Bolognese Sauce Recipe – A Great Sunday Dinner

This Bolognese Sauce Recipe is perfect for Sunday dinner. Everyone needs a great Bolognese Recipe in their rotation and this one cannot be beat. I was craving a great Sunday Dinner, so I called my brother-in-law Ron for this recipe and he graciously shared it. It was actually my late father’s recipe, which I did not know. It does not get any better than that. I love nothing more than to make the recipes of the people I love. Food is love and memories and this checked all those boxes. My dad was a great cook and so is my brother-in-law, so this was a great Sunday Dinner.

When I started this recipe today, I could not find ground pork anywhere in the stores. I decided to use pork chops because I knew I could cook it low and slow to the point where the pork chops would shred. Great idea! This will be my new go-to method.

As you can see by my switching out the ground pork for pork chops, Bolognese Sauce is a very adaptable recipe. We leave out the carrots, because we have food allergies and use gluten free pasta for those of us who are gluten free. My new favorite gluten free pasta is Rummo. It is hard to find in stores, but worth it if you can find it. Red wine or white wine is fine. I prefer the red wine, but I have used the white and it was still fabulous.

I have started this recipe in a pot and transferred to a crock pot to finish cooking, but I am a big fan of the dutch oven cooking all day in the oven. Both ways are fabulous and all depend on how much time you have. Check out my other pages here on my Recipes page of my blog Sunday Chefs.

Sundays are for sauce and a great Bolognese Sauce cannot be beat.

-Lisa Leahy

Lisa Leahy

Bolognese Sauce – A Great Sunday Dinner

Sundays are for Sauce and a great Bolognese Sauce cannot be beat.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Course: dinner, lunch

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• 1 lb. Meat (version of pork and beef) I use 1/2 80/20 Ground Beef and 1/2 lb. of ground pork or pork chops.
• 4 Garlic Cloves Minced
• 1 small Onion Chopped
• 1 Carrot (Optional) – diced We leave this out as we have food allergies and it is still wonderful.
• 1 Tbsp. Dried Basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil, lightly packed.
• 1 Tbsp. Dried Oregano
• 2 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/4 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
• 1 small can Tomato Paste
• 1 1/4 cup Red or White Wine I prefer the red wine but have used the white and it is very good with version also.
• 1 28 oz. can San Marzano tomatoes or Ground Peeled Tomatoes I prefer San Marzano but I use whatever I have on hand.
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
• 1 lb. Pasta I prefer substantial pasta like Pappardelle or Rigatoni.
• 1/2 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan

Method

 

1. Heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy skillet or pot (I prefer my Dutch Oven for this) over medium – high heat.
2. If using pork chops brown them and put them aside. Add the ground beef (and ground pork if that is your version). Cook until the meat is no longer pink (about 6 minutes), breaking it up as you go.
3. I prefer to drain some of the fat off if there is a lot.
4. Stir in the onion and sauté for a few minutes until soft and then add the garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and the dried basil if that is what you are using.
5. Add the tomato paste and stir until well combined. Add the wine and cook for a few minutes more.
6. Add the large can of tomatoes, about 1/2 tbsp. of salt and a tsp. of black pepper.
7. If I am using pork chops instead of ground pork, this is where I would add them back in. Cutting them into smaller pieces before I do.
8. If using the all-ground meat version, I would bring to a boil and then lower the temperature, and simmer for ten minutes.
9. If using the version with the pork chops, I would bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. This version I cook for a long time, a few hours until the pork breaks down and is easily shredded. It takes a long time but is worth it.
10. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to directions.
11. While the pasta cooks, add the cream, nutmeg, remaining wine and simmer for another 8-10 minutes.
12. For a nice presentation, combine sauce with pasta and parmesan cheese and toss well in a large serving bowl. Add some parsley or fresh basil for a pretty presentation.