Transform your dinners with this easy Rigatoni Bolognese, a flavor-packed Italian classic made with ground beef, pork and sausage. This rich meat sauce is perfect for both weeknight dinners and special occasions. It’s even better served over my favorite pasta–rigatoni!
I think bolognese is one of those dishes that is always popular, but I would imagine that its popularity peaks in the winter months. It’s cozy, comforting and a lot easier to make than you think!
I’ve been experimenting and perfecting bolognese sauces for years (it was one of the first recipes I posted when I started my blog in 2010!). And I think I’ve finally found the one that stands out from the rest. This recipe is consistently delicious every time I make it–it’s rich, meaty and savory.
This pairs well with my roasted rapini recipe and I always serve it with my classic house salad.
📋 Ingredients you'll need
Over the years I’ve added different ingredients here and there to help balance the richness and acidity. But the real secret to creating the perfect bolognese?
Taste as you go!
- The sauce starts by sauteing aromatics in olive oil. In this case, onions, carrot and garlic. I don’t love celery, so I’ve left it out, but you can add it back in if that’s your preference.
- For the meat, I use a combination of ground beef, ground pork and Italian sausage. You can choose hot or mild Italian sausage, based on what’s available and suits your family’s taste preferences.
- I use three types of tomatoes, whole tomatoes (you’ll want to cut these up in the can with a pair of scissors), crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. I do like my sauce to have a bit of a thicker tomato consistency so that’s why I’ve added the crushed tomatoes–you could also use passata.
- Red wine is a must! It adds acidity and helps to round out the sauce.
- Bell pepper is one of my favorite ingredients to add to a bolognese, I really like the hint of sweetness that it adds.
- For herbs, I stick with Italian seasoning because it has a bit of everything in it, but you could also use a combination of oregano, thyme, rosemary and fennel.
🔪 Step by step instructions
This recipe is really simple to make, let’s go!
Add olive oil to a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and garlic and saute for 3-5 minutes, or until onion is translucent and carrot has started to soften.
Add ground beef, ground pork and sausage meat. Cook and crumble for 7 minutes, until browned. Season with 1 teaspoon salt.
Add the tomato paste and red wine, cook for 2 minutes, allowing the alcohol to cook off from the wine and the tomato paste to coat the meat.
Add bell pepper, whole tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning and remaining salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, to avoid the bottom of the pan burning.
After 30 minutes, you’ll have a deep red sauce!
Stir into your favorite pasta (I love rigatoni for bolognese) and serve with Parmesan and fresh basil.
Make sure that you’re tasting the sauce as you go. You may need to adjust for the seasonings at the end, either by adding a little more salt or a pinch of sugar to balance out the tomatoes.
✏️ Substitutions
There are a few easy swaps you can make in this recipe.
- Meat – instead of a combination of ground meat, you could also use just beef or pork. Don’t skip out on the sausage though, it adds a ton of flavor!
- Tomatoes – You could also use diced tomatoes in place of whole tomatoes and passata in place of crushed tomatoes. If you don’t want a thicker tomato sauce, you can replace the crushed tomatoes with beef broth.
- Vegetables – You can add celery to your onion and carrot for a traditional mirepoix. If you’re not a fan of bell pepper, leave it out, but you’ll need to balance the sauce with some sugar at the end.
Storage
This is one of my favorite recipes to make and freeze! It will last in your freezer up to 3 months. I freeze in a resealable freezer bag, so it can lay flat in the freezer and not take up too much space.
💭 Cooking tips
While this recipe only cooks for 30 minutes, you can simmer it for longer for even more flavor. Just make sure to keep an eye on it to avoid any burning.
This recipe was originally published on October 1, 2014 and updated on December 10, 2023.
Rigatoni Bolognese
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- ½ lb Italian sausage, hot or mild, casings removed
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes, chop in the can with scissors
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- ¾ cup red wine
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1.5 pound rigatoni pasta, cooked according to package instructions
- Parmesan cheese, for serving
- fresh basil
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and garlic. Sauté until the vegetables are softened and aromatic, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add ground beef, ground pork, and Italian sausage to the pot. Break up the meat with a spoon and cook until browned, about 7 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon salt.
- Add the tomato paste and red wine, cook for 2 minutes, allowing the alcohol to cook off from the wine and the tomato paste to coat the meat.
- Pour in the whole tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, bell pepper, Italian seasoning and remaining salt. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and let it simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the bottom from burning.
- Taste and adjust seasoning, adding extra salt or a little sugar if it's needed.
- While the sauce is simmering, cook the rigatoni pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Serve the bolognese sauce over the cooked rigatoni. Garnish with fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Taste the sauce as you go. You may need to adjust for the seasonings at the end, either by adding a little more salt or a pinch of sugar to balance out the tomatoes.
- To freeze: Add sauce to a resealable freezer bag, so it can lay flat in the freezer and not take up too much space. This will last in the freezer for three months.
Rebecca
Huge TYPO in your recipe that definitely messed this up for me. Step 3 says, “add the tomatoes and red wine,” when it should read, “add the tomato PASTE.” I was moving fast and didn’t catch it in time. As a result my red wine and tomato paste was sitting in a slop of the tomatoes. This is an expensive recipe with lots of meat and it is a shame to have it ruined for a typo like that.
Louisa Clements
Hi Rebecca, oh gosh, I am so sorry about that typo!! Thank you for letting me know, it has been fixed now. Even though the tomatoes and tomato paste were added at different times, I do think the recipe should still turn out! It may need a little sprinkling of sugar at the end to balance, but it should not be ruined! I hope you are still able to enjoy it, and again, my sincere apologies!
Shirley Clements
Your Rigatoni Bolognese looks & sounds delicious so I am going to make it, soon!
Shirley Clements
I love your delicious Bolognese Sauce!
Shirley Clements
I love your Bolognese Sauce! I make it all of the time! I am sooo enjoying your Elmwood Spa show! Great job!
Louisa Clements
Thank you!! :) xo!
Shirley Clements
I can’t believe that I didn’t leave you a comment about your delicious Bolognese sauce that you initially posted in 2014! I made it & loved it & will be making it soon again! All of your recipes are yummy, healthy & easy to make! Thanks soooo much for sharing them with us!
CakePants
Mmm..this looks like the perfect kind of comfort food for fall. I can’t say I remember my parents ever making Bolognese sauce…clearly, I should start making up for lost time! Looking forward to giving this a try.
Lou
Thank you, let me know if you give it a try!
Anna (Hidden Ponies)
I actually love the PC Plus program and wasn’t expecting to like yet another grocery store loyalty program. Their offers for me each week are almost always things I planned to buy anyway and the points add up way faster! This sauce sounds amazing, pinned :)
Lou
Thanks, Anna! I love it too, mainly because of how personalized the offers are. It makes grocery shopping much easier!
Helen @ Scrummy Lane
Hi, Lou. I love that you’ve added in some ‘extra’ flavours to this like the milk and fennel and vinegar. It sounds like the perfect budget bolgonese, and I’m sure the wine isn’t missed at all.
It can be quite a lot of fun shopping on a budget – you certainly feel proud of yourself when you get some bargains!
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl
I just want a big bowl of this asap! YUM!
Lou
Thanks, Pamela!
Chelsea @ Chelsea's Healthy Kitchen
Looks fantastic! I love a good bolognese sauce around this time of year when it starts getting chilly out.
Lou
Thank you, Chelsea. It really is perfect for those chilly evenings!
Kathy @ Olives & Garlic
I adore bolognese sauce.
Lou
Me too, Kathy. It’s so comforting!
Robyn
I’m currently hangry waiting for lunch and this looks amazing Lou!
Lou
Thanks, Robyn! :)