Spaghetti Bolognese

Easy Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe

This spaghetti bolognese is a traditional Italian recipe with so much rich and hearty flavor. It’s one of my favorite easy pasta recipes, as well as spaghetti and meatballs and lasagna.

The best part about making this bolognese sauce recipe is that it’s made in one pot and ready in under an hour. If you have time, simmer the homemade sauce even longer, though, and will make the spag bol even more flavorful.

Ingredient Notes

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

• Sweet onion: I use sweet because I like how it works with the tomato sauce.
• Garlic: You can’t really make bolognese sauce without this important ingredient.
• Meat: I like to use a mixture of ground beef and ground pork to add more flavor to the spaghetti bolognese sauce.
• Seasoning: The perfect balance of flavor begins with salt, pepper, dried basil, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes.
• Brown sugar: This is my secret ingredient that helps bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes.
• Half-and-half: This adds a richness and creaminess to the spaghetti bolognese. Heavy cream or milk can be used instead, you can even omit it if you want more of a spaghetti sauce.
• Parmesan: Use finely shredded fresh Parmesan will taste and melt into the sauce best.
• Dry red wine: This gives the sauce a complexity and balances all of the other flavors.
• Fire-roasted diced tomatoes: These cook down beautifully to give the velvety sauce a little extra texture.
• Crushed tomatoes: I like to use really good canned tomatoes that will only elevate the sauce.
• Tomato paste: This is added to really give the meaty bolognese sauce an extra depth of tomato flavor.
• Spaghetti: Our go to when making bolognese although you can use whatever pasta you would like.

How to Make Spaghetti Bolognese

It only takes 4 simple steps to make an outstanding spaghetti bolognese for any night of the week.

• Cook. Melt butter over medium-low heat in large pot. Add onion with pinch of salt and cook until translucent. Stir in garlic.
• Brown the meat. Turn heat to medium then add the meat. Remove any excess grease. Using a wooden spoon, stir in pepper, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes and remaining teaspoon salt. Cook until meat has browned.
• Simmer. Add in brown sugar, half-and-half, wine (or pomegranate juice), diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and parmesan. Stir and then simmer for 10 minutes. Cover and cook additional 20 minutes. S&P to taste.
• Serve. Serve the sauce over spaghetti and enjoy!

Tips and Variations

• Simmer time. While this is a quick and easy spaghetti bolognese ready in 45 minutes, the longer it simmers the better the flavors meld together for an amazing sauce. You can even simmer it for hours on low heat if you have time!
• Thickening the sauce. The longer spaghetti bolognese sauce simmers, the thicker it will be. If you are short on time, try adding in a teaspoon or two of tomato paste or tomato puree, as a thickening agent.
• Thinning the sauce: Reserve some pasta water when draining the pasta to thin out the consistency of the sauce.
• Ragu: Finely chopped celery and carrot would make this more like a thick ragu.
• Flavor boost: A splash of Worcestershire sauce and beef bouillon cube are not authentic but perfect to add flavor since we are cutting down on simmering time.
• Without wine: A traditional bolognese sauce usually includes red wine, however I have used pomegranate juice or grape juice for a non-alcoholic substitute. It’s acidic and has a similar aroma, so it still works great.

Storing and Freezing Leftovers

This easy spaghetti bolognese sauce recipe makes a lot, so it’s great for meal prep or even to freeze half for another time.

• Store: Cool sauce then store separately from spaghetti pasta in an airtight container for up to three days.
• Freeze: Place the leftover sauce in a zip-top bag or airtight container and then let it cool. Press flat and then store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Thaw: When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat on low on the stove top or in the slow cooker. Serve over spaghetti, it’s perfect for a busy night!