated by tomatoes than your typical marinara. It’s named for its city of origin, Bologna.
Is there really no garlic, oregano, and basil in traditional Bolognese?
Believe it or not, traditional Bolognese contains none of the aromatic herbs or spices that many consider necessary in all Italian dishes. You may be tempted to add them, but do your best to resist. The nutmeg is a must – don’t leave that out.
In This Recipe
Marcella Hazan’s Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 8 tablespoons (4 oz) unsalted butter divided
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 1/3 cups chopped celery
- 1 1/3 cups chopped carrot
- 1 pound ground chuck (I used 1/2 pound chuck and 1/2 pound veal)
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or a pinch ground nutmeg
- 2 cups dry white wine
- 3 cups canned imported Italian San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand with their juice
- As much pasta as you wish (Marcella prefers tagliatelle) cooked and drained
- Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese at the table
Directions
- In a heavy 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the oil and 6 tablespoons butter until the butter melts and stops foaming. Toss in the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Toss in the celery and carrot and cook, stirring to coat them with the oil and butter, for 2 minutes.
- Add the chuck and pork, a very healthy pinch of salt, and a goodly amount of pepper. Crumble the meat with a wooden spoon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meats have lost their raw red color.
- Reduce the heat to low. Pour in the milk and simmer gently, stirring frequently, until the liquid has completely evaporated, about 1 hour.
- Stir in the nutmeg. Pour in the wine and gently simmer, stirring frequently, until it's evaporated, about 1 1/4 hours more.
- Add the tomato purée or crushed tomatoes and stir well. When the tomato puree begins to bubble, turn down the heat so that the sauce cooks at the laziest of simmers with just an intermittent bubble breaking the surface.
- Cook, uncovered, for 3 hours or more, stirring from time to time. While the sauce is burbling away, there's a chance that it'll start drying out. To keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pot and scorching, add 1/2 cup water if necessary, just know that it's crucial that by the time the sauce has finished simmering, the water should be completely evaporated, and the fat should separate from the sauce.
- Take a spoonful—or two—of sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the hot pasta and toss with the sauce. Serve with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano on the side.
Notes
What You Need To Know About Making The Most Classic Italian Bolognese
Following are some techniques and tricks to ensure the most classic Italian Bolognese: The more marbled the meat, the sweeter the ragu. (The most desirable cut of meat is the neck portion of the chuck. You may have to special order it from your butcher.) It’s important to salt the meat as soon as it hits the pan. This draws out the juices and imparts flavor to the Bolognese. Use a heavy pot that will retain heat. I use my Le Creuset 5-quart Dutch oven. Avoid using cast-iron, as the acid can interact with the metal and turn the sauce a blech color.Show Nutrition
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This is the perfect recipe to make if you’re stuck in the house doing chores and can’t leave. A little prep work and a little stir every now and then gives you a wonderful smell throughout your house and a nice, thick sauce for your pasta. I love that there isn’t a strong tomato taste to this sauce, unlike most commercial jar sauces. This is pure, hearty, stick-to-your-ribs comfort food.
All you need is some warm bread and you have a meal. The next time I make it I’ll probably omit the oil, as I felt there was a little too much oil floating on top when it was ready to serve.
Originally published January 31, 2012
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If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
I have a 3.5 qt. dutch oven. Is it large enough for this bolognese sauce? I can’t wait to make it for my grandson.
Marie, a 3.5-quart Dutch oven will likely be very full, probably close to overflowing. Do you have a large pot you could use?
Turned out great! Just wondering if you’re supposed to drain the grease after cooking the meat, before adding the milk? Just feel like that overpowered my sauce.
Becca, we are delighted to hear that your sauce turned out so well. The fat adds flavor to the sauce and should give you the best results. Thank you for taking the time to comment, it is much appreciated!
Thank you for the recipe.
I want to ask if anyone else has a lot of fat left in the pot one hour after letting it simmer with milk? I didnt wait for it to ”evaporate” so I removed it with a scoop. Then continued normally. Turned out good tho!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Walt. It is normal to have fat in the pot after simmering, as the fat won’t ever really evaporate. It’s fine to leave it in there as it adds tremendous flavor to your sauce.
Great recipe, but if you want a silky smooth sauce (my kids (21, 16, & 10) don’t like chunky sauces) sauté all your veggies (garlic the last 5 mins) in the butter, then when they’re nice and tender put them and your tomatoes in a blender and purée. I then brown my meat and add the sauce back to my Dutch oven with all the yummy drippings, then I add the wine and milk and cook on low for 3 hours. The result is this complex rich silky meat sauce that freezes really well so I double the batch every time I make it.
Wonderful, Cassandra. The variation sounds amazing and making extra is always a good idea! Thank you for taking the time to comment.
I made this today, and even with salting as I go, I found the sauce terribly bland. I added garlic, oregano and basil as I had seen these in many other recipes for bolognese that were well rated. One thousand million times better. I loved the richness and the not-too-sweet flavor.
We’re glad you found a way to make this work for you, Darlene.