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My family loves my Beef Bolognese Sauce with Pappardelle, and I know yours will, too. Seasoned ground beef cooked in a hearty bolognese ragu served over thick pappardelle pasta, ready to cook with just 20 minutes of prep. Set it up early in the day, and enjoy an easy comfort food dinner with your family later!
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Best Pappardelle Bolognese Recipe
Pappardelle bolognese has to be one of my favorite meals to make, especially as the weather cools down. I just love how hearty and rich it is. It pairs so well with thick pastas like pappardelle, and makes the most amazing comfort food dinner, especially with a side of French bread.
My easy beef pasta bolognese recipe is a must-try. It's flavorful, filling, and so easy to make. You can prep everything in 20 minutes, and set it so it's ready by dinnertime, no extra work needed aside from a little stirring now and then.
Beef pappardelle pasta is a dish my family asks me for constantly. It's just such a treat to serve up a warm plate of comfort food like this and see smiles light up across the table!
This simple recipe has become the dish we now look forward to every week.
Juliana on Pinterest
Bolognese Recipe Ingredients
- unsalted butter ½ stick
- onion finely diced
- carrots peeled and finely diced
- celery stalks finely diced
- garlic minced
- tomato paste
- pancetta diced
- ground beef
- ground pork
- white wine
- whole milk
- low-sodium stock, chicken or beef
- whole tomatoes peeled San Marzano tomatoes and their liquid; tomatoes can be crushed by hand or cut up
- bay leaves
- flat leaf parsley chopped
- kosher salt
- black pepper freshly ground
- pappardelle pasta or pasta of your choice
How to Make Bolognese Sauce
- Melt butter in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add carrot, onion, celery, garlic, tomato paste, and salt.
- Saute, stirring frequently, for five minutes or so. If the onion or garlic begins to brown, reduce the heat.
- Add pancetta, stirring frequently, and continue to cook until the vegetables are soft.
- Add beef and pork a third at a time. Allow most of the liquids to evaporate before adding more. Cook, stirring frequently until meat is browned. No parts of the beef or pork should be pink, and the liquid should be evaporated.
- Deglaze the pot with white wine. Scrape up brown bits from the bottom of the pan and lower the heat.
- Add milk, broth, tomatoes, salt, and a crack of black pepper. Bring to a boil.
- In the final few minutes of cook time, prepare the pappardelle pasta according to package instructions.
- Turn heat to the lowest possible setting and simmer, adding bay leaves and parsley. Simmer on low, half-covered, for four hours, stirring occasionally.
- Once four hours is up, remove bay leaves. If the sauce has not completely thickened, increase the heat and simmer another 15 to 30 minutes without the lid.
Best Pasta for Bolognese Sauce
- Pappardelle
- Casarecce
- Agnolotti
- Rigatoni
- Bucatini
Beef Bolognese Recipes FAQ
Bolognese is a type of ragu, or Italian meat sauce, that uses milk and a little bit of tomato for a thick and creamy consistency and rich flavor. I use beef to make this easy beef bolognese sauce recipe.
Bolognese is a variation of ragu, and is the most well-known and popular version of it. It generally uses less (or sometimes none at all) tomatoes, in comparison to other types of ragu. Additionally, it's thicker and creamier, using milk and wine, and has less sauce.
I use ground beef to make my beef bolognese sauce. However, you can also use a slow-roasted cut of meat like chuck roast or beef brisket that shreds easily when cooked for a long time. However, keep in mind this will alter your cook time.
If you want to make beef bolognese ahead of time, let it cool before preparing the pasta and transfer to an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in a pot once ready to use. This bolognese sauce recipe can be made three days or so ahead of time, but lasts for up to five days in the fridge.
Yes! Let the sauce cool, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag and add to the freezer labeled with the date. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Best Beef Pasta Recipes
- Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff
- Slow Cooker Beef Ragu
- Spaghetti Meat Sauce
- Instant Pot Chili Mac
- Slow Cooker Lasagna
- Instant Pot Lasagna
- Ground Beef Stroganoff
Try more of my Beef Pasta Recipes and favorite Beef Recipes.
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📋 Recipe
Beef Bolognese Sauce with Pappardelle
Equipment
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Large pot
- Knife
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter ½ stick
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 2 large carrots peeled and finely diced
- 2 large celery stalks finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 ounces pancetta diced
- ¾ pound ground beef
- ¾ pound ground pork
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup low-sodium stock chicken or beef
- 28 ounce whole tomatoes peeled San Marzano tomatoes and their liquid; tomatoes can be crushed by hand or cut up
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ cup flat leaf parsley chopped
- kosher salt
- black pepper freshly ground
- 1 pound pappardelle pasta cooked according to package instructions
See our Beef Temperature Chart for helpful tips on cooking any cut of beef!
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add carrot, onion, celery, garlic, tomato paste, and 1 teaspoon salt.¼ cup unsalted butter, 1 medium onion, 2 large carrots, 2 large celery stalks, 3 cloves garlic, 1 Tablespoon tomato paste, kosher salt
- Saute, stirring frequently, for five minutes or so. If the onion or garlic begins to brown, reduce the heat. Add pancetta, stirring frequently, and continue to cook until the vegetables are soft.4 ounces pancetta
- Add beef and pork a third at a time. Allow most of the liquids to evaporate before adding more. Cook, stirring frequently, until meat is browned. No parts of the beef or pork should be pink, and the liquid should be evaporated.¾ pound ground beef, ¾ pound ground pork
- Deglaze the pot with white wine. Scrape up brown bits from the bottom of the pan and lower the heat. Add milk, broth, tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and a crack of black pepper. Bring to a boil.1 cup dry white wine, 2 cups whole milk, 1 cup low-sodium stock chicken, 28 ounce whole tomatoes, kosher salt, black pepper freshly ground
- In the final few minutes of cook time, prepare the pappardelle pasta according to package instructions.1 pound pappardelle pasta
- Turn heat to lowest possible setting and simmer, adding bay leaves and parsley. Simmer on low, half-covered, for four hours, stirring occasionally. Once four hours is up, remove bay leaves. If the sauce has not completely thickened, increase the heat and simmer another 15 to 30 minutes without the lid.¼ cup flat leaf parsley, 2 bay leaves
Notes
- If you want to make beef bolognese sauce ahead of time, let the sauce cool before cooking the pasta and transfer to an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in a pot once ready to use. This bolognese ragu can be made three days ahead of time and stores for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer.
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