Spaghetti Bolognese Sauce – I Heart Naptime

Easy Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe

This spaghetti bolognese sauce is a traditional Italian recipe with rich and hearty flavor. It’s one of my favorite easy pasta recipes, as well as spaghetti and meatballs and lasagna.

The best part about making this weeknight spaghetti bolognese sauce is that it’s made in one pot and ready in under an hour. If you have time, simmer the homemade sauce even longer, though, and it will make the spag bol even more flavorful.

Why I Love This Bolognese Sauce

• Easy bolognese recipe: This meaty bolognese sauce recipe only needs to be simmered for 20 minutes! Compared to the classic, it’s perfect for busy weeknights.
• Meaty tomato sauce: Hearty meat simmered in a homemade pasta sauce made from scratch with sweet tomatoes and fragrant herbs is satisfying comfort food!

Ingredient Notes

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

• Sweet onion: I use sweet because I like how it works with the marinara sauce.
• Garlic: You can’t really make bolognese sauce without this important ingredient.
• Ground meat: I like to use a mixture of ground beef and ground pork to add more savory flavor to the spaghetti bolognese sauce.
• Seasoning: The perfect balance of flavor begins with salt, pepper, dried basil, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes.
• Brown sugar: This is my secret ingredient that helps bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes.
• Half-and-half: This adds a richness and creaminess to the spaghetti bolognese sauce. Heavy cream or whole milk can be used, or omit it for a spaghetti sauce.
• Parmesan: Finely shredded fresh Parmesan cheese melts into the sauce and balances the acidity of the tomatoes. Use a Parmesan rind instead if you like.
• Dry red wine: This gives the sauce a complexity and balances all of the other flavors.
• Fire-roasted diced tomatoes: These cook down beautifully to give the velvety sauce a little extra texture.
• Crushed tomatoes: I like to use San Marzano tomatoes their quality elevates the flavor for the best bolognese sauce.
• Tomato paste: This gives the quick bolognese sauce an extra depth of tomato flavor.
• Spaghetti: Our go to when making this easy bolognese recipe although a classic Italian dish would use flat and wide pasta noodle like tagliatelle or pappardelle.

How to Make Spaghetti Bolognese Sauce

Melt butter over medium-low heat in large skillet or pot. Add onion with pinch of salt and cook until translucent. Stir in garlic.

Turn heat to medium-high heat then add the meat. Drain any excess grease. Using a wooden spoon, stir in pepper, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes and remaining teaspoon salt. Cook until meat has browned.

Add in brown sugar, half-and-half, wine, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and parmesan. Stir and then simmer for 10 minutes. Cover and cook additional 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Toss the meaty sauce with spaghetti, garnish with fresh herbs and enjoy!

Tips and Variations

• Simmer time. While this is a quick and easy spaghetti bolognese sauce ready in 45 minutes, the longer it simmers the better the flavors meld together for an amazing sauce. You can even simmer it for hours on low heat if you have time!
• Thickening the sauce. The longer spaghetti bolognese sauce simmers, the thicker it will be. If you are short on time, try adding in a teaspoon or two of tomato paste or tomato puree, as a thickening agent.
• Thinning the sauce: Reserve some pasta water when draining the pasta to thin out the consistency of the pasta bolognese sauce.
• Ragu: Finely chopped celery and carrot would make this more like a thick ragu. Dice vegetables small and saute with the onion.
• Flavor boost: A splash of Worcestershire sauce and beef bouillon cube are not authentic but perfect to add flavor since we are cutting down on simmering time.
• Without wine: Traditional homemade spaghetti bolognese sauce is made with red wine. I have used pomegranate juice or grape juice for a non-alcoholic substitute.
• Toss pasta with sauce for serving: You can serve the bolognese sauce and pasta separately or you can mix them together before serving which is traditional!

Storing and Freezing Leftovers

• Store: Cool easy bolognese sauce then store separately from spaghetti pasta in an airtight container for up to three days.
• Freeze: Place the leftover sauce in a zip-top bag or airtight container and then let it cool. Press flat and then store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Thaw: When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat on low on the stove top or in the slow cooker. Serve over spaghetti, it’s perfect for a busy night!