Bolognese Sauce

Bolognese Sauce is a meat-based sauce that is hearty, rich and full of flavor! Spoon over your favorite pasta or zoodles for an easy weeknight dinner. Freezer friendly.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 15

Servings servings

Calories 376kcal

Author Oriana Romero

Equipment

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
1 1/2 lbs ground beef, (low fat content, about 90-10 or 93-7)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 beef bouillon cube
3/4 cup red wine (see notes)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cans (8oz each) tomato sauce
1 can (15.5oz) petite diced tomatoes
3/4 cup beef broth
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon dry oregano
8 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and carrot and cook until tender, 3 - 5 minutes.
Add the ground meat and cook through, breaking it into small pieces using a wooden spoon, but do not brown. Drain off any excess grease, if necessary.
Add the beef bouillon and stir until completely dissolved. Season with pepper to taste. Stir in the wine and allow it to cook into the meat, about 3 minutes. Add tomato paste, and continue cooking until tomato paste starts to toast, about 2 minutes. Note: At this point, you can transfer the meat to the slow cooker and finish it there (read notes below).
Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, beef broth, bay leaf, oregano and basil and mix to incorporate.
Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for at least 1 hour up to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Flavors will continue to develop the longer you allow the sauce to simmer, so simmer for up to 4 hours if time permits. Note: After the first 30 minutes of simmering, taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.
Serve or store for later use.

Notes

Wine: You can use any red wine you like to drink. Sometimes, I like to use Marsala wine; it adds a delicious layer of flavor. If you don't want to use wine, substitute for more broth.

Slow cooker: This recipe is really fantastic when it is made in a slow cooker! You can actually double it and freeze half for another day. The sauce cooks slowly and low and becomes tender and flavorful. At step 3, cook until the wine liquid disappears completely, then transfer it into the slow cooker at step 4 and cook on low for 6 hours.

Store the Bolognese sauce in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Make sure the sauce is tightly sealed to prevent odors from affecting other foods.

Freezing: For longer storage (up to 3 months), place the sauce in the freezer. When freezing Bolognese sauce, remove as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. If using a plastic bag, lay it flat in the freezer to save space.

Reheat the sauce thoroughly to at least 165°F (74°C) before consuming. You can do this on the stove over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, or in the microwave in shorter intervals, stirring in between to ensure even heating.

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Please note that nutritional information is a rough estimate, and it can vary depending on the products used.

Nutrition