The Best Homemade Bolognese Sauce
Updated Sep 21, 2026
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This easy homemade Bolognese sauce is made with ground chuck, tomatoes, fresh herbs, garlic, and olive oil. It simmers on the stove for about an hour until the sauce is rich, thick, and packed with savory flavor. Serve it over tagliatelle, pappardelle, spaghetti, zoodles, or your favorite pasta for an easy family dinner.
An Easy Bolognese Sauce for Pasta Night
Bolognese is one of those dinners everyone at my house agrees on, especially when it’s piled over a big bowl of tagliatelle with plenty of Pecorino on top. My version is made with ground beef, tomatoes, fresh herbs, and a simple soffritto, then simmered until the sauce is thick and rich.
It takes about an hour from start to finish, but most of that time is hands-off while the sauce bubbles away on the stove. I usually serve it with pasta, but I also use this Bolognese in my easy sheet pan lasagna and classic baked ziti. If you need something quicker for pasta night, my red pepper pasta sauce is another favorite.
Why You’ll Love This Bolognese Recipe
- Rich and meaty. Ground beef, tomatoes, soffritto, and fresh herbs simmer into a thick, savory sauce.
- Ready in about an hour. You still get that slow-simmered flavor without cooking sauce all afternoon.
- Use it beyond pasta. Spoon it over tagliatelle or use it in baked ziti, lasagna, and other pasta dishes.
What Is Bolognese Sauce?
Bolognese, or ragù alla Bolognese, is a meat-based sauce that originated in Bologna, Italy. Traditional versions are generally more meat-forward and less tomato-heavy than the Italian-American Bolognese many of us know. My recipe is an easy homemade version made with ground beef, soffritto, crushed tomatoes, herbs, and Pecorino Romano.
Recipe Ingredients
You only need a handful of ingredients to make this Bolognese sauce, starting with ground chuck, tomatoes, and a classic soffritto of onion, celery, and carrots. Here are a few notes before you get started. See the recipe card below for the full amounts.
- Olive Oil: For sautéing the vegetables. I recommend a good-quality extra virgin olive oil.
- Onion, Celery, and Carrot: This combination of finely chopped vegetables is called a soffritto in Italian cooking and forms the flavor base of the sauce.
- Garlic: I use fresh garlic. You can mince or press it.
- Ground Chuck: I like ground chuck for its richer flavor and higher fat content. You can also use leaner ground beef if that’s what you have.
- Crushed Tomatoes: Use good-quality canned crushed tomatoes since they make up the base of the sauce. Italian canned tomatoes are a great choice if you can find them.
- Fresh Parsley and Basil: Fresh herbs add flavor as the sauce simmers. Save a little parsley for garnish if you’d like.
- Salt and Black Pepper: I keep the seasoning simple and adjust both to taste after the sauce has simmered.
- Pecorino Romano: Freshly grated Pecorino adds a salty, sharp finish. Parmesan also works if that’s what you have.
How to Make Bolognese Sauce
Once the vegetables and beef are browned, the rest is mostly hands-off while the sauce simmers and thickens. Here’s how to make it:
- Sauté the veggies. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the onions to the hot oil and cook them for about 3 minutes to soften and build flavor. Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute. Then add the celery and carrots, and cook for 5 more minutes. If the pan seems dry at any point, you can add more cooking oil.
- Brown the beef. Increase the heat to high and add the ground beef. Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until no longer pink, stirring and breaking up the beef as you go.
- Add the tomatoes and seasonings, and simmer. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, and basil. Bring the sauce to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Season with salt and pepper, and continue to cook for 25 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Taste the sauce for salt and pepper, adjusting as needed.
- Enjoy! Garnish with grated Pecorino Romano and more parsley, and serve over pasta, zucchini noodles, mashed potatoes, stir it into goulash, or whatever you like!
Recipe Tips
- Take your time with the beef. Let it brown instead of constantly stirring it.
- Finely chop the vegetables. You want the onion, carrot, and celery to practically melt into the sauce.
- Let the sauce thicken. If it still looks watery after 25 minutes, give it another 5 to 10 minutes uncovered.
- Taste before serving. Tomatoes vary in acidity and saltiness, so adjust the seasoning at the end.
- Add pork if you’d like. Replace some of the ground beef with ground pork, use my easy pork ragu as inspiration, or sauté some pancetta with the vegetables.
- Make it in the slow cooker: After sautéing the vegetables and browning the beef, transfer everything to the slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 6 hours or HIGH for 3 hours. Stir in the Pecorino Romano before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Bolognese is traditionally served with a wide, flat pasta that can hold onto that thick, meaty sauce. Tagliatelle is my favorite, but pappardelle and fettuccine are also great choices. And while spaghetti isn’t traditional, absolutely use it if that’s what you have. Add plenty of freshly grated Pecorino or Parmesan on top, and dinner is done.
If you’d like to add a side, here are a few of my favorites:
- Salad: I like a crisp salad next to a rich pasta dinner. Try my avocado and feta kale salad or even a simple green salad.
- Breadsticks: My garlic Parmesan breadsticks are perfect for scooping up any sauce left in the bowl.
- Vegetables: Serve it with garlic broccolini for an easy veggie side with a little lemon.
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Homemade Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1 pound ground chuck beef
- 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
Instructions
- Sauté the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the celery and carrots. Cook for another 5 minutes, adding a little more oil if needed.
- Brown the beef. Increase the heat to high and add the ground beef. Cook for 9 to 10 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and no longer pink.
- Add the tomatoes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, parsley, and basil. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Simmer. Cook uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the Bolognese is thickened. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve. Spoon the Bolognese over cooked tagliatelle or your favorite pasta. Top with freshly grated Pecorino Romano and chopped parsley, and serve.
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- To Refrigerate: Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat: Reheat on low heat until piping hot all the way through, stirring occasionally.
- To Freeze: Pack the cooled sauce in freezer bags and lay flat to freeze for 2-3 months. Defrost the sauce in the fridge before reheating.
