Easy Italian Bolognese Sauce – When I first thought to try to duplicate a bolognese (pronounced bó-lu‘neyz) sauce served at a little Italian restaurant in my town called Pomodoro’s, I looked up several recipes on the net and came up with my own version. This deliciously chunky sauce is so good and easy to make, you’ll be throwing it in the oven or Crock Pot every time you turn around. 😊
To clarify, my sauce doesn’t taste exactly like Pomodoro’s. That’s not to say mine is better than theirs or theirs better than mine. I love them both!
I didn’t measure a single thing that first time, I rarely ever do, but this sauce is never a failure no matter how much of each ingredient you use. However, don’t go overboard with the thyme! That will ruin it. Serve it over any type of cooked pasta or roasted spaghetti squash.
Easy Italian Bolognese Sauce
Most importantly, keep in mind my recipes are usually in large quantities. This sauce is great for freezing the leftovers in smaller portions, or one big portion for making a fabulous lasagna down the road! Moreover, we also love it for several nights of delicious leftovers. And the recipe can easily be cut in half. 🙂
The recipe calls for finely diced carrots and celery, however, you can make this sauce chunkier by cutting them into larger pieces.
Created by Melissa Woolard | Culinary Craftiness
Ingredients
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 lb. sausage
- 4–15 oz. cans tomato sauce (or 2 jars of your favorite pasta sauce)
- 2–15 oz. cans diced tomatoes
- 4-6 carrots, finely diced
- 4-6 stalks of celery, finely diced (or 2 teaspoons celery seed)
- 2 large onions, finely diced
- 2 heaping tsps. jarred minced garlic
- 1 tbsp. each rosemary, oregano, parsley, thyme
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 2-3 glugs of your favorite red wine (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (or evaporated milk)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F while browning meats, onions, and garlic in a large oven-safe stockpot or Dutch oven. Drain off fat.
- Add in everything else, but the cream. Stir well, cover tightly with a lid, and cook in oven for 3 hours. Carefully remove from oven, stir, and return to oven for 2-3 more hours.
- Remove from oven and stir in 1 cup of heavy whipping cream. Serve over cooked pasta or roasted spaghetti squash.
Notes
You can make this sauce chunkier by cutting the carrots and celery into larger pieces, or smoother by dicing them into smaller pieces.
This bolognese recipe is easy enough as is, but I also use a shortcut with jarred spaghetti meat sauce on occasion. Our favorite, by far, is Mid’s. In addition, buy pre-chopped veggies and already cooked Jimmy Dean’s Sausage Crumbles to get a jump on the prep work. Once the pot is full and in the oven, it’s just a matter of time… You won’t believe how good your house will smell!
Happy eating!
