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Bolognese sauce served over cooked spaghetti with a dollop of ricotta.
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Bolognese Sauce

Real-deal Italian Bolognese sauce, made easy! Truly authentic recipe with tons of bold flavor, meat, and vegetables. Such a special meal!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time2 hours
Soaking Time30 minutes
Total Time3 hours
Course: Main Course, Sauce, Topping
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: bolognese, Bolognese recipe, Bolognese sauce, spaghetti Bolognese
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 536kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water hot
  • 1/2 ounce dried mushrooms preferably porcinis
  • 4 ounces pancetta finely diced
  • 8 ounces fresh mushrooms such as white buttons
  • 1/2 onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 pound ground meat such as beef, turkey, or meatloaf mix
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup milk whatever kind you keep on hand
  • 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 16 ounces ricotta (optional garnish)
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano (optional garnish)
  • 1/2 cup basil leaves freshly torn (optional garnish)
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (optional garnish)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Soak the dried mushrooms in the hot water for at least 30 minutes.
  • Place the pancetta in a large, dry pot over medium heat and cook, stirring, until it releases some of its fat.
  • Fish the reconstituted dried mushrooms out of the water (reserving the liquid for later) and add them to the bowl of a food processor along with the fresh mushrooms, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic.
  • Process the mixture to a fine paste, and add it to the pot along with the ground meat, oregano, bay leaves, rosemary, salt, and crushed red pepper.
  • Cook, stirring, until the meat is no longer pink (approx. 5 to 10 minutes).
  • Add the milk and continue to cook, stirring, until it boils away completely (approx. 5 to 10 minutes).
  • Add the crushed tomatoes, the reserved liquid from the dried mushrooms, and the red wine, and bring to a boil.
  • Turn the heat down to low and allow the sauce to simmer (partially covered) until very thick (approx. 1 to 2 hours).
  • Serve over cooked spaghetti, gnocchi, or polenta, and garnish with ricotta, parmesan, basil, and olive oil.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.125batch | Calories: 536kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 877mg | Potassium: 787mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1953IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 259mg | Iron: 3mg