Everyone needs a great everyday Spaghetti Bolognese recipe, and this is mine! The Bolognese Sauce is rich, thick and has beautiful depth of flavour. It’s perfect for a quick midweek meal but even better if you can simmer it for a couple of hours! Serve it over pasta, stuff into jacket potatoes, make an epic Lasagna or Baked Spaghetti Pie!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Spaghetti Bolognese
We Aussies have a thing about shortening words. Good day is g’day. Pavlova is Pav, afternoon is arvo, mosquitos are mozzies. Sharon is Shazz, Nagisa is Nagi (that’s yours truly).
So it is thoroughly Aussie to shorten Spaghetti Bolognese to Spag Bol!
And here she is – my Spag Bol. Rich, thick, incredible flavour in the sauce even if you only have time for a quick 20 minute simmer. Though if you can slow cook for a couple of hours, it really takes it to another level!
What goes in Spaghetti Bolognese
I’ve been loyal to this Meat Sauce recipe since I first learned to cook when I was a teenager. There are 3 little things in this recipe that might be a bit different to Bolognese recipes you’ve seen around:
1. Worcestershire sauce: it just adds that little extra something-something. I get antsy if I get caught in a situation where I have to do without;
2. Beef bouillon cubes (beef stock cubes) for extra depth of flavour in the sauce, to compensate for this being an everyday midweek version rather than a traditional slow cooked Bolognese Ragu which starts with a soffrito (onion, celery, carrot slowly sautéed) as well as pancetta.
3. Sugar, if needed: just a little bit goes a long way to transform the sauce if you happen not to be using high quality, sweet Italian canned tomatoes. Supermarket canned tomatoes here in Australia are notoriously sour. Especially the Australian ones – it pains me so much to say that, but it’s true.
How to make Bolognese Sauce
The making part is straightforward and quite quick too:
Saute garlic and onion – about 3 minutes;
Brown the beef – about 2 minutes;
Add everything else, give it a good stir then simmer for 20 minutes minimum (midweek), up to 3 hours (weekend indulgence!). Slow cooking makes the beef incredibly tender and the sauce develops extra flavour.
Difference between Bolognese and Meat Sauce?
Different name for the same thing! You’ll find Bolognese made all sorts of ways all across Italy and all around the world, but essentially mince meat (usually beef, sometimes combined with pork or veal) in a tomato based sauce flavoured with herbs.
The “proper” way to serve pasta: toss with the sauce
As with all my pasta recipes, I include a step to toss the pasta IN the sauce, rather than just placing pasta in bowls and spooning over sauce.
This makes the Bolognese sauce emulsify, so it thickens, becomes glossy and clings to the spaghetti. No more watery sauce at the bottom of your pasta bowl! This is how chefs and Italians make pasta. Try it once, you will be converted!
But it is an optional step. Sometimes, you just don’t have the energy to clean yet another pan. I hear ya. 🙂
What to serve with Spaghetti Bolognese
For a classic Italian feast, serve this with:
Garlic Bread – or even more indulgent, with Cheesy Garlic Bread (or go over-the-top with Crack Bread). Or, for a more traditional start, real-deal Italian Focaccia.
Garden Salad with Italian Dressing (hit of crisp fresh salad essential!)
Tiramisu to finish with an Espresso Martini on the side
For a super quick side salad option, make this Rocket Parmesan Salad with Balsamic Dressing. Probably my most made side salad because it’s literally a 2 minute effortless-no-chop salad!
This recipe is the way I have been making Spaghetti Bolognese for decades (gosh it’s scary saying that!!). I really love it, and I think the sauce is rich and loaded with flavour, especially for a 30 minute Bolognese recipe.
Though if you have the time, slow cook it for a couple of hours. The flavour develops and the meat becomes so luxuriously tender.
Either way, I hope you love it as much as I do! – Nagi xx
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Spaghetti Bolognese
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 onion , finely chopped (brown, yellow or white)
- 1 lb / 500g beef mince (ground beef) OR half pork, half beef (Note 1)
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) dry red wine (sub water or beef broth/stock)
- 2 beef bouillon cubes , crumbled OR granulated beef bouillon (Note 2)
- 800g / 28 oz can crushed tomato (or tomato passata)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp white sugar , if needed (Note 3)
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme or oregano)
- 3/4 tsp cooking salt (kosher salt)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
To Serve
- 400 g / 13 oz spaghetti , dried
- Parmesan cheese and finely chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Sauté – Heat oil in a large pot or deep skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 3 minutes or until light golden and softened.
- Cook beef – Turn heat up to high and add beef. Cook, breaking it up as your go, until browned.
- Reduce wine – Add red wine. Bring to simmer and cook for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pot, until the alcohol smell is gone.
- Simmer – Add the remaining ingredients. Stir, bring to a simmer then turn down to medium so it bubbles gently. Cook for 20 – 30 minutes (no lid), adding water if the sauce gets too thick for your taste. Stir occasionally.
- Slow simmer option: really takes this to another level, if you have the time! Add 3/4 cup of water, cover with lid and simmer on very low for 2 – 2.5 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so. (Note 5) Uncover, simmer 20 minutes to thicken sauce. (Note 6 for slow cooker)
- Taste and add more salt it desired. Serve over spaghetti – though if you have the time, I recommend tossing the sauce and pasta per steps below.
Tossing Sauce and Spaghetti (optional, Note 4)
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook per packet directions MINUS 1 minute.
- Scoop out a mug of pasta cooking water and set aside, then drain the pasta.
- Add pasta into the bolognese sauce with about 1/2 cup (125 ml) of reserved pasta water over medium heat. Toss gently for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes, or until the spaghetti turns red and the sauce thickens.
- Divide between bowls. Garnish with parmesan and parsley if desired.
Recipe Notes:
* Scaling recipe up (use auto recipe scaler) – If you double the recipe (or more!), then brown the beef in batches. If you try to cook it in one batch, you will end up stewing it rather than browning!
* Slow cooker: This is really fantastic made in a slow cooker! The meat becomes so tender and the sauce has incredible flavour. At step 3, cook until the wine liquid disappears completely, then transfer it into the slow cooker at step 4 and cook for low for 6 hours.
* Variations: Here are some ideas for ways to take this up a notch, if you are so inclined!
– Finely chop 1 carrot + celery and saute that with the onion to make a softrito. Cook on medium low heat for 10 minutes for extra amazingness!
– Add finely chopped bacon (smokey is the ultimate!) or pancetta, cook with the onion
– 1 tbsp soy sauce (my mother did this, I sometimes do! I’ve seen it in some chef recipes)
– Fresh or dried red chilli
– Bolognese gets better the longer it is cooked, and it’s even better the next day! 7. Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings, including pasta.
Nutrition Information:
Originally published August 2016. Updated with new commentary, new photos and most importantly, recipe video! No change to recipe – I wouldn’t dare! Too many readers love it as it is. 🙂
More family favourites we’ll love forever
Meatloaf – so much more than just a hunk of meat in loaf form!
Life of Dozer
You know those muddy looking ponds on golf courses? He loves ’em 😖
I made this recipe the other day and my partner and I absolutely loved it – like all your recipes!
Going to make it again soon and add pancetta, how much would you recommend?
Thanks so much 🙂
If you wanted to I would start with 150g – but watch the salt in this as pancetta can be quite salty. N x
Probably the best bolagnese sauce we’ve ever made! Another winner Nagi!
Unable honestly tops most restaurants iv been to definitely the best bolognese iv ever made so simple aswell followed guide but had to cut 1 hour short as partner was hungry and still unbelievably feeds five easy added carrot ro it was perfect thanks Maggie
when adding carrot grate it and add with onion will release its sweetness so no need of sugar
Hey Nagi!
I was just wondering if I could do this in my stove top pressure cooker, and if so, how long would you recommend ?
Over the last two lockdowns here in Germany I’ve been learning to cook through you! Thank you sooo much!!!
Laia x
Hi Laia, you can do all the steps then transfer it into the pressure cooker at step 4 and cook for 20 minutes 🙂 N x
This is thee spaghetti-bolognese! The one spaghetti bolognese recipe to rule them all!!! 🙂 I love the pics of Dozer! He is having a ball on the golf course! I’ll never for the life of me figure out why after a nice soapy scrub, smelling all clean, looking all shiny and stuff…they have to get down and dirty… literally! 🙂
This is such a great Bolognese recipe! The flavours really shine through like you said. I simmered mine for almost 3 hours and added celery and carrot to make a spfrito along with the onion. It was so great! However if you simmer for so long and use Passata like I did I would recommend adding way less or no sugar at all as the Passata is less acidic and the simmering helps cook out some of the acidity. Thankyou Nagi!
Absolutely delicious! I have been in search of a good Bolognese recipe and finally found it. I used canned whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes which I crushed by hand. I only simmered the sauce for about 20 or 30 minutes and it was awesome. Next time I will simmer it for 2 or 3 hours which I’m sure will only make it better. Thanks Nagi, for sharing your talent!
I always make recipes the first time, exactly following the recipe. My family liked it’ but thought it was missing “something”. The second time I made it, I used Italian salad dressing instead of olive oil and added crumbled Italian sausage, diced pepperoni, diced green pepper, shredded carrot, diced celery and toward the end of cooking, I add sauteed sliced mushrooms (Bella/Crimini/white. Because the sauce simmers for hours, the peppers, celery and carrots totally break down, My husband is not crazy for pasta in general; but he told me to make this recipe again, if we’re having pasta.
YUM! I’m going to try this tomorrow night and slow cook it on the stove. Do you still add the stock cubes if you’re doing the carrot onion and pancetta version? Thanks! 🙂
I did a sofrito with mine without pancetta however and still added the stock cubes just fine. Vegetables won’t be affected but because of the added saltiness of the pancetta I would cut down on the stock cubes but not count them out entirely. Or just add less salt to taste in the end.
Great recipe! After making it a few times I’ve made some tweaks to make it extra special – Adding the tomato paste in with the sofrito to let it caramelize a bit is one thing, and another is adding a splash of fish sauce, which adds an extra dose of complex umami. I’ve also used dried herbs and spices to season it – a teaspoon each of thyme and oregano (or two teaspoons of Italian seasoning) plus half a teaspoon of cayenne. I love it!
Very tasty!!
I made this exactly as written (used Passata) it was both salty and too tangy. I want to try again but can’t figure out where I went wrong. I did the long slows
Hi Chris, sorry you had issues here, if you found it too tangy that would be to do with your tomatoes, you may just need to add a little more sugar to balance the tartness. In regards to the salt – did you add salt and pepper to taste, if so, how much did you add? N x
I used Passata. I also did add the sugar. I didn’t add wine – I added the broth – should that maybe have been no salt broth? Between the broth and two cubes it was very salty. When adding the passata vs canned tomatoes is there anything else that maybe changes. I am going to try again! I am determined.
Hi Nagi, thanks for the recipe! I’m going to try it this weekend. With the sugar, does it have to be white? Raw or brown suitable? I agree, the tinned tomatoes are super sour! Thanks! Eliane
Hi
Just made this recipe and it was amazing. Restricted to dried herbs, but the result was outstanding. Since I found your site I have produced a number of recipes. None have failed to be other than excellent.
Keep up the good work and keep safe
Regards
Hi Nagi, I love all your recipes, thanks so much. Just a question about this recipe… the video shows the bolognese cooking with a lid but the recipe says no lid , which one is correct?
Really! What a miss 🙂 You’re the first to pick that up, thanks Ruani! No lid, the sauce needs to reduce to thicken. But if you’re doing a long cook, then yes you need the lid. I have updated the recipe to be clear on this point! N x
Forgot to review this after I made it last night. Made it via the slow version because of the advice that it would taste even better but also so that I could avoid the splashes out the pan that are inevitable with this type of sauce. Husband said that it was the best bolognese he has ever tasted in his life. Thanks again Nagi x
I have made this probably 30-40 times. My girls will only eat pasta with sauce if it is”mommy’s red sauce” ( Aka your sauce).
This freezes amazing and sometimes I have carrots and celery sometimes I don’t or have one but not the other…. currently it’s simmering and first time without my home grown garlic as ran out already but it smells amazing still. Also I have not had red wine so used white and my kids still devour it. Thank you. Will be passing this on for generations.
Love the recipe but am overthinking the red wine! Could you please give me a suggestion? Located in Australia and so many options!
This is the recipe that got me obsessed with your website! The best bolognese recipe I have come across and is definitely a crowd pleaser. I add a dollop of vegemite as well and it’s perfect.
Really enjoyed this recipe! Such an easy yet delicious weekday meal. Just one question, would you suggest adding milk or cream? I have seen other recipes include it. Thank you!
Hi Rebecca, I don’t add either in my recipe – I don’t think it needs it. N x
Made this tonight, tastes great, very rich flavors, perfect balance. Fellow Aussie here living in U.S.