This recipe is a labor of love, but well worth it. The flavor of slow roasted veggies, seasonings, and meat really can’t be rushed and will fill your home with the best aroma. And if you’re contemplating whether or not its worth it, make a double batch and freeze half to use yourself or to give to a loved one. It’s approachable to make on the weekend for a slow Sunday dinner and delicious enough to serve for a special occasion.
Looking for More Recipes Like This?
Then you’ve got to try our homemade marinara sauce where we take time infusing the best flavors into our sauce with a variety of tomatoes and fresh herbs.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- butter – Sub with ghee or olive oil to make this recipe dairy-free.
- pancetta – This is often stored behind the meat counter. To save yourself time, ask your butcher to cut it into cubes for you. Or sub with bacon.
- ground pork and ground beef – The combo of these two proteins add such a rich flavor. You can swap them out for leaner proteins, but this will change the texture and flavor.
- pomegranate juice – Many bologanese recipes call for red or white wine, but I rarely have an already opened bottle, so I use this little hack instead. It adds a subtle sweetness and tartness to your sauce.
- fresh basil, thyme, and oregano – I get that picking up fresh herbs can be a pain, but they really do add a little somethin’ somethin’ to this sauce. But feel free to sub with dried, decreasing the quantities from tablespoons to teaspoons.
- coconut milk – Add creaminess to your sauce without the dairy! And no, this doesn’t leave your sauce tasting like coconut. There are so many other flavors going on in this that the subtle coconut flavor is undetectable.
- pappardelle pasta – This wide noodle is the perfect vessel to carry this delicious pasta from fork to mouth. If you can’t find it, tagliatelle is a great swap or any other wide noodle.
Bolognese Sauce vs. Meat Sauce
This sauce is richer and uses less tomatoes than a standard meat sauce. It originated in Bologna, which is in Northern Italy. The veggies sautéd in the pancetta fat adds a richness and subtle sweetness in each bite.
How To Make Pappardelle Bolognese Sauce
Best Way To Serve Pappardelle Bolognese Sauce
This flavorful bolognese sauce and wide pappardelle noodles make the perfect pairing! Just sprinkle with some freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve with some crusty bread, grilled bread, or garlic bread. Perfect for dipping!
How To Store Bolognese Sauce
Unless you are feeding a crowd, this recipe card makes a pretty large batch of bolognese sauce. This is perfect for enjoying at dinner and then storing the leftovers for using another time. It’s like cooking once for two meals.
- Fridge: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: place the sauce in a freezer-safe container, leave room for expansion, and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, move the container to the fridge the night before you plan to warm it up and serve. Do not cook the noodles until you are ready to serve.
Recipe FAQs and Tips
- Can I use ground chicken? You can, but because this is such a lean meat compared to pork and beef, it’ll drastically change the texture and flavor of your sauce. You can always lighten this up by using 90/10 ground beef rather than 80/20.
- Can I make it with just ground beef? Yes, but to account for the missing fat from the ground pork, add a bit more pancetta.
- How long should I simmer Bolognese sauce? 2-3 hours is the perfect amount of time to trigger to maillard reaction. This is the process of extracting new flavors from your proteins and veggies once they’ve been exposed to heat. It takes time, but will level up your sauce game!
Made this recipe and loved it?!
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Pappardelle Bolognese Sauce
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: Approx. 10 cups
- Category: Sauces
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Description
An absolutely delicious bolognese sauce recipe, slow-simmered and served over pappardelle noodles.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter (sub ghee or extra virgin olive oil)
- 3–4 garlic cloves, diced
- 4 oz pancetta, chopped
- 1 small sweet yellow onion, diced
- ¼ cup red onion, diced
- 1–2 stalks celery, diced
- 1–2 large carrots, diced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 lb ground beef
- ¼ cup pomegranate juice (or dry red wine)
- 28oz can whole tomatoes
- 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 3oz can tomato paste
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, smashed
- 1/4 cup coconut milk (or heavy cream, if not dairy-free)
- Serving: 2-3oz pappardelle pasta per person, cook pasta al dente per package directions
Instructions
- Bring a large Dutch Oven to medium-high heat.
- Add butter and let melt. Add garlic and sauté until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add pancetta and let fat render, about 3 minutes. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Stir and let onions cook down until almost transparent, about 5-6 minutes. Season veggies with kosher salt and ground black pepper.
- Keep the pot at medium high heat and add the pork and beef. Continue stirring until the meat is fully cooked.
- Add pomegranate juice (or red wine), whole tomatoes, tomato sauce, and the tomato paste to the pan. Use a paring knife to cut the whole tomatoes into quarters. Stir to combine.
- Add basil, thyme, oregano, and coconut milk (or cream). Stir to combine and then let simmer 1-3 hours, covered. To thicken, simply let it simmer uncovered for about a half hour or so.
- Serve with cooked pappardelle pasta and enjoy!
Notes
- Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: store in freezer-safe container (and mark down label/date) – store in freezer for up to 3 months.
- Dutch Oven: a large saucepan should work just fine in lieu of a Dutch Oven.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6oz
- Calories: 315
- Sugar: 6.5 g
- Sodium: 292.5 mg
- Fat: 12.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 32.3 g
- Protein: 18.6 g
- Cholesterol: 46.9 mg
Lezlee says
Hello! This was very good, thank you for sharing. Just a heads up, I’m not seeing in the directions when to add the salt. I added it at the same time as the tomatoes.
Erin says
Hey Lezlee! So glad to hear you enjoyed this one – and thank you for catching that, I will update 🙂
Kim says
Looks so good
Stefanie Moser says
My family lived this sauce and it froze really well, too. Will definitely be making again.
Linda says
This bolognese sauce is the BEST!
Erin says
That’s awesome to hear, Linda!!
Linda says
This recipe is fantastic!! Many compliments! Have made it numerous times
Donna says
Have you tried this in a crockpot? It looks so good!
Erin says
I think it would work just fine! I would recommend doing Step 1-7 in a dutch oven or large cast iron skillet and then add to a crock pot along with the red wine (or pomegranate juice), tomatoes, etc. Then cook on low for however long you want!