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, found in her cookbook, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, 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.
☞ Read the Article: In Defense of Grandmother Cooking
Bolognese Sauce FAQs
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.
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.
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 of ground nutmeg
- 2 cups dry white wine
- 3 cups canned imported San Marzano tomatoes, (Italian plum tomatoes) with their juice
- As much pasta as you wish (Marcella prefers tagliatelle), cooked and drained
- Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, at the table
Instructions
- 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 just 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 crushed tomatoes and stir well. When the sauce 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.
- Taste a spoonful—or two—of sauce and season with salt and some good grindings of 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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.
Hi, I’m looking at Marcella’s recipe right from her book ; essentials of classic Italian cooking and this recipe is off. It calls for one cup of milk and one cup of wine. Plus 4 tablespoons of butter, not 8 and only 3/4lb ground beef.
I learned how to cook from my aunt and grandparents from Sicily so I know how to adjust. This recipe just seemed off to me which is why I pulled out my book.
Kim, if you look at the recipe, I say it’s my take on her dish. I also explained what to do with the meat. But also, if you look closely, you’ll see all the ingredients are doubled, because this makes twice as much as her recipe. That’s why the double butter, milk, and wine.
Yes, makes sense when it’s a long cook like this (and freezes so well) to double the recipe. I’m glad I found your take on this before I started — I’m happy to have some in the freezer 😉
Wonderful, Robert!
That is because the recipe is halved. Normally 2 cups wine 2 cups milk 8 tbsp butter 1 1/2 meat. I don’t think anything was wrong with the recipe
Yes, you’re correct, Cheryl. The base ingredients for the recipe are doubled. Who wouldn’t want twice as much of this amazing sauce?!
This recipe is killer. My husband and I have each made it, with slight variations, and both times it turned out insanely good. 5 stars!
So happy that you and your husband both loved this sauce, Ali! Would love to hear of your variations.
Hi, I made this exactly as written over the fall and it was amazing! I paired it with fresh homemade pasta. How would substituting the white wine with red wine be? That’s all I have at the moment. Do I substitute it cup for cup?
Jj, the white wine is traditional, but you can make it with the same amount of red. The flavor will be a little different and likely a bit more robust.
I made this recipe over the weekend and it was …… perfection. Grateful to all the previous comments (I think I read all of them), I followed Marcellas recipe to a T, adding milk then wine, with the only exception being I didn’t use veal or pork (only because I didn’t have any). The result was an intensely flavoured, perfectly rich Bolognese. I tripled the recipe, used two Le Creusets simultaneously!, and it still turned out amazing. Grazie Marcella!
Hi June, isn’t this an amazing recipe? I just love it, comfort food at its finest and perfect for this chilly weather.
I’ve made this many times now and it is a family favorite! So glad to have found the recipe. Question, can I make it with fresh tomatoes? And how would I prepare them?
Hi Jacqueline, you can certainly use fresh tomatoes though you might want to remove the skins to make the sauce smoother.