Description
Pasta Bolognese Classic Italian is a rich, hearty, and comforting Italian dish featuring tender pasta paired with a slow-simmered meat sauce made from a blend of ground beef and pork, fresh soffritto vegetables, red wine, and tomatoes, enriched with milk or cream. This timeless recipe uses simple pantry staples to deliver authentic flavors that warm the soul and satisfy any appetite, perfect for both everyday meals and special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Protein
- 500g ground beef and pork blend
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Liquids and Sauces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 150ml red wine
- 400g canned crushed tomatoes
- 100ml milk or cream
Herbs and Seasonings
- 2 bay leaves
- Fresh herbs (such as basil and parsley), chopped, to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Pasta
- 400g tagliatelle or your favorite wide ribbon pasta (e.g., fettuccine or pappardelle)
Instructions
- Prepare the soffritto: Finely chop the onion, carrot, and celery. Gently sauté them in olive oil over medium heat until softened and fragrant, creating the flavorful base for the sauce.
- Brown the meat: Add the ground beef and pork blend to the softened vegetables. Cook until the meat is nicely browned with no pink remaining, enhancing the richness of the sauce.
- Deglaze with red wine: Pour the red wine into the pan, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. This step adds complex flavor and depth to the sauce.
- Add tomatoes and herbs: Stir in the crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer to start the sauce’s slow cooking process.
- Simmer and enrich: Cook the sauce gently over low heat for at least 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally. Toward the end, add the milk or cream to soften the acidity of the tomatoes and create a velvety finish.
- Cook the pasta: While the sauce simmers, cook the tagliatelle or your preferred pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain well and toss the pasta with the sauce just before serving.
Notes
- Brown meat properly without overcrowding the pan to develop rich flavor and a caramelized crust.
- Simmer the sauce low and slow for the richest depth of flavor; up to 2–3 hours is ideal.
- Use high-quality canned crushed tomatoes for the freshest tomato taste.
- Don’t skip adding milk or cream; it balances acidity and smooths the sauce.
- Save some pasta cooking water and add a splash when tossing to help sauce cling to noodles.
- Season gradually, adjusting salt and pepper near the end to avoid over-seasoning.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
Keywords: Pasta Bolognese, Italian, Classic Bolognese, Meat sauce, Tagliatelle, Comfort food, Slow-simmered sauce