Ragu Bolognese Sauce

This rich and hearty Ragu Bolognese Sauce is an easy Italian-inspired meat sauce made on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot. Serve over your favorite pasta for a comforting family dinner that's packed with flavor.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword bolognese-sauce, ragu-bolognese-sauce

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 55

Servings servings

Calories 505kcal

Ingredients

4 slices bacon or pancetta cooked and finely crumbled
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1 lb mild Italian sausage
3 medium carrots diced
2 ribs celery diced
1 medium sweet onion diced
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp dry Italian seasoning or oregano
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional
1 28 oz can Italian seasoned diced tomatoes
1 28 oz can tomato puree
1 cup low sodium beef stock (may use 1/2 cup beef stock and 1/2 cup red or white wine)
4 Tbsp tomato paste plus additional as needed to thicken
2 medium bay leaves
1/2 cup heavy cream
cooked pasta, i.e. spaghetti or pappardelle and grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions

Cook bacon (or pancetta) in a large 6 quart Dutch oven medium-high heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain, then crumble. Reserve 2-3 Tbsp drippings in pot and freeze or discard the rest. (You can skip this step and begin with olive oil.)
Add beef and sausage, cooking over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes or until browned and no pink remains, stir to crumble. Use a slotted spoon to remove beef-pork mixture from pan to a plate to keep warm.
Over medium-high heat add carrot, celery and onion to the drippings left in pan. Add additional olive oil, if needed. Sauté for 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until softened and beginning to brown. Scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
To the veggies add add meat mixture, diced tomatoes, tomato puree, beef stock, tomato paste, salt, Italian seasoning, onion powder, pepper, red pepper flakes and bay leaves; bring to a boil. (Pro Tip: You can replace 1/2 cup stock with wine, if desired) Cover with lid, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Uncover and remove bay leaves, and discard. Stir in heavy cream. Mix well.
Thicken further with additional tomato paste 1 Tbsp at a time. Repeat until desired consistency is reached.
Serve immediately ladled over cooked spaghetti, rigatoni, pappardelle, or tagliatelle. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and a sprinkling of parsley.
Ragu Bolognese Sauce Instant Pot: Bonus Instructions
Set Instant Pot to sauté preset. To the pot add olive oil, carrots, celery, onion and bacon. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes or until the vegetables have softened and beginning to brown.
Next, add ground beef, sausage, salt, onion powder, Italian seasoning, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mix well. Continue to cook on sauté preset, until no pink remains.
To the beef add diced tomatoes, tomato puree, chicken stock and tomato paste. Mix well, until tomato paste has melted. Add bay leaves.Set Instant Pot to High-Pressure cooking for 20 minutes. (Make sure the valve is closed).
After 20 minutes, quick release the pressure. Remove bay leaves, then add the cream. Mix until fully blended. Thicken further with additional tomato paste, adding 1 Tbsp at a time. Repeat until desired consistency is reached.
Serve immediately ladled over cooked spaghetti, rigatoni, pappardelle pasta, or tagliatelle. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.

Notes

Protein - You can make Bolognese sauce using only ground beef for an all beef ragu, ground veal or ground pork or any combination based on your preference. I use beef and Italian seasoned pork sausage in this recipe.
Bacon - Bolognese doesn't typically include bacon, but it adds a nice smoky flavor to the sauce overall. You may opt to use pancetta instead or omit it altogether, if that's your preference.
Pasta - What's the best pasta to use with a Bolognese? Classic pasta would be a wide pasta to soak up all of the sauce. That said, it's your party so, you can serve it ladled over spaghetti, rigatoni, pappardelle, or tagliatelle.
Cheese - You can top bolognese with any cheese you like. Grated Parmesan is always a go-to option, but you could use mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano or gouda.
Fresh Herbs - You can top bolognese with fresh basil, rosemary, oregano or chives.

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