Everyone needs a great everyday Spaghetti Bolognese recipe, and this is mine! The Bolognese Sauce is rich, thick and has beautiful depth of flavour. It’s perfect for a quick midweek meal but even better if you can simmer it for a couple of hours! Serve it over pasta, stuff into jacket potatoes, make an epic Lasagna or Baked Spaghetti Pie!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Spaghetti Bolognese
We Aussies have a thing about shortening words. Good day is g’day. Pavlova is Pav, afternoon is arvo, mosquitos are mozzies. Sharon is Shazz, Nagisa is Nagi (that’s yours truly).
So it is thoroughly Aussie to shorten Spaghetti Bolognese to Spag Bol!
And here she is – my Spag Bol. Rich, thick, incredible flavour in the sauce even if you only have time for a quick 20 minute simmer. Though if you can slow cook for a couple of hours, it really takes it to another level!
What goes in Spaghetti Bolognese
I’ve been loyal to this Meat Sauce recipe since I first learned to cook when I was a teenager. There are 3 little things in this recipe that might be a bit different to Bolognese recipes you’ve seen around:
1. Worcestershire sauce: it just adds that little extra something-something. I get antsy if I get caught in a situation where I have to do without;
2. Beef bouillon cubes (beef stock cubes) for extra depth of flavour in the sauce, to compensate for this being an everyday midweek version rather than a traditional slow cooked Bolognese Ragu which starts with a soffrito (onion, celery, carrot slowly sautéed) as well as pancetta.
3. Sugar, if needed: just a little bit goes a long way to transform the sauce if you happen not to be using high quality, sweet Italian canned tomatoes. Supermarket canned tomatoes here in Australia are notoriously sour. Especially the Australian ones – it pains me so much to say that, but it’s true.
How to make Bolognese Sauce
The making part is straightforward and quite quick too:
Saute garlic and onion – about 3 minutes;
Brown the beef – about 2 minutes;
Add everything else, give it a good stir then simmer for 20 minutes minimum (midweek), up to 3 hours (weekend indulgence!). Slow cooking makes the beef incredibly tender and the sauce develops extra flavour.
Difference between Bolognese and Meat Sauce?
Different name for the same thing! You’ll find Bolognese made all sorts of ways all across Italy and all around the world, but essentially mince meat (usually beef, sometimes combined with pork or veal) in a tomato based sauce flavoured with herbs.
The “proper” way to serve pasta: toss with the sauce
As with all my pasta recipes, I include a step to toss the pasta IN the sauce, rather than just placing pasta in bowls and spooning over sauce.
This makes the Bolognese sauce emulsify, so it thickens, becomes glossy and clings to the spaghetti. No more watery sauce at the bottom of your pasta bowl! This is how chefs and Italians make pasta. Try it once, you will be converted!
But it is an optional step. Sometimes, you just don’t have the energy to clean yet another pan. I hear ya. 🙂
What to serve with Spaghetti Bolognese
For a classic Italian feast, serve this with:
Garlic Bread – or even more indulgent, with Cheesy Garlic Bread (or go over-the-top with Crack Bread). Or, for a more traditional start, real-deal Italian Focaccia.
Garden Salad with Italian Dressing (hit of crisp fresh salad essential!)
Tiramisu to finish with an Espresso Martini on the side
For a super quick side salad option, make this Rocket Parmesan Salad with Balsamic Dressing. Probably my most made side salad because it’s literally a 2 minute effortless-no-chop salad!
This recipe is the way I have been making Spaghetti Bolognese for decades (gosh it’s scary saying that!!). I really love it, and I think the sauce is rich and loaded with flavour, especially for a 30 minute Bolognese recipe.
Though if you have the time, slow cook it for a couple of hours. The flavour develops and the meat becomes so luxuriously tender.
Either way, I hope you love it as much as I do! – Nagi xx
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Spaghetti Bolognese
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 onion , finely chopped (brown, yellow or white)
- 1 lb / 500g beef mince (ground beef) OR half pork, half beef (Note 1)
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) dry red wine (sub water or beef broth/stock)
- 2 beef bouillon cubes , crumbled OR granulated beef bouillon (Note 2)
- 800g / 28 oz can crushed tomato (or tomato passata)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp white sugar , if needed (Note 3)
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme or oregano)
- 3/4 tsp cooking salt (kosher salt)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
To Serve
- 400 g / 13 oz spaghetti , dried
- Parmesan cheese and finely chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Sauté – Heat oil in a large pot or deep skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 3 minutes or until light golden and softened.
- Cook beef – Turn heat up to high and add beef. Cook, breaking it up as your go, until browned.
- Reduce wine – Add red wine. Bring to simmer and cook for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pot, until the alcohol smell is gone.
- Simmer – Add the remaining ingredients. Stir, bring to a simmer then turn down to medium so it bubbles gently. Cook for 20 – 30 minutes (no lid), adding water if the sauce gets too thick for your taste. Stir occasionally.
- Slow simmer option: really takes this to another level, if you have the time! Add 3/4 cup of water, cover with lid and simmer on very low for 2 – 2.5 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so. (Note 5) Uncover, simmer 20 minutes to thicken sauce. (Note 6 for slow cooker)
- Taste and add more salt it desired. Serve over spaghetti – though if you have the time, I recommend tossing the sauce and pasta per steps below.
Tossing Sauce and Spaghetti (optional, Note 4)
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook per packet directions MINUS 1 minute.
- Scoop out a mug of pasta cooking water and set aside, then drain the pasta.
- Add pasta into the bolognese sauce with about 1/2 cup (125 ml) of reserved pasta water over medium heat. Toss gently for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes, or until the spaghetti turns red and the sauce thickens.
- Divide between bowls. Garnish with parmesan and parsley if desired.
Recipe Notes:
* Scaling recipe up (use auto recipe scaler) – If you double the recipe (or more!), then brown the beef in batches. If you try to cook it in one batch, you will end up stewing it rather than browning!
* Slow cooker: This is really fantastic made in a slow cooker! The meat becomes so tender and the sauce has incredible flavour. At step 3, cook until the wine liquid disappears completely, then transfer it into the slow cooker at step 4 and cook for low for 6 hours.
* Variations: Here are some ideas for ways to take this up a notch, if you are so inclined!
– Finely chop 1 carrot + celery and saute that with the onion to make a softrito. Cook on medium low heat for 10 minutes for extra amazingness!
– Add finely chopped bacon (smokey is the ultimate!) or pancetta, cook with the onion
– 1 tbsp soy sauce (my mother did this, I sometimes do! I’ve seen it in some chef recipes)
– Fresh or dried red chilli
– Bolognese gets better the longer it is cooked, and it’s even better the next day! 7. Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings, including pasta.
Nutrition Information:
Originally published August 2016. Updated with new commentary, new photos and most importantly, recipe video! No change to recipe – I wouldn’t dare! Too many readers love it as it is. 🙂
More family favourites we’ll love forever
Meatloaf – so much more than just a hunk of meat in loaf form!
Life of Dozer
You know those muddy looking ponds on golf courses? He loves ’em 😖
Made this tonight for dinner. Added 1/3 cup water and let it cook 1hr 15 minutes then emulsified with the pasta per your suggestion. Delicious! Yum definitely just so tasty and a one pot meal. This is one of the best sauce recipes I’ve tried. Thank you Nagi! I love your food! This will be on rotation at my house!
Love that you enjoyed this Pam! Thanks for letting me know – N x
I have just made this recipe using my electric pressure cooker and it was delicious! Even better – it was a big hit with my fussy five year old! Definitely a recipe I will try again.
Thanks for the feedback Helen! Especially pleased to hear your child enjoyed this 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi,
This weekend is our 45th wedding anniversary and I wanted to make Spaghetti Bolognese for my husband (it’s his favorite food), but no way was I cooking Marcella’s sauce all day. It’s high summer here in Tampa! So following on the heels of last night’s terrific Cabbage Slaw, I decided to make yours. Big hit! He said it’s almost as good as Marcella’s (high praise!), and I could make it for him anytime. I made it with DOP San Marzano tomatoes to make sure it was the best it could be. I let it simmer in the slow cooker for 3.5 hours, and aside from subbing dry vermouth for the wine and using a bit less sugar (added at the end), I made it exactly as written. The slow cooker really helped to tenderize the beef, as promised.
I served it with garlic bread and a simple salad of romaine tossed with your Italian Dressing, another hit! Thanks for both recipes, they’re keepers. I’m hoping that gratitude will move him to take me to my favorite Tex-Mex place this weekend.
Happy 45th anniversary Sandy! Your lucky hubby – you spoil him! Keeping my fingers crossed that you get spoiled this weekend 🤞🏼 Tell him he better not let me down – I wanna hear!!
Excellent Recipe! so much depth of flavor and perfect to eat the next day too. Good job.
Glad you enjoyed it SK!
Hi Nagi! Do you have any suggestions for trying this recipe with zucchini noodles instead of traditional spaghetti? I’ve always adored your pasta dishes, but recently I’ve been having a bit of trouble with gluten so I’m searching for substitutes.
Hi Allison! Unfortunately I’m not familiar enough with zoodles 🙂 Sorry!
Thank you so much for this recipe. My wife and I had this for supper. My first attempt at Spaghetti Bolognese was perfect, thanks to your method. Everyone who had it said it’s amazing 🙂 Thank you!
I love hearing that!! You’re the Bolognese Master! 😂
Another hit! My husband wanted me to make sure I left a good post. I am not sure if you will take this as a compliment but… as he was wolfing it down he said “You know what this is like? This is like the tinned spaghetti but SO MUCH BETTER”. I think it was down to it being tomatoey =P But he said it is better than his recipe and better than others I have cooked in the past. So it’s a win!
I think he is even open to me teaching him how to make it, since it’s that easy…
Thanks Nagi!
I have not read all the comments (so many, so little time!) but try adding one ground star anise; a 5 star Italian restaurant I went to once used this (definitely not a traditional ingredient!) and the maître d’ could not believe that I had “guessed” the secret ingredient. Star anise, in small amounts, really adds something to this dish.
Wow really! Star anise!
I know: sounds absurd, right? With the amounts of your recipe, try 1/2 a whole star; heat in pan before grinding finely (you know how hard the woody bits are). I use a mortar and pestle first, then a spice grinder: no hard bits. Anyhow…
I’ve had pasta made with Star Anise, bacon and tomato a long long time ago from an Italian neighbour-
I agree the Star Anise adds a lovely flavour without overpowering. Whole pieces were used and removed before serving.
Hi! Looking forward to trying this recipe. For a serving of 10 do you simply double the recipe? Wanted to check before throwing in 2lb of meat in the pot!
Thanks!
Hi Syma! Use the recipe scaler by clicking on Servings and sliding!
This looks soo good. Thank you for sharing! I am a huge fan of your photography as well!
Thank you for the compliment Han!
Yummy recipe, all the family members love it. Would like to try the slow cooked method sometime. Thank you for sharing the wonderful recipe.
Great to hear Christine! Thank you for taking the time to let me know! N x
Gorgeous Bolognese recipe. Thanks, it’s in the slow cooker, cannot wait for dinner.😍 Really clever additions to other recipes I have tried. Well done you!
I hope you loved it Amy! N x
Thank you Nagi….this was really really lovely!
My husband says to say a special thank you from him, as at last, he has pasta that is covered in sauce. Until today, he hated it because no amount of stirring in would result in anything other than dry spaghetti with all the sauce at the bottom of the plate.
What would we all do without you?
Susan from the UK
YESS! Your hubby has EXCELLENT taste Susan, that’s exactly why Italians do the tossing! 🙂 N x
What a great recipe, so simple to make, I love using Passata in recipes! Will have to add this into my dinner rotation! 🙂
Hope you do Peter!!!
This sauce is AMAZING. I made it for dinner tonight. I took the suggestion to simmer it for a couple of hours, and WOW. The family is loving the sauce!! I’ve made several bolognese recipes, but this one is THE one. Thanks for another dinner hit, Nagi!! Your blog is my favorite.
I LOVE HEARING THAT Teri!! Thank you so much for letting me know! N x
Absolutely so easy to make and delicious. I made this yesterday morning and put it in the crock pot to simmer for dinner. I will add this to my recipe rotation along with your Beef Stew…..so yummy and warms the soul. I’ve also made your mom’s Curry Chicken Katsu and trust me, it’s a staple in our house. My kids love it. Looking forward to seeing more of Dozer and making more of your easy recipes.
That’s great to hear Vanessa! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed this – N x
Greetings from Illinois in the U.S. of A.
I just wanted to say that I love your blog and have tried many of your recipes which have all been friend and family approved…:-)
Recently you asked for reader requests and I hope I can offer mine here.
Would it be possible for you to but together a list of what you consider “basic pantry must haves” to include sauces, seasonings, oils, etc. I live in a small town and only have limited Asian ingredients available so must plan a trip to the city and find an Asian market and would like to stock up on common but essential must haves.
Thank you so much….I really love your POV and simple, straight forward approach in sharing your cooking/recipe knowledge. And Dozer is as cute as can be!! HAGD!!
Hi Kelli! I’m so glad you asked that, I’ve been meaning to do this for ages and wondered whether anyone would find it interesting! I will get back on it 🙂 N x PS For a quick list, my personal Asian pantry staples are: Kikkoman ordinary soy sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, Chinese cooking wine (shoaxing wine), mirin, cooking sake, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, Chinese Five Spice Powder, dried shiitake mushrooms, this Chinese Chilli paste which I use to add spice into stir fries and dollop onto anything Asian (https://fast-enhancement.today/tachyon/2016/12/Chinese-Chilli-Sauce-Paste.jpg%3C/a%3E%29 . Then for shorter shelf life things: egg noodles (chow mien, hoykkien etc), fresh rice noodles, wonton wrappers – things like that, but I only get them when I have things to use them for on my menu plan. Hope that helps! N x
PS With that list, that covers 95% of the Asian recipes on my blog 🙂 N x
It’s 5 AM and I am ready to eat this bolognese sauce. I can’t believe it takes only 30 minutes! I’ve never used worcestershire sauce in mine – I always use a touch of soy sauce for that extra flavor! I’m pretty sure I could just eat this sauce like a soup. Just spoonful after spoonful. And yes, I’m drooling just a touch as I write this. Totally need to try this recipe.
I use soy sauce too if I don’t have W sauce!!! 🙂 N x
Thanks for this recipe Nagi. This will happen this weekend.
As for Dozer flashback on the golf course …all I can say is …smh 😂😂 a happy doggie.
Enjoy the day! Hugs
A very SMELLY doggie!!!😂
Hmm! Hello from old-fashioned, Italian-minded yours truly again. Am certain most of your readers will be very happy indeed for your short recipe . . . for me, if I do not have the time to lovingly nurse my ragu bolognese thru’ hours of cooking it is ‘off the menu’ . . . also do it Bologna style with tagliatelle, or at a pinch, tortellini or gnocchi and not spaghetti which is a big ‘no-no’ in Italy . . . 🙂 !
BUT we are not in Italy. Here in the USA spaghetti is traditional AND mandatory. Thank you for sharing authentic Italian tradition and information. Hope you will over look our choice of pasta. We are a young country and we seem to be making our own traditions. BK
*big smile* I have absolutely nothing against the dish: we all cook it – but ‘Bolognese’ means ‘from Bologna’ and should not be used when the method does not belong there. All over the world the dish is regarded as Italian after all – please do Google at the comments of Italian chefs: the idea is very far from mine ! Please listen to what Italian chefs say on their TV shows and in food magazines.
I know I know….but you know us! We love our SPAG BOL!!!
Of course we do, but, well, it should not be called that 🙂 !!!! But always will be !!! I just felt a little stupid after Rick Stein and Antonio Carluccio and Marco Pierre White and James Martin and John Torode and Jamie Oliver’s mentor and . . . all kept on telling me I knew zilch if I thought ragu bolognese should be accompanied by spaghetti . . . . so . . . . *big foolish grin* ! And, Barbara, I am actually Australian, like from childhood . . . . and it is called THAT here also . . . . 🙂 !