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!
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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 😖
Absolutely nailed this one Nagi, great Spag recipie. Big hit with the kids as well.
5 stars
just made this fabulous tasty recipe I used Pork mince this time round. definitely will make this again and again thankyou Nagi for another great tasty recipe
Hi, I’ve made this before. Great recipe. I’m wondering if I can freeze the sauce to use late. Thanks
NO DON’T FREEZE IT STACEY. I DID THIS AND GAVE IT TO MY KIDS AND THEY ALL GOT REALLY SICK. stacey if you are reading this please, dont freeze the sauce.
Yes you can. I always make a double batch & freeze half.
Many thanks for the recipe, my family love it.
My partner and I tried this tonight with the celery and carrot. We both think it’s the best bolognaise we’ve ever had. Very tasty and thoroughly delicious!
Tonight I aimed to make spaghetti Bolognaise and out of curiosity, I thought what is Nagi’s way. I followed every step except for the wine, I replaced that with beef stock. And wow! Childhood memories came flashing back. I loved and devoured it. Wow!
I made this sauce about 3 months ago and it was fabulous! I used the sofrito and 2 hour simmer options; also doubled the garlic, just because we love it. Yesterday, I discovered a frozen container of it in my freezer, let it thaw overnight in the fridge, boiled some ziti, layered in shredded mozzarella & Parmesan & popped it in the oven 3o min covered @ 375°, uncovered for 15 min…we devoured it! Yum! Thanks for a real keeper.
I’ve been unhappy with any of the spaghetti sauces I’ve tried over the years, until this one. I added celery, and red pepper and simmered for 2 plus hours. Soooo delicious. This will be my “go to” from now on. Thank you Nagi. You’re the best.
Made this Spaghetti Bolognese today & it was delicious!! Soooo much better than the store bought sauce! Every recipe I’ve tried from Nagi as always came out delicious.
A request please. For all the people who batch cook their bolognese then find the idea of just thawing it and adding to pasta uninspiring. Could you please put together a bunch of inspirational, quick, pantry ingredient recipes that transform frozen bolognese into a tasty and exciting dinner? I know I can put it on a baked potato or make chilli con carne, but how do I transform it into soup or a curry? Could we use bolognese in some kind of rice bake thing? Let’s use up some cans of beans or frozen spinach. Seriously I think this could be a whole series or even another book. I would totally buy ‘Nagi does Bolognese’. ‘Every which way with Bolognese’? Ok don’t let me name the next book. Love Di
I have made this a few times, did the carrot and celery version today, I still feel it needs more Italian herbs, still nice enough
This one isn’t 5* from me, cos I usually use Stephanie’s recipe and the taste is better. Of course it is all the “extras” including liquid stock instead of beef stock cubes, using a sofrito and pancetta and 1/2 beef, 1/2 pork mince. I guess if you’re cooking a quick mid-week meal you’re not going to want to do that.
I laughed because adding pancetta and stock will add depth and flavour of course.
I use Nagi’s recipes because the ingredients are not complicated and if you follow the recipe you get a really tasty dish. There are so many bloggers out there with some funny tasting dishes.
I do the sofrito and I don’t usually have red wine at hand so usually use the Chinese rice wine. It tastes amazing after a 3hr simmer. I use premium topside mince rather than the half pork/beef mix.
The important thing is that emulsifying it and the fact that I have a consistently good bolognese each time. Consistent taste= no fuss method. That’s why I love Nagi even though I can cook complicated recipes.
The best bolognese ever! My partner and I agree it’s the best sauce we’ve ever had. I now make this weekly.
Follow the instructions exactly and it works. I can’t stand the reviews below that add things and leave things out and then have the nerve to complain that it sucks and blame the recipe. Please ignore those reviews and just make it as written. You’ll be glad you did!
This is the best bolognese sauce. I’m so thrilled to have the recipe. It’s one I will make regularly. Always a double batch to share with neighbors or freeze for another meal.
This is a fantastic recipe. I used about 4 slices of double-smoked bacon, along with a minced carrot and 2 minced celery stalks, sautéed with the onion and garlic. Definitely the best pasta sauce I’ve ever made and perhaps the best I’ve ever eaten!
I love this recipe but I always add grated carrot and zucchini and the kids don’t have a clue how many veggies they are eating. It’s fantastic!
Delicious. I didn’t have stock cubes, so just added all the variations you mentioned, then cooked it very slowly on the cooktop. I also made a green salad with the dressing you mentioned. Fantastic dinner.
Hi I’m making this for dinner tonight. It looks great. Unfortunately l don’t have any beef stock cubes. Is there anything l could use instead.
Bails, I’ve been known to use Vegemite instead of beef stock cubes – assuming you’re in Australia – just a teaspoonful is magic.
I was dubious about how tasty this would be without the addition of celery and bacon. Wow, was I wrong! DELICIOUS AND REAL DEPTH OF FLAVOUR. My husband made it as I’m sick and I said FOLLOW THE RECIPE”! He did and he’ll now be making it once a week!
Delicious!!! Popped in the slow cooker for 6hrs and ate it the next day for dinner. Chefs kiss!