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bolognese spaghetti sauce in blue plate
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5 from 7 votes

THE BEST SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Bolognese sauce is a versatile and easy meat-sauce for any kind of pasta. This version of Bolognese sauce is cooked in 30 minutes, so you don't have to stay in the kitchen all day long.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: best bolognese sauce, classic bolognese sauce with spaghetti, how to make bolognese sauce, quick bolognese sauce, recipe bolognese sauce, spaghetti bolognese sauce
Servings: 6 portions
Calories: 108kcal
Author: Julia

Ingredients

Bolognese sauce

  • 2-4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 slices of bacon cut into small pieces (optional)
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ medium root celery cut in small cubes
  • 2 medium carrots cut in small cubes
  • 1 medium parsnip cut in small cubes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp dry paprika powder
  • 1 tsp dry basil
  • 2 lb trio ground meet beef, pork, veal
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 3 cups tomato sauce or diced tomatoes
  • 1 cups chicken broth or water
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 3 tbsp of tomato paste
  • 4 balls allspice optional
  • Spaghetti or another pasta

Toppings

  • Parmesan or provolone cheese

Instructions

Bolognese sauce

  • Clean and cut the vegetables (carrot, celery root and parsnip) in small cubes. Chop finely the onion and mince the garlic. Set aside.
  • Cut the slices of bacon on small cubes. In a large skillet, over the medium high heat, sauté the bacon cubes for 2 minutes. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and sauté onion and garlic for 2 minutes. Then add the vegetables and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add seasoning: dry paprika, bay leaf, allspice and stir. Make a space on the skillet and add ground meats. Season the meats with salt and pepper. Cook the meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and stir occasionally until the meat has browned.
  • Stir in the strained tomatoes or tomato sauce and add the broth (or water). Mix well the ground meat with the vegetables and the tomato sauce.
  • Cover the skillet with the lid and simmer on medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • At the end add 1 cup of milk and stir well. Season with more salt and pepper if needed. If you like more profound taste of tomato sauce, add 3 tbsp of tomato paste. Stir and let simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve with spaghetti or other pasta.

Toppings & garnish

  • As a topping use Parmesan cheese or provolone cheese. They add delicious taste to bolognese sauce. You may also garnish with parsley.

Notes

Cooking time: Cut down on the cooking time with cutting the vegetables in small cubes. The time for cooking will significantly cut down. The active time for simmering is only 15-20 minutes.
Storing: You can store the sauce in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in airtight container or Ziploc bag.
Freezing: When you decide to make a double batch, the best way is to store it in a freezer. Let the sauce cool down completely, before you will store it in the freezer. Place the sauce in airtight container or Ziploc bag. Ziploc bag is much better for storing in the freezer.
Allspice: This small balls of Jamaican pepper are not spicy. It's mild smoky spice and it's optional in this recipe.
Celery root and parsnip: For this recipe I used celery root, but you can use 2 large stalks of celery instead of the root. Parsnip is a sweet vegetable of the same shape as carrot. And it makes the sauce sweeter. It's an optional ingredient.