Spaghetti alla Bolognese

Name: Spaghetti alla Bolognese
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 140 min
Yield: 4 servings

Posted: 04/01/2026Updated: 28/03/2026

Italian pasta dish made with a rich meat sauce of ground beef and pork, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and herbs.

Active prep: 20 minutesActive cooking: 30 minutesPassive cooking: 1.5 hours

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Ingredients

Adjust servingsServings

300 grams Minced beef, 15%
200 grams Minced pork, 15%
1 large Carrot
2 large Celery stalks
1 large Brown onion
4 tablespoons Unsalted butter
500 millilitres Passata
1 tablespoon Tomato purée
100 millilitres White wine
150 millilitres Beef stock
2 Bay leaves
2 Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)
1.5 teaspoons White sugar (optional)
100 millilitres Whole milk
Parmesan, to garnish
500 grams Spaghetti
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Start by finely dicing the peeled carrots, celery and brown onion.
Heat a pan on medium-high before adding half the butter.
Once melted and starting to bubble, add the minced beef and pork and cook until just finished - usually about 6-8 minutes. Set aside.
Add the remaining butter to the pan and once melted put in the diced vegetables. Fry on medium heat until softened and fragrant from caramelisation. This can take roughly 6-8 minutes depending on how large the diced vegetables are.
Incorporate the tomato purée and stir in until fully distributed before re-introducing the cooked minced beef and pork.
Season with the salt and black pepper then pour in the white wine and cook until it has fully evaporated.
Add the passata, beef stock and half the milk with the bay leaves, fresh thyme sprigs (if using) and sugar to taste (if using).
Allow to simmer on a low heat for at least 90 minutes, remembering to stir occasionally.
Add the remaining milk gradually during cooking. If the sauce becomes too thick, add some beef stock.
In the final 10 minutes, cook the spaghetti to al dente.
Remove the herbs from the Bolognese and toss most of it with the spaghetti.
Serve with more Bolognese on top and grated parmesan.

Helpful notes

Cooking tips

I personally prefer finely diced vegetables as they release their flavour easier and integrates better into the sauce, allowing its flavours to blend more thoroughly with the other ingredients. It also improves the texture of the sauce.
Brown the minced beef and pork in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. This ensures a good sear and develops deep, savoury flavours. Let the meat sit undisturbed for a few moments before stirring to achieve a caramelised crust. It is important to pay attention to the butter and adjust the temperature to prevent it from burning.
Making a deeply flavoured bolognese sauce requires patience to allow the flavours to develop slowly. As a rough guide, 90 minutes is a good balance of time and flavour but if you're tight for time, simmering for at least 30 minutes should be sufficient.

Alternative ingredients

Traditionally, Bolognese is less tomato forward so either remove the tomato purée or reduce the amount of passata by nearly half. Increase the amount of milk used by half.
Red wine can also be used in place of white wine for a deeper, more robust flavour and a darker colour to the sauce. However, using white wine has a more delicate and subtle flavour that enhances the taste of the meat and vegetables without overpowering them. The acidity complement the sweetness of the sautéed onions, carrots, and celery, as well as the richness of the meat.
If you can't use wine, substitute with the same volume of beef stock.
Using chopped tomatoes instead of passata is common and gives a more acidic and slightly weaker tomato flavour - use slightly more sugar to balance this acidity. Using passata gives a smooth, rich sauce with a more concentrated tomato flavour and less acidity.

Storage instructions

Refrigeration: Store the bolognese sauce and any leftover spaghetti in separate airtight container in the fridge. It can be safely stored for up to 4 days.

Freezing: Place the bolognese sauce in a freezer-safe container or bag, making sure to remove as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. It can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Re-heating instructions

If re-heating from frozen, ensure it has fully defrosted whether that is overnight in the fridge out in the microwave on the defrost setting.

Microwave: To quickly re-heat, heat on medium power for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through to ensure even heating. Adjust the time depending on the microwave's power and portion size.

Stove: Re-heat on the stove over medium heat. Add a little water to loosen the bolognese sauce and cook until hot throughout.

Nutrition and dietary facts

Per serving:Calories: 508kcal (23%), Protein: 34.3g (57%), Fat: 15.4g (19%), Saturated fat: 10.1g (67%), Carbohydrates: 65g (24%), Sugars: 6.8g (27%), Fibre: 2.5g (8%)

NOTE: The nutritional information provided for this recipe is an estimate based on ingredients and cooking instructions as described - it is intended for informational purposes only.