The Best Bolognese.
A basic bolognese is built on just a few basic principles: time and good ingredients. Left for a day in the refrigerator, it becomes even more delicious, as the flavors melt together. Though it takes a few hours to prepare, the amount of effort is minimal. I like to mince the carrots and shallots in a food processor so they become very fine and practically melt into the sauce. Serve over fresh pasta, potatoes, or even just a piece of bread. This recipes makes enough sauce to cover two pounds of cooked pasta and can easily be halved if you’d like a smaller batch.
4 tablespoons butter
2 carrots, minced
1 small onion, minced
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 bottle white wine
4 cups whole milk
2 (18-ounce) jars crushed tomatoes
½ cup heavy cream
- Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add in the carrots and onion and saute for five minutes, until just soft.
- Add the beef and pork to the skillet and allow the meat to just gently cook, not brown, stirring every so often and breaking up any large pieces with your mixing spoon.
- Pour in the wine. Allow the mixture to simmer for twenty minutes while some of the wine evaporates.
- Pour in the milk. Once again, allow the mixture to simmer for another twenty minutes.
- Add in the tomatoes, stir, and allow the mixture to simmer for another hour until it is thick.
- Turn off the heat, add in the heavy cream, and stir. Lastly, season to taste with salt and pepper.
This best bolognese is perfect served over homemade pasta and with a generous glass of red wine (see the wine I choose here). Enjoy.
Hi! I love this recipe too! I had left you a message on your previous post about your Einkorn donuts. I would love if you could do a post with the recipe. They look delicious! I especially wanted to make them like the ones you made outdoors last year while talking to your Husband. They looked so puffy and amazing! Thank you for your attention to my request. God bless you and your Family.
Hello, this recipe looks delicious. Does the alcohol in the wine cook out? I’m new to cooking with wine.
Thanks for this recipe Shaye, never thought to add cream in my meat sauce, it sounds so good, can’t wait to make it :0)
Your family is truly inspiring! Thank you for sharing your blessed journey!
Hey!!!! I love your site and have been following your wonderful recipes and all the awesome homestead info since the beginning. I was just wondering if there was a sun for the wine? We dont drink bc of religious reasons so it is not something I have on hand ever. Could I replace it with broth maybe? Thank you!
I’ve subbed beef broth in Bolognese for the alcohol. And then I’ve replaced the milk with cream for added richness then if you’ve got the added richness from the cream you don’t miss the little zing you get from the alcohol as much. As is though this is a nice recipe.
Good thought about subbing the broth for the wine. I don’t mind drinking or cooking with wine. I just don’t drink wine very often and don’t always have it in the house. Thx for the great suggestion.
This is indeed a delicious recipe, which I began cooking nearly 40 years ago in a little kitchen overlooking Lake Geneva in Switzerland. It was developed by Marcella Hazan in her first cookbook On Italian cooking, and should be credited.
In the youtube video of the recipe, Shaye explains that she learned it from a Chef named Francois on a Jovial getaway.
Can I use half and half instead of heavy cream?
Yes.
Your recipe says 1 onion but in your video you used 3. Is more onion better?
Hello! I can not download the cream puff recipe.
Thank you very much for sharing this fantastic recipe.
Greetings from Germany.
I love your videos.
Heike (a mother of seven)
I was surprised to see that you use white wine. I was expecting red! Have you used red in this recipe before? I assume you prefer white?
Hi Elliott’s!!!
Please could you do an appliance tour as I’d love to know what food processor you use as mine is rather flimsy.
Love your work 🙂
Soph
trying it now… I was little worried about adding the milk because I thought you weren’t supposed to “simmer” milk. Sure enough, mine turned grainy right before it started simmering. Is it ruined? Or is that ok in this dish?
What can I substitute for the wine? I have liver disease and have to avoid alcohol
What can I substitute for the wine?
My milk curdled immediately, even though I had turned the heat all the way off after letting the wine simmer for 20 minutes. I wish this recipe had some more instruction on this component of the process, definitely very very sad I just wasted so much food.
Update: I’m still cooking this because I can’t let this much meat go to waste, but I just tasted it and have to say it is quite bland. It’s been cooking for about 2 1/2 hours also and still incredibly soupy. My guess is four cups of milk is why it’s bland and still soupy?
Fiona,,,,,I have a very similar recipe from a different site. I have been using that recipe for years. That recipe states: use 1 1/2 Cups of milk….add that after the meat, and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Next add: 2 cups of white wine and simmer again. Thirdly, add the tomatoes.. simmer 3-6 hours. And yes, Marcella Hazan was credited.
thanks Diane, I’ll try your recipe next time!
Hi,
I’ve been watching your vlogs, they look so good! I’m currently a homemaker and mother, I’ve been working to have a nice garden and cooking pretty much every meal since we moved her 3 years ago. Trying to live closer to the land and it’s natural rhythms. Anyway I’m going to try your recipe for this tonight! It would be nice if I could print it, but I do not see an option for this, am I missing something?
Thank you,
Erika
Hello, my milk also curdled/separated while making this recipe. Followed the instructions to a T so not quite sure what happened. Thank you!
Mine turned out watery. I followed the exact recipe 🙁
After simmering mine, pretty much all day, it came out delicious. The milk settles in. The flavors come together. I reduced it between 1/3 and 1/2.
Put this on to simmer, went to the store, ran errands, came back and my heart was full. 5/5 super comforting meal. It really is the best bolognese.