Sorry My Bolognese Sauce is BETTER than Grandma's

This incredible Italian homemade Bolognese Sauce Recipe is slow-cooked with tomatoes and herbs for an unbelievable pasta or lasagna sauce. I can’t even begin to tell you how flavorful and authentic this sauce is. I guarantee you will love it.
Ingredients for this recipe:
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Pounds finely minced beef chuck
• 2 pounds finely minced pork belly
• 2 large peeled, finely minced yellow onions
• 3 finely minced carrots
• 8 finely minced ribs of celery
• 4 finely minced cloves of garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cloves
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 2-28-ounce cans of crushed whole San Marzano tomatoes
• 1 ½ cups beef stock
• 2 ½ cups whole milk
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, optional
• coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Serves: 1 ½ gallons
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 5 ½ hours
Procedures:
1. Add the olive oil to a large pot or rondeau over high heat and heat it until it begins to smoke lightly.
2. Add in the beef, spread it out around the pan, and sear for 2 minutes.
3. Stir the beef and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until it is finished cooking. Transfer it to a large bowl.
4. Place the pork into the pan over high heat, spread it out, and sear for 2 minutes.
5. Stir the pork, turn the heat to medium-low, and render the fat while occasionally stirring. This usually takes about 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pork, leaving the rendered fat in the pot, and set it in the bowl with the cooked minced beef.
7. Add in the onions and caramelize on low heat for 45 to 60 minutes while occasionally stirring. They will be browned, tender, and sweet.
8. Pour in the carrots and celery, season with salt and pepper, and sauté over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until tender but still slightly firm on the outside.
9. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 to 45 seconds or until fragrant.
10. Mix back in the cooked beef and pork along with the bay leaves and cloves.
11. Deglaze with red wine, turn the heat to high, and frequently stir until the wine is almost gone and absorbed, or au sec.
12. Add in the tomatoes and beef stock and stir to combine. Place on a lid and simmer over low heat for 3 hours. Stir every 45 to 60 minutes. It should be a thick, rich sauce at this point.
13. Pour in the milk and mix to combine.
14. Add an optional rosemary sprig and lightly season with salt and pepper. Cook uncovered over low heat for 60-90 minutes. It will have a rich creaminess to it when it’s finished.
15. Cook the pasta according to its instructions and gently mix in a pan or bowl with some of the bolognese sauce using a rubber spatula.
16. Serve with a generous garnish of freshly grated parmigiana Reggiano.

[@jeffreycooley2032]

That looks amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed his passion and attention to detail

[@candyjaywee]

Great recipe! I often make a very similar recipe in a large batch, divide into bags and freeze. Then when making a lasagna/pasta I just pick a bag, unfreeze in a sous vide and bake/mix. Works great and much better than the store-bought!

[@user-qw2lo2cf4q]

Yummy. I’ve made this before, but learned some new things with your recipe…thank you!!!

[@user-wh2pn5dt9h]

Tried it out and now it's "my" bolognese sauce. Everyone loves it!

[@patrickrist1890]

Thank you for sharing these amazing Italian recipes ~ everything I've prepared has turned out delicious !

[@ruffshots]

People from Bologna will disagree, but I don't mind the garlic (some of those other spices though...), or caramelizing the onions first, or even searing the meat first instead of building off of the soffritto, so a very non traditional sauce, but looks fine. Except for the milk. I don't think a well made ragu (which this very much looks like) needs it (but a whole lot of people use it, even in Italy).

[@mikewoods7167]

Traditional recipes aren’t always the tastiest!

[@ruffshots]

@@mikewoods7167 They are absolutely not. I often put in extra herbs and spices in my Bolognese ragu. Don't use milk though

[@MrYurkov]

I tried with milk and is tast delicious, sauce is more creamy and less acid, it's meter of personal taste. Very good recipe, thank you for sharing

[@maureenfinnegan5543]

Looks delicious! I will definitely try this bolognese recipe. Merry Christmas and a Happy & Healthy New Year to you and your family.

[@TheKatherine1958]

That salad looks wonderful! Of course the bolognese looks so good also.

[@juliannedascendis8678]

I would wrap those cloves and bay leaves in cheese cloth for easy retrieval

[@ChefBillyParisi]

The cloves completely break down

[@Kumurajiva]

i wanna eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and snacking

[@yutehube9498]

Any other meal is like junk food compared to a good Bolognese.

[@eddiewilson8119]

Thank you so much for sharing this recipe ❤!

[@ChefBillyParisi]

My pleasure! Thanks for watching!

[@nickkambitis5340]

Fantastic recipe. My family loved it. 🎉🎉

[@ArthurEbing]

Thank you for giving realistic timings for a home cook! I hate when a recipe says sauté till soft, 6 mins, and it takes me 20 mins! Granted, red wine needs to factored into my equation! 😁

[@chrissmithspresence]

I made this for some friends tonight and it was fantastic. Thank you!

[@Jbp658]

Definitely going to try it this way next time!

[@robnijhof1978]

I can't wait to make this myself. Great video!

[@wideeyedraven15]

Every meat sauce is such a comfort. I like the step of caramelizing the onions as a variation. It’s def a no no in Emilia Romagna but why not? Some say it’s too sweet or something. But with so much acid in both the wine (they insist it be white in that region and I usually stick with that but up to you, obvs) and tomato, that sweetness is just a balance. I also try to use tomato paste instead of whole tomatoes, I’m not sure it matters at all. Meat ragus are just so good. Thanks Billy.

[@regularSenseAppeal]

This is pretty much how I do it sans the gloves. Comes out great. Pro tip is to use a cast iron dutch oven and throw it in the oven for 2h30min at 160°C.

[@hkak9232]

Amazing food, properly made! Absolutely love learning and cooking your recipes, Chef Parisi!! Thank you for taking time to explain and teach! Your site is my go to resource for best food!! God bless!

[@IxMoMo.]

Your knife skills are on peak

[@john2k24]

That looks absolutely 🔥 chef

[@bolognacow]

Of all the many food channels I subscribe to, this one motivates me the most. I think because it embraces the love and joy of cooking so much.

[@ChefBillyParisi]

I appreciate that very much. Many thanks!

[@Tallgrkguy407]

My mouth is watering !

[@robertvecci262]

Among variations that you mentioned, adding minced lamb, veal and chicken livers adds additional depth of flavor, making it a "Ragu Cinque Carne" (Five meat ragu). Also, reconstitute about 8 ounces of dried Porcini Mushrooms, mince them and add to the meat/vegetable mixture. Add the residual reconstiting liquid (filtered through a cheese cloth) along with the wine and stock. Also, instead of plain pork belly, substitute "pancetta."

[@dwaynesgirl6117]

You sound like chef thanks for the tips

[@robertvecci262]

@@dwaynesgirl6117 NOT a chef at all here. Just likes to cook!

[@lisaroy551]

Great recipe, wonderful video! I love bolognese just like this! I've not added milk, but I will try it!!

[@Spacemans2023]

I’m definitely going to try a few things from this the next time I make bolognese.

[@joereedmusic9853]

Excellent

[@patriciadinardo4074]

I am making your recipe today, and guess what it's Tuesday.! It's the first time I ever made bologness sauce. Hope it comes good. It's looking good . Oh and also I'm one of those people who puts her hand on her hop when she's stirring. Thank you for sharing. ❤😊

[@SSGTJAB]

The salad looks like the one I ate every Sunday growing up. The sauce not so much, we were a stuffed beef roast and pork meat gravy family.😁 but I do have a question, did you remove the cloves and rosemary stem, plus the bay leaves, before serving? BTW your sauce looked great!

[@joeclark7082]

First of all this looks like a beautiful sauce. I have been doing something similar with the veg but using half and half ground beef and packaged Italian sausage, paired with Walmart greatvalue marina sauce. It is good but I think I should be carmelizing the onions more and also I will try adding the cloves. Thanks for the recipe

[@Sheena7625]

You should get you some tomato paste and mix with water instead of the marinara. Not only is it cheaper but it will taste better too. At the end of cooking your bolognese sauce take half cup of cream and pour it in then cook your sauce for another 10/15 minutes. You will love it!

[@B__C]

This looks F'n delicious! I can never find pappardelle thick enough so I buy the refrigerated lasagna sheets and slice them myself with a pizza cutter.

[@rofl468]

Definitely going to try this one soon. Looks delicious!!! Also, I 100% put my non-stirring hand on my hip. I'm pretty sure it's required when stirring lol

[@ChefBillyParisi]

Indeed it is 😂😂😂

[@ayooluwakolawole]

Parmesan rind in there really changes the game; also I usually find the sweetness of the carrots enough, caremalising onions weakens the fried onion flavour. Cloves is a new one, will have to try! Great vid!

[@stuartdopplerstein539]

This is very similar to my version of bolognese. I purée sundried tomatoes into the canned ones to boost the tomato flavor.

[@CheCosaTesoro]

The ragu excellent. I learnt from both my nonna and mamma. A tip.....season lightly each stage as you go. Don't know why, but it works for anything cooking. We use a triple meat blend.....beef, pork and veal and a preference for white wine. Need to make some !!!!!

[@greeneffectltd]

For sure I will try your way. Mine is to dice things a little bit bigger I just like the crunch although I cook it for at least 5 hours and there is not very much crunch :D

[@csharper3572]

I absolutely love a good Bolognese sauce 🥰

[@nickkambitis5340]

Fantastic ❤

[@simonhall2682]

The milk is new to me- thanks can’t wait to try it.

[@lydiannaturalslydiasaunder4044]

Thank you so much for sharing. What a lovely recipe. I’m just wondering how you would plate that up for a dinner party of 8? The video looked Iike individual servings in a small pan. Thanks!😊

[@celestialsafaris]

this is how I make my bolognese and its always in high demand when i do. Only differences is i add nutmeg instead. and bit of mushrooms for texture and i feel they absorb, hold and deliver the flavor well especially when added to the caramelized onions. The wine sometimes yes sometimes no. Usually i add it as im already drinking wine and as i get a bit tipsy i go "well..why not and throw a few dashes in.

[@thomaskotch4770]

Nutmeg is the real deal

[@kathleenwassum7712]

You Are so AMAZING! That Entire Recipe is an unbelievable dinner! Thank you sooo very much, Billy Parisi!!!❤😊😊😊 (I’m 73, and my daddy was Billy!-George William Royal, JR) May He Rest in Peace with God, The Father Almighty! Love Love Love You, Billy Paersi!!❤😊

[@joycemagann4227]

That is exactly how I dice my carrots for my "sauce." Will add the pork belly and celery and cloves. Never did that. Yummo.

[@yutehube9498]

I've made bolognese sauce countless times and have tweaked it almost every time to get it better each time. All I was doing watching this was nodding along... this guy knows his stuff!

[@Kelsobunny]

This is the perfect recipe to use up extra ingredients!

[@michaelmaier7262]

Looks excellent!

[@floari1804]

Man, that looks soo delicious. You shouldn´t watch the video when you´re hungry

[@proventure307]

this is the way my grandma does it and i'm from switzerland. Funny how the world connects.

[@yutehube9498]

I thought that, stirring every hour, it's exactly what I do but didn't learn it, just trial and error. Lid on the whole time too.

[@PassiveAgressive319]

It would not occur to me to cook the onions separately. Def gonna try👍

[@yanamoore3028]

Always love your vids and Defo agree on the thickness of the pasta, same for Datong sliced noodles in China, better thicker. 👌🏻

[@user-yz1dl3eu8l]

Same way we do it in France : Celeri, concentré de tomate (!), carrot, garlic, pork, beef, red wine, generally a Côte du Rhône (Syrah) we have plenty of it. 3/4 hours of slow cooking.Except maybe the parmesan; in my childhood my mother put French Gruyère cheese (there's holes in it). Well, it was marvellous.

[@matthewrosebrock5135]

Im seeing in other cooking videos that Bolognese is just a wine and stock sauce with just a little tomato paste. I'm making lasagna tomorrow and I want to do it with Bolognese.

[@GreenWitch1]

Just what I needed today. I have my beef in the freezer & my San Marzano tomatoes in the pantry 😊

[@ChefBillyParisi]

Excellent!

[@cannibalholocaust3015]

Sometimes I add sugar , just little for sweetness. Word of warning, if you leave unattended whilst taking a shower for example it can burn easily. I caught mine when it was just about to burn.

[@lochanachathuranatha599]

absolutely amazing I love how you explain it simply wow I would love to add here some insights because I'm a videographer If you use a light color curtain and some soft box lighting to your background videos will looks more aesthetic keep it up and all the best

[@Guava_noise]

I rarely comment on people’s stuff but I enjoyed this a lot. Looks great! But, one thing that is worth trying is to replace those canned tomatoes with a fresh homemade tomato passata using the SM tomatoes from your garden. It will taste even better.

[@NigelAinscoe]

This looks like how I make Ragu. Plus one for the caramelisation of the onion. I prefer white wine to red though, and get the whole milk in before the tomatoes go in and reduce so there is almost no liquid left. Then add the tomatoes and continue.

[@kvcooks814]

You make this the same way I do- I think I originally saw Marcella Hazan make Bolognese this way. I deglaze with a dry white wine-never red or chardonnay (shudder) then cook down the meats and veggies in milk until the pan is nearly dry. This step seems to tenderize and "silken" everything before adding any tomato products and beef stock.

[@NigelAinscoe]

@@kvcooks814 Well spotted, I use Marcella Hazan's recipe for my Ragu.

[@BlanDam01]

Homemade beef stock. Finish simmering by adding some butter and a good balsamic vinegar. And fresh homemade pasta.

[@stradingerm]

Thanks!

[@ChefBillyParisi]

My pleasure! thank you so kindly!!

[@martinklaus2203]

Not traditional, but still looks fantastic!!

[@BADABINGOOH]

Oh Billy Thank You So Much

[@razzums1]

Great video chef! Do you think chicken stock would be a decent alternative to beef stock with this recipe? Stock isn't sold in the country I'm living in and I usually only make chicken stock. Might try to expand to beef stock one day. Thanks!

[@ChefBillyParisi]

It could work.

[@CAIDMASTEROFPYRO]

I do the half pork half beef, I use more wine, don't use cloves but do chuck in a bunch of basil stems tied up so they can be removed, no stock or milk, and I do half half whole canned tomatoes and passata as well as a punnet of fresh grape tomatoes halved or quartered depending on the size. cook it low and slow for a long time then have it for dinner that night and in the fridge, the next day i vaccum seal portions of sauce and freeze them.

[@ChefBillyParisi]

Nice!

[@pierre6625]

Chef Parisi, you are absolut;y right when telling us to make sure the onions are well caramelized. You videos are very well explained with different options. I love that. Thank you for this recipe, you being an Italian Chef has to be the greatess Bolognese sauce to serve to our guess. Thank You so much for sharing your great recipes with us. Best Regards

[@matthewhunter6421]

Lol. No he's not. Don't be dumb. Best Bolognese I've ever had was a grandma in Italy and she didn't caramelize onions or brown the meat, and I guarantee his is not better

[@markcrume]

Bravo! I remember grandma squeezing canned tomatoes into her sauce pot.

[@areyoureally123]

Good knife work!

[@nowwhat33]

Absolutely!👍 His knife work is out of this world. 🌎 😮😊

[@lolajacomino6574]

I got to try this recipe, it looks amazing. Thank you for all your work 👍

[@nicki66]

I discovered the magic of a proper Bolognese during the Pandemic. You have some great tips that I can’t wait to try! Arguably my favourite Italian ragu…You cannot beat Italian food. (That is saying a lot as a Jamaican) Another gift from that tiny country! Art, food and fashion…wow!

[@cenekohler2642]

since when is Italy a tiny country ?

[@nicki66]

@@cenekohler2642 LOL! I am from Canada. Most countries are tiny in comparison. Most countries are smaller than the province I live in.

[@cenekohler2642]

@@nicki66 Even if Canada has a big land mass, it still has a lot smaller population. So the comment is still kinda meh

[@nicki66]

@@cenekohler2642 Nope, you are just being ridiculous…just so you know that I was talking geographically, not population. I encourage you to give people the benefit of the doubt and not assume they are trying to denigrate but to compliment. You must have completely missed my point if you that is all you took away from my comment. Trust me, I have said far more controversial things that are more worthy of your reaction. Hahahaha!

[@vinniep3315]

I use lil tomato paste and was taught milk up front. But this looks amazing

[@siccmadewhiteboy]

This was dope.

[@realrussclarke]

Ok chef I am absolutely making this exactly how you showed us, no pre ground meat! This looks amazing

[@taterandy3958]

Definitely a Sunday Sauce!!!!

[@larsio72]

Nice work, the sauce looks great! Two questions: why not cook the pork before the beef to use the pork fat already for that atep to avoid adding too much olive oil? Second, why not cook the celery with the onion, as it needs much longer than the carrot to break down into the sauce?

[@ChefBillyParisi]

You could cook the pork first for sure, that’s just the way my family did it. Also, the celery carrots cooking time doesn’t much matter because it’s on for several hours after they’re in the pot. The onions are the key.

[@dirtyketchup]

pro tip: simmer 1-2 old Parmigiano Reggiano rinds in with the sauce for a few hours. Helps use up all of their flavor. Adds a bunch of umami, too. Also, instead of simmering it on the stove, simmer it in the oven with the lid slightly ajar. Helps develop deeper maillard flavors, and also helps with the reduction. Omnidirectional cooking is more efficient than the unidirectional cooking of the stove.

[@ChefBillyParisi]

Rinds don’t go in bolognese, and for a Maillard you would need the lid to be off. Watch my cassoulet video to learn more about that.

[@williamfotiou7577]

A proper rondeau, stock pot, and sheet pans are essential to the professional kitchen, and also the home. I tell people to buy sheet pans for home from restaurant supply stores because they're forever. Thank for spreading the word on the rondeau, always a go-to in the professional kitchen.

[@ChefBillyParisi]

If you’re serious about cooking then these are just-haves. Agreed!

[@metaxaanabeer]

Most all of our friends that we share food with use pots, pans, bowls that are too small as well. That and not enough heat are more important than lack of seasoning in my opinion.

[@williamfotiou7577]

@@metaxaanabeer Metaxa is always good, yiasou. 🇬🇷🍸

[@sorscha]

Been decluttering and reducing kitchen inventory but the rondel is definitely on my list!

[@theyareherewithus2944]

@@sorschaA good rondeau is several hundred dollars. Save your pennies!

[@jklphoto]

Thanks for the video and recipe chef! Your knife skills are awesome! #brunoise! This recipe looks perfect to cut in half for me and the wife!

[@OneSneakySloth]

You could also freeze the sauce! If you’re going through the process why not savour the leftovers :)

[@mattbrumm8255]

Could you do a video on a good potluck recipe?

[@sheldoniusRex]

What is the rondeau you use in this video?

[@wolfman011000]

We use a spice bag for the bay leaves, cloves and cinnamon save faffing about later. I would recommend allowing the sauce to rest in the fridge for aday before freezing allowing the flavours to meld before the freezing stops the process. You are bang on correct about making a large batch, while this will cost you time and energy upfront you will save much more time later as well as the cost of the energy used for the long simmering. Sunday is the day we prep for the week aheads food. 3-4 hours mostly passive cooking time on a sunday allows us to have proper good meals all week in the evenings just needing to make rice, pasta fries etc as the time consuming main parts of the meals just need reheating. This is how our grandmothers use to do things and how there food tasted so good, they spent there time in the right place and time, thinking ahead being smart with tonnes of common sense.

[@gregsavchuk3239]

Wow, Thx Chef Bill. Try reducing the milk/cream with the browned ground meat. Marcella Hazan would approve... I'd also be tempted to add a hint of sugar/honey/date syrup to the bolognese... PS: Ur salad alone should earn a Michelin star.

[@ChefBillyParisi]

Thanks for watching!

[@justinjackson5160]

This recipe is like every other recipe in internet.

[@user-mb1hg4qu9f]

Deeply carmelizing all the veg is the real secret.

[@shahram72]

Your knives and knife skills are enviable... I'm gonna lose a finger over here.

[@PeteNathan]

Real Bolognese sauce doesn’t really need any herbs but this sauce is decent

[@ashpourpainting-eh7km]

That’s how it’s done

[@M63Tod]

Do you take the cloves out afterwards?

[@ChefBillyParisi]

They breakdown

[@TheMargearet]

I put the carrots tomatoes and celery in the blender with the wine, it really cuts down on time!

[@burlatsdemontaigne6147]

If you want 'fast' don't cook Ragu.

[@nowwhat33]

Don’t put tomatoes 🍅 into a blender. It will crush the tomato seeds, which leaves the sauce with a bitter taste. 👅 Squeeze the tomatoes with your hands 🙌, like he did.

[@TheMargearet]

@@nowwhat33 I didn't realize thanks for letting me know! 🤗👍🏻🙌🏻🫶🏻🍅

[@nowwhat33]

You’re welcome. You can also crush it with a wooden spoon or something. As long as you make sure you use something that doesn’t cut through the tomato seeds. 😉

[@sylviarowlands1883]

Cloves? That’s a new one on me but i will add next time , Mary Berry one of our famous cooks in UK adds milk or cream so i have been doing that for a long time. Thank you for the recipe. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@jeffweber8244]

I do mostly the same, but I've never been a fan of the traditional milk/cream addition since for me it just mutes the flavors I've worked for. Instead I'll toss in a bit of cheese rind if I have one.

[@bibbyboxx2219]

I agree.

[@RichardCranium321]

For those who arent confident in their knife skills, a Food processor does work for the veggies but means much more cleaning... I use the fine side of my cowbell grater when I need several cups of multiple kinds of fine minced veggies. It works pretty well, but is the perfect combination of quick yet also extremely easy to clean up when done - however Nana's wooden spoon is absolutely mandatory. It adds the most important seasoning: love. 👍

[@brockmccaw4259]

Food processors aren't that hard to clean

[@bellarose4816]

What if you can't use wine?

[@user-ph7fu5kx4w]

Do the cloves dissolve?

[@101gitfit]

Imma taste so much that there might not be any left!! 😂😂😂

[@ChefBillyParisi]

Get it!

[@dawnb5617]

Wooden spoon wasn’t just for cooking…it can also be used as a weapon. I know this first hand from experience. 😂

[@ChefBillyParisi]

That was my grandmothers paddle of choice lol

[@ruthtorphy2204]

My son would agree. He still loves me💚

[@dawnb5617]

@@ChefBillyParisisame!!!! 😂

[@phillyguy8541]

What time is dinner?😃

[@stevo-dx5rr]

I say…if you’re going to take the time and effort to make a long cooked sauce like this one, by all means use whole cuts of beef and mince or grind them at home (or ask your butcher). It’s a big upgrade IMO.

[@cmanroseful]

(Insert compliment to chef) (Now insert comment about me and my version that nobody gives a crap about since I don’t have my own cooking channel)

[@deniseg812]

They say Bolognese, changes from house to house. I'm not with the vegetables, I make this a lil different. I'm willing to try this. I'll try any tomato sauce at least once.

[@thegoodgeneral]

This looks amazing, but I'm a bit surprised there was no tomato paste usage! Is that something you're against or would you be fine with adding it?

[@ChefBillyParisi]

You could use it for sure. I’ll always opt for tomato over paste

[@thegoodgeneral]

@@ChefBillyParisi oh crap I should have specified, I mean in addition to San Marzanos! So using both. But thanks for your reply, I think I have my answer. : )

[@tonymurray814]

Did he say 45 mins to an hour to caramelize the onions?? I don’t think I could do that with out burning them!😳