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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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.
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 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 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.
Well it’s 5 hours later and I have to say it DID NOT disappoint. Absolutely delicious. Thanks soo much for the recipes, with all the great reviews I knew it had to be great. I will definitely go buy her cookbook knowing I made this recipe and it was GREAT………
My cans of tomatoes Say canned weight 400g and net drained em weight 260g. Which am I using please?
Sd, you’re not going to be draining your tomatoes. Dump enough from the cans into a bowl to measure 3 cups, then crush them by hand. You will probably need about 2 cans.
Fantastic, Carmen! We’re so pleased that you enjoyed this and that it turned out so well. Please let us know what you try next.
I have Marcella’s cookbooks and use this recipe all the time. Never fails! Fantastic with fresh tomatoes from my garden. I make a lot of this sauce during the harvest season and freeze it in portions. Yummy and yummy and yummy!
Wonderful, Christine! We’re so pleased you enjoy this again and again! Please let us know which recipe you try next.
This is the best hands down! Have make countless times and never ever disappoints. Leftover sauce is amazing on my homemade pizza!
We couldn’t agree more, Yvonne. I love the pizza suggestion!
This is my go to recipe/method. The key is to use the mix of meats (beef, pork, veal) and it really is a case of less is more. All beef is just too strong. Maybe also a few chicken livers but only a 1/4 pound to that recipe quantity. Always white wine rather than red. You can be very authentic and finish off with a dollop of cream stirred in at the end (originally the cream that rises off full fat milk).
Can anyone translate this into UK measurements, please?
How many grams of mince?
How many grams (tins) of tomatoes (crushed or plum)?
How many carrots?
How many onions?
How many celery sticks?
How many ml of milk?
Kirsty, if you click on the US/Metric toggle button at the top of the ingredient list, you’ll be able to see the metric equivalents for the ingredients.
Thanks, Tim.
I like the approach sans garlic, oregano, basil. The sauce has just about simmered out the wine in the last hour and I’m ready to add the tomatoes. I added one item. Pancetta, just a 1/4 lb, diced small and fried in the olive oil until browning a little before adding the onions, celery and carrot dice. Ok two things. A double tablespoon of beef bouillon paste from a jar while the meat and veggies were cooked most of the way down and before the milk..
Nice, William. It sounds like you have a wonderful dinner ahead of you.