A go-to meat sauce is an absolute must in my world, and this Ragu alla Bolognese is the one I keep tucked away in the freezer at all times. Rich, cozy, and finished with a dreamy béchamel, it’s comfort food that also feels dinner-party worthy.
Recipe name at a Glance
- 🕒 Total Time: ~3 hours (slow simmer for best flavor)
- 👪 Servings: 6–8
- 🍝 Cuisine Type: Italian / Classic Pasta Sauce
- 🧂 Flavor Profile: Deeply savory and rich with slow-cooked meat, soffritto, tomato, milk, and wine. Balanced, comforting, and luxurious
- 📖 Dietary Info: Contains dairy and meat; gluten-free if served with gluten-free pasta
- 📦 Storage Notes: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days; freezes exceptionally well for up to 3 months
- ⭐ Why You’ll Love It: A timeless, slow-simmered sauce that rewards patience. Perfect for cozy weekends, dinner parties, and stocking your freezer with something truly special.
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Why I Love This Recipe
Like most things on What’s Gaby Cooking, this isn’t just any meaty red sauce. It’s a marriage of classic Ragu alla Bolognese and a silky béchamel, which gives it that extra creamy factor, and honestly, what isn’t better with a little cream sauce? It’s made with both ground beef and pork, a generous splash of red wine, and slow-simmered until deeply flavorful. The best part is that it makes a big batch, which means dinner tonight and a stash in the freezer for later. Serve it over fresh pasta, gnocchi, or even spaghetti squash, skies the limit, and it’s especially perfect when you’re craving something comforting and impressive without a ton of extra effort.
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Ingredients
Substituions
🥩 Protein Options
- Ground beef + pork — traditional and deeply flavorful.
- All ground beef — simple and still rich.
- Ground veal — classic Italian option, very tender.
🥕 Veggie Base Swaps
- Onion, carrot, celery — the classic soffritto.
- Shallots — slightly sweeter and softer flavor.
- Add mushrooms (finely chopped) — boosts umami and stretches the sauce.
🍅 Tomato Options
- Crushed tomatoes — classic and balanced.
- Whole canned tomatoes, hand-crushed — deeper texture.
- Tomato paste — intensifies richness and color.
- Less tomato, more milk — for a more traditional Northern Italian style.
🥛 Dairy Swaps
- Whole milk — classic and mellowing.
- Half-and-half or cream — richer and silkier.
🍷 Wine Options
- Dry red wine — traditional and robust.
- Dry white wine — lighter, cleaner finish.
- Skip the wine — replace with broth if preferred.
🌿 Seasoning & Flavor Tweaks
- Bay leaf — subtle depth.
- Fresh thyme or rosemary — aromatic upgrade.
- Red pepper flakes — optional heat.
- Parmesan rind — simmer for extra savory richness.
🍝 Pasta & Serving Swaps
- Use in lasagna or baked pasta — perfect make-ahead move.
- Tagliatelle or pappardelle — ideal for clinging to the sauce.
- Rigatoni or mezzi rigatoni — hearty and scoopable.
- Bucatini — cozy and indulgent.
- Serve over polenta — very Northern Italian and very good.
🍝✨ Tips & Tricks for the Best Ragù alla Bolognese
Rich, comforting, and worth every minute
- Take your time with the saute. Onions, carrots, and celery should cook low and slow until soft and sweet. This is the flavor foundation, so don’t rush it.
- Brown the meat properly. Let it cook until it’s deeply caramelized before moving on. Color equals flavor, and this step makes a huge difference.
- Season as you go. Salt each layer lightly instead of dumping it all in at the end. It builds depth and keeps the sauce balanced.
- Let the wine cook off fully. You want the alcohol to evaporate and leave behind richness, not sharpness. If you still smell wine, keep going.
- Milk matters. Adding milk (or cream) softens the acidity of the tomatoes and gives the sauce that signature silky texture. Don’t skip it.
- Simmer low and slow. Gentle bubbling is the goal. A fast boil will dry it out instead of letting it become rich and cohesive.
- Stir occasionally, scrape the bottom. Those little browned bits add incredible depth. Just make sure nothing sticks too aggressively.
- Taste and adjust at the end. Long simmers change flavor. A pinch more salt, a splash of milk, or a bit of butter can bring it all together. Here's a video on how to make Bolognese if you need it!
- Use the right pasta. Wide noodles like tagliatelle or pappardelle hold the sauce beautifully. This ragù deserves a sturdy partner.
- It’s even better the next day. Bolognese is one of those magical sauces that improves overnight. Make it ahead if you can.
FAQ's
Can I make this Bolognese ahead of time?
Yes, absolutely. The sauce tastes even better after sitting overnight. Store in the fridge up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
What pasta works best with Bolognese?
Fettuccine, pappardelle, rigatoni, or even gnocchi are all fantastic. You want something sturdy that can hold the sauce.
Can I skip the wine in Bolognese?
Yep, just sub beef broth. You will still get great flavor.
Is the béchamel necessary for a Bolognese?
Technically no, but highly recommended. It adds a silky, classic Bolognese finish that makes this extra special.
Similar Recipes
Ragù alla Bolognese
Classic Ragù alla Bolognese with béchamel, rich Italian meat sauce tossed with fresh pasta, cozy comfort food, perfect for Sunday dinner or meal prep.
Ingredients
For the Béchamel
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 2 ⅔ cups milk
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
For the Ragù
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 3 medium stalk celery with leaves, finely diced
- 3 small carrot, finely diced
- 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 10 ounces ground pork
- 10 ounces ground beef
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ⅔ cup dry red wine
- 1 cup half and half (or heavy cream or milk)
- 1 28-ounce can san marzano tomatoes, hand crushed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Recommended for serving
- 1-2 pounds cooked fresh fettucine pasta, or any other pasta, gnocchi etc of your choosing
Instructions
For the Béchamel
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for about 3 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking until smooth. Add the Parmesan and continue whisking over medium heat for several minutes until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
For the Ragù
- Heat olive oil in a 12 inch Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pancetta, onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes until softened.
- Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add ground pork and beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for about 15 minutes until deeply browned.
- Stir in tomato paste. Pour in the wine, reduce heat slightly, and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the half and half.
- Partially cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add crushed tomatoes and cook uncovered at a very slow bubble for another 20 to 30 minutes until thick and stew-like. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir the béchamel into the meat sauce until fully combined. Toss with cooked fresh pasta and serve immediately.
Notes
- Take your time with the soffritto. Onions, carrots, and celery should cook low and slow until soft and sweet. This is the flavor foundation, so don’t rush it.
- Brown the meat properly. Let it cook until it’s deeply caramelized before moving on. Color equals flavor, and this step makes a huge difference.
- Season as you go. Salt each layer lightly instead of dumping it all in at the end. It builds depth and keeps the sauce balanced.
- Let the wine cook off fully. You want the alcohol to evaporate and leave behind richness, not sharpness. If you still smell wine, keep going.
- Milk matters. Adding milk (or cream) softens the acidity of the tomatoes and gives the sauce that signature silky texture. Don’t skip it.
- Simmer low and slow. Gentle bubbling is the goal. A fast boil will dry it out instead of letting it become rich and cohesive.
- Stir occasionally, scrape the bottom. Those little browned bits add incredible depth. Just make sure nothing sticks too aggressively.
- Taste and adjust at the end. Long simmers change flavor. A pinch more salt, a splash of milk, or a bit of butter can bring it all together.
- Use the right pasta. Wide noodles like tagliatelle or pappardelle hold the sauce beautifully. This ragù deserves a sturdy partner.
- It’s even better the next day. Bolognese is one of those magical sauces that improves overnight. Make it ahead if you can.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 640kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 575mg | Potassium: 907mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 4692IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 317mg | Iron: 4mg
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Why have I never tried this? It sounds amazing. Perfect for a party coming up....
I've made this 2x now and it's absolutely fantastic. Only thing is when I add the bechemel, the sauce becomes light orange rather than rich red like the photo - maybe I'm not making the bechemel thick enough or not getting the right depth to my meat sauce? I also realize this could just be a photo/internet colour thing. Regardless, it's great and is anew family classic for us - making it again tonight for a party.
Can I make this a day ahead and put in the fridge and warm the day of?
Do I cook the meat first in a separate pan before straining and then add to the dutch?
Yum!
you cook everything in the same pan - and yes you can make it a day ahead!
What's the best way to freeze/unfreeze this? Can't wait to try!
Mine will be with Turkey though and I'll let you know how it works out!
once you make it let it cool for a bit, pop it in an airtight container and then freeze. I take it out and put it in the fridge the day before I want to serve and then warm it over low heat on the stove to re-heat
Hi. I'm making now. But the recipe is a bit off. The ingredients don't call for pancetta but in the instructions it says add pancetta. So I'm making with just prosciutto.
Hi Shellie, I'm confused with your comment. Pancetta is in the ingredients and it's in step 3 for the sauce. I'm sure either way it will be delish
Hi Gaby, I plan on making this yummy sauce tomorrow...I just need to get a few more of the ingredients. I was wondering....do you have a favorite brand of Italian Plum tomatoes you like in the can? I would appreciate knowing what you recommend. Thanks.
Barbara
DeLallo is great!!
Oh, thank you so much....off to go food shopping! So, it turns out that we have a place here in the Village of the Arts called Arte Caffe...it is a restaurant owned and operated by an Italian chef, right from Italy. He makes the most wonderful Gnocchi ...I am going to buy some from him for my sauce...excited! I will post my creation when it is done. Happy Holidays to you and yours, Gaby. ❤️
LOVE LOVE LOVE! This looks incredible!
I love this combo. Perfect for these cold, dark days!!
GAHHHH!!!! this looks so good! I am drooling all over my keyboard!
That ragu looks really good!
My boys will love this over gnocchi!
MMMMmmmmmm! What a super delicious weeknight dinner idea!
Love this old, standard Ragu Bolognese. And there's no question of what wine to serve it with...a good old Chianti. There is a reason why Italian food goes with Italian wines.
I remember this challenge and we loved the sauce. Thanks for the reminder. My freezer could use a little stocking! 🙂
oooh Gaby! There is nothing like a big bowl of bolognese. This looks delicious!