Easy Bolognese Sauce

Bolognese is a homemade Italian sauce your family will love. This easy recipe doesn’t take long, but it will taste like it’s been simmering all day! Ground beef and Italian sausage come together in this wonderfully rich and flavorful tomato sauce.

This is sort of the quick and easy of my authentic beef ragu recipe that needs to simmer for hours.

Why this recipe works:

If I were to tell you that we had spaghetti and meat sauce once a week, I wouldn’t be lying.

To me, a homemade Bolognese sauce is one of the tastiest things I make for dinner. More times than not, I’ll cheat and just use jarred marinara sauce that I pick up at the store. But on those days when I either run out or want a really good homemade spaghetti sauce, this is the recipe I use.

• This recipe really just tastes like a super flavorful thick tomato based marinara sauce with meat.
• Some recipes only use ground beef or sausage, not both. I prefer to use both because it gives the best flavor.
• This is a thick sauce that really sticks to the pasta. I will cook my sauce long enough to let enough of the moisture evaporate such that when I scrape the pan, the spoon leaves a trail.

Ingredients needed:

I make my sauce with the following ingredients, but you can tweak based on your preferences. This is a very forgiving recipe, so play around with it!

• Equal portions of ground beef and spicy Italian sausage. I try to cook with grass fed ground beef whenever possible and I like to get the spicy sausage in bulk from the meat counter.
• Red pepper flakes for a little kick and salt. Start low with the salt because you can always add more. The sausage you’re using might already be really salty.
• Extra virgin olive oil – invest in a good one.
• Onion, garlic, celery and carrot. I like all of my veggies to be diced or even grated for this sauce.
• Crushed tomatoes. I use canned unless I have ripe paste tomatoes from the garden.
• Fresh parsley and basil. I can never get enough basil.

How to make this recipe:

1. Using a super large skillet (cast iron is my favorite), you’re going to brown the meat with the red pepper flakes and salt over medium high heat. I use a wooden spoon to chop it up while it’s cooking so that it’s nice and crumbly. I also try not to stir it too often so that it has a chance to brown. You’ll then transfer it to a plate temporarily.
2. Using the same pan with all that wonderful flavor, you’ll saute the onion first followed by the garlic, celery and carrot in the olive oil.
3. You’ll add the meat back to the pan along with the remaining ingredients. Give it a good stir to combine and then continue to cook over medium low heat until the sauce thickens. This should only take about a half hour or so. Plenty of time for you to make the pasta, toss the salad, and enjoy your first glass of wine!

What to serve with this recipe:

Whenever I make this recipe I always serve it with some kind of pasta, homemade ravioli, or classic lasagna.

You can make your meal even better by swapping out the pasta for pesto zoodles or roasted spaghetti squash.

I almost always make a nice kale Caesar salad and roasted garlic bread to serve with Bolognese too.

Storing and reheating:

If you plan on eating your leftovers within the next few days, store this recipe in an air tight container in the refrigerator. If refrigerated, I would try to eat within 3-5 days at the most. Trust your nose and don’t eat it if it smells off.

For longer term storage, you can either store in a plastic container or resealable plastic storage bag and freeze. Just be sure to allow the sauce to fully cool before you freeze it and to eliminate as much air as possible to avoid freezer burn.

It will last for months in the freezer, especially if there is no air in your container.

Reheating this sauce is super easy.

• If frozen, it’s best to allow it to thaw in the refrigerator before cooking. I usually don’t plan out my dinners that far ahead, so I’ve been known to throw the frozen sauce right in the pan and heat on low until it’s heated through.
• I don’t often like to reheat leftover Bolognese (or anything with meat) in the microwave. You can, but I much prefer using a pot on the stove top.
• If you’re worried about your sauce getting to thick, just cover it with a lid while you reheat it. You can always add store bought marinara sauce to your leftover Bolognese if you need more too.

This is one of my favorite recipes to make for dinner along with some Ratatouille, homemade pasta or cheese ravioli. YUM!