In this article, we will take you on a culinary journey to discover the "Best Bolognese Recipe Ever." This classic Italian dish of slow-simmered meat sauce, rich and flavorful, has captured the hearts and taste buds of food enthusiasts worldwide. Whether you're a seasoned cook looking to perfect your Bolognese or a beginner seeking to master the art of Italian cooking, this guide will provide you with the necessary knowledge, tips, and ingredients to create an extraordinary Bolognese that will leave your taste buds craving for more.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
BEST EVER BOLOGNESE SAUCE
We take some of the basics of traditional bolognese and then add a few twists to bump up the flavor even further. Layers and layers of flavor mingle together to create a depth and richness that will make your taste buds sing!
Provided by Kimberly Killebrew
Categories Entree Main Course
Time 5h10m
Number Of Ingredients 25
Steps:
- Fry the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until done (don't drain the bacon grease). Add the butter and the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook until softened, 5-7 minutes.
- Add the ground beef, veal, sausage and salt and cook until no pink remains. Add the milk, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
- Add the consomme, white and red wine, tomatoes and all remaining ingredients except for the parsley. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Uncover and continue simmering on very low for another 2 hours. If the bolognese is too runny, uncover and simmer another 30 minutes or until sufficiently thickened. Stir in the parsley and simmer for another minute.
- Serve over pasta (fresh is best) with some freshly grated aged Italian cheese.
- Note: This sauce freezes well and can be used in any pasta dish, including lasagna.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 538 kcal, Carbohydrate 11 g, Protein 27 g, Fat 38 g, SaturatedFat 17 g, Cholesterol 131 mg, Sodium 987 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 7 g, ServingSize 1 serving
THE BEST BOLOGNESE
Our bolognese is rich and meaty, yet surprisingly light on the tomato. Instead, its base is made from a classic combination of wine and milk. The combination of pork, beef and pancetta adds a complex depth of flavor that using one type of meat couldn't provide. A Parmesan rind is another key ingredient. If you have homemade chicken stock, now is the time to use it. We tried it with boxed broth but weren't thrilled with the results, so we prefer water instead.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories main-dish
Time 3h15m
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Combine the beef and pork in a large bowl. "Pull" the ground meat apart with two forks as if you were shredding pulled pork, breaking up the clumps and incorporating the meat without compacting it. Continue to pull the meat apart until thoroughly mixed and no clumps remain.
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Cook the pancetta, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and is golden brown on all sides, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the pancetta with a slotted spoon to a large bowl, leaving the fat in the pot.
- Spread half of the ground meat in an even layer in the pot and cook undisturbed until lightly golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, breaking up any clumps with the back of a spoon and scraping up any browned bits from the pot, until the meat is lightly browned on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer the browned meat with a slotted spoon to the bowl with the pancetta, leaving the fat in the pot. Repeat with the remaining ground meat.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic, celery, carrots, onions, bay leaf, nutmeg, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant and brick red, about 2 minutes. Stir in the wine, bring to a boil and cook until it reduces and thickens and no smell of alcohol remains, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the stock, milk and browned meat.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Add the Parmesan rind and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated away and the mixture resembles sloppy joes, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. There shouldn't be any rapid bubbles while cooking. Instead, the sauce should release occasional small bubbles. If you have a small burner you should use it; the larger burners even at their lowest setting might cook the sauce too quickly. If the sauce reduces too quickly, add 1/2 cup of stock or water and continue cooking; repeat if necessary. The sauce needs the full 2 to 2 1/2 hour cook time to develop the flavors.
- Discard the bay leaf and Parmesan rind. Use the back of a spoon to break up any remaining clumps of meat for an even-textured sauce. Season with salt and keep warm.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta. If using fresh pasta, cook about 3 minutes. If using dry, cook until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directions.
- Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid, then drain the pasta and transfer to the sauce. Increase the heat to medium, bring the sauce to a simmer and cook, tossing the pasta constantly, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce is slightly thickened, adding pasta cooking liquid if necessary, about 2 minutes.
- Transfer the pasta to a platter and top with grated Parmesan.
"REAL" ITALIAN BOLOGNESE SAUCE
After traveling throughout Italy, savoring the fine tastes of Bolognese from the many different regions, I decided to formulate my own. Try it, you'll love it.
Provided by Classic Chef
Categories Sauces
Time 2h40m
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- In a Dutch Oven or Medium Size Pot, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat until butter begins to froth.
- Add onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and bacon.
- Cook until onions are translucent (about 8 to 10 minutes).
- Remove bacon and remove fat.
- Chop lean portions of bacon in small pieces and return to pot.
- Add Ground beef and ground Pork, and cook until meat loses red, raw color.
- Raise heat and add wine and consomme.
- Cook sauce until wine and consomme are mostly evaporated.
- Turn heat down to simmer and add oregano, salt, pepper, sage, red pepper flakes, and nutmeg.
- Let cook for approximately 20 minutes.
- Add crushed tomatoes and bring heat to a boil.
- Once the mixture comes to a boil, return to simmer.
- Let sauce simmer (very slowly) partially covered for about 2 to 4 hours (the longer the better), stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- About 5 to 10 minutes before serving, add milk.
- Sauce can now be added to cooked Penne Pasta, Spaghetti or many other Pastas to your liking.
- Remaining sauce may be frozen for up to two months for future use.
THE BEST SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE RECIPE
Our best ever spaghetti bolognese is super easy and a true Italian classic with a meaty, chilli sauce. This recipe comes courtesy of BBC Good Food user Andrew Balmer
Provided by Andrew Balmer
Categories Dinner, Lunch, Main course, Supper
Time 2h15m
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Put a large saucepan on a medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil.
- Add 4 finely chopped bacon rashers and fry for 10 mins until golden and crisp.
- Reduce the heat and add the 2 onions, 2 carrots, 2 celery sticks, 2 garlic cloves and the leaves from 2-3 sprigs rosemary, all finely chopped, then fry for 10 mins. Stir the veg often until it softens.
- Increase the heat to medium-high, add 500g beef mince and cook stirring for 3-4 mins until the meat is browned all over.
- Add 2 tins plum tomatoes, the finely chopped leaves from ¾ small pack basil, 1 tsp dried oregano, 2 bay leaves, 2 tbsp tomato purée, 1 beef stock cube, 1 deseeded and finely chopped red chilli (if using), 125ml red wine and 6 halved cherry tomatoes. Stir with a wooden spoon, breaking up the plum tomatoes.
- Bring to the boil, reduce to a gentle simmer and cover with a lid. Cook for 1 hr 15 mins stirring occasionally, until you have a rich, thick sauce.
- Add the 75g grated parmesan, check the seasoning and stir.
- When the bolognese is nearly finished, cook 400g spaghetti following the pack instructions.
- Drain the spaghetti and either stir into the bolognese sauce, or serve the sauce on top. Serve with more grated parmesan, the remaining basil leaves and crusty bread, if you like.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 624 calories, Fat 25 grams fat, SaturatedFat 10 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 58 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 12 grams sugar, Fiber 6 grams fiber, Protein 35 grams protein, Sodium 1.6 milligram of sodium
SLOW COOKER BOLOGNESE
A very thick and hearty meat sauce simmered in the slow cooker.
Provided by VD711
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes Pasta Sauce Recipes Meat Sauce
Time 4h50m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir the carrots, onion, and garlic until tender, about 10 minutes. Place the ground beef into the skillet and cook and stir, breaking up the meat as it cooks, until browned. Drain off excess fat from the skillet, and pour in 1 cup milk. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the milk is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
- Place the beef mixture into a slow cooker, and set the cooker to High. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes, and cook for 2 hours. Mix in 1/2 cup milk and Parmesan cheese, stir well, and cook for 2 more hours.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 244.7 calories, Carbohydrate 17.9 g, Cholesterol 43.9 mg, Fat 13 g, Fiber 3.9 g, Protein 16.3 g, SaturatedFat 4.6 g, Sodium 546.5 mg, Sugar 6.6 g
CLASSIC BOLOGNESE
I make many meat-based sauces, or ragu. The original ragu alla Bolognese (meat sauce) dates to the late 19th century and is credited to a cook named Pellegrino Artusi, in 1891. Though it is named for Bologna, Italy, it was first cooked or created in the town of a lesser-known name, Imola, in the region of Emilia-Romagna. Serve this sauce with egg tagliatelle or pappardelle or layer it between egg pasta sheets with bechamel for lasagna alla Bolognese.
Provided by Rachael Ray : Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 3h50m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Heat a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add EVOO, 2 turns of the pan. Add the butter to the oil in small pieces and when the butter foams, add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic and bay and stir, about 5 minutes. Add pancetta and stir 8 to 10 more minutes to render and crisp. Add about a third of the beef and crumble it with a wooden paddle or spoon, let all of the liquid absorb and let the meat begin to lightly caramelize before adding the next third; repeat. Season the meat with salt, pepper, white pepper and nutmeg. Add white wine, about a quarter to a third of a bottle, then stir and let it absorb into the meat. Scrape up all of the fond or the drippings from the meats and vegetables, being careful not to burn the meat. Add milk, tomatoes and about 1 cup stock, a piece of cheese rind from Parmigiano-Reggiano if you have one, then lower heat to simmer, partially cover and cook the sauce 2 1/2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Add up to 1 extra cup of stock if needed if sauce gets too thick. The perfect traditional Bolognese should be buttery, uniform and emulsified, the consistency of rich, tender, pourable oatmeal. Remove bay leaf and the rind, if using, from the sauce. Sauce may be made a few days ahead as the longer it sets, the better it gets.
- To serve, cook pasta in salted water 1 minute less than package directions for al dente. Reserve 1 full cup of starchy cooking water, then drain pasta and place back in hot pot.
- Combine pasta with about two-thirds of the sauce, the cooking water and a couple of handfuls of grated cheese, tossing with tongs to combine.
- Serve pasta in shallow bowls with a little torn basil.
BEST-EVER BOLOGNESE SAUCE
Make and share this Best-Ever Bolognese Sauce recipe from Food.com.
Provided by Jacq3
Categories Sauces
Time 1h5m
Yield 4 cups, 12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- In large stock pot, cook beef, onions, carrots & green pepper on medium heat until meat is browned.
- Add mushrooms and garlic. Cook 3 - 5 minutes longer.
- Drain.
- Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT whipping cream.
- Bring to boil.
- Reduce heat; simmer 20 - 30 minutes stirring frequently and breaking up tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon on the side of the pot.
- Stir in cream; heat through.
- Serve over pasta.
- Freezes well.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 449.8, Fat 27.5, SaturatedFat 11.7, Cholesterol 104.3, Sodium 943.6, Carbohydrate 25.1, Fiber 3.7, Sugar 16.4, Protein 26.2
MARCELLA HAZAN'S BOLOGNESE SAUCE
After the death in 2013 of Marcella Hazan, the cookbook author who changed the way Americans cook Italian food, The Times asked readers which of her recipes had become staples in their kitchens. Many people answered with one word: "Bolognese." Ms. Hazan had a few recipes for the classic sauce, and they are all outstanding. This one appeared in her book "The Essentials of Classic Italian Cuisine," and one reader called it "the gold standard." Try it and see for yourself.
Provided by The New York Times
Categories dinner, pastas, main course
Time 4h
Yield 2 heaping cups, for about 6 servings and 1 1/2 pounds pasta
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Put the oil, butter and chopped onion in the pot and turn the heat on to medium. Cook and stir the onion until it has become translucent, then add the chopped celery and carrot. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring vegetables to coat them well.
- Add ground beef, a large pinch of salt and a few grindings of pepper. Crumble the meat with a fork, stir well and cook until the beef has lost its raw, red color.
- Add milk and let it simmer gently, stirring frequently, until it has bubbled away completely. Add a tiny grating -- about 1/8 teaspoon -- of nutmeg, and stir.
- Add the wine, let it simmer until it has evaporated, then add the tomatoes and stir thoroughly to coat all ingredients well. When the tomatoes begin to bubble, turn the heat down so that the sauce cooks at the laziest of simmers, with just an intermittent bubble breaking through to the surface. Cook, uncovered, for 3 hours or more, stirring from time to time. While the sauce is cooking, you are likely to find that it begins to dry out and the fat separates from the meat. To keep it from sticking, add 1/2 cup of water whenever necessary. At the end, however, no water at all must be left and the fat must separate from the sauce. Taste and correct for salt.
- Toss with cooked drained pasta, adding the tablespoon of butter, and serve with freshly grated Parmesan on the side.
THE BEST SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE.
My very best Spaghetti Bolognese, gorgeously meaty with a chilli kick!
Provided by andybalmer
Time 1h40m
Yield Serves 6
Number Of Ingredients 0
Steps:
- Get yourself a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, and place it on a medium heat. Add a good lug of olive oil and gently fry your bacon until golden and crisp, then reduce the heat slightly and add your onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Next remove the leaves from the Rosemary sprigs and add them to the pot, discarding the sprigs. Move everything around and fry for around 8-10 minutes until the veg has softened.
- Next, increase the heat slightly, add the mince and stir until the meat is browned all over.
- Stir in your tins of plum/chopped tomatoes, (plum tomatoes are best as they contain less water, but either will turn out great!). Add your remaining herbs, tomato puree, stock cube, chilli and if using, the wine. Slice your cherry tomatoes in half and throw them in aswell.
- Give everything a stir with a wooden spoon, breaking up the plum tomatoes as you go and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low-medium, put the lid on and leave it blipping away for about an hour and 15 minutes until the flavours develop into a wonderfully rich tomatoey sauce. Stir occasionally to make sure it doesn't catch.
- Just as the sauce is nearly ready, Add the parmesan and season to taste. Meanwhile add salt to a pan of boiling water and cook the spaghetti according the the packet instructions. Once the spaghetti is ready, drain it in a colander and add it to the pan with the sauce. Give it all a good stir, coating the pasta in the lovely tomato sauce. Serve with a little grated parmesan and use the extra basil leaves to make a great little garnish. Beautiful!
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients: The better the ingredients, the better the sauce will be. Look for fresh, flavorful tomatoes, good-quality ground beef, and Parmesan cheese.
- Brown the beef well: This will help to develop the flavor of the sauce.
- Simmer the sauce for a long time: The longer the sauce simmers, the more time the flavors have to develop.
- Add a splash of red wine: This will help to deepen the flavor of the sauce.
- Season the sauce to taste: Add salt, pepper, and other seasonings to taste.
- Serve the sauce over pasta or with bread: Bolognese sauce is a classic Italian dish that can be served over pasta or with bread.
Conclusion:
Bolognese sauce is a delicious and versatile sauce that can be used in a variety of dishes. It is a classic Italian dish that is sure to please everyone. With a little time and effort, you can make a delicious Bolognese sauce at home.
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