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Home » Italian » Authentic Bolognese Sauce

Authentic Bolognese Sauce

By Hank Shaw on April 25, 2012, Updated June 22, 2020 - 45 Comments

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4.43 from 7 votes
Authentic bolognese recipe over pasta
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Authentic bolognese recipe over pasta
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

Have you ever had a real, authentic Bolognese sauce recipe? I mean an actual, honest-to-goodness Bolognese? It’s just different from a typical meat sauce for pasta: smoother, meatier, mellower and a lot richer than a typical ragu or sugo. A little goes a long way.

There is a reason that the guardians of this sauce are so strict about what is and is not an authentic Bolognese.

Much of what makes Italian cuisine so special is its skill with poverty foods. Puglians or Sardinians or the people of the Italian Alps must deal with a limited set of ingredients, and they do so with uncanny ability.

But there is no need for this in Emilia-Romagna, where Bologna lies. This region has everything. And it flaunts it. A Bolognese sauce is a crowning expression of the wealth of Italy’s breadbasket, and some version of it has been made since the 1700s.

This is a sauce with rules. It is built on a base of onion, carrot and celery. No garlic. Nor does it have lots of herbs in it. I love lots of herbs in a meat sauce, but that’s not a Bolognese. The sauce contains dairy products. Tomato, while present, is not the star of the sauce. Meat is. And to make a real Bolognese, it must cook a long, long time.

An authentic Bolognese sauce recipe is all about the meat. Emilia-Romagna is a rich region, and this is a rich sauce. Beef is king here, and the sauce is usually a celebration of the cow: beef, veal, milk and butter. But pork is often used, too. And that’s where we start getting into the endless Bolognese Debate — what is, and is not, a “true” Bolognese sauce?

Every cook has a personal version. The few constants I’ve just mentioned above. Some have only beef. Some a mix of meats. Some pork. A few, like this one, wild boar. Some Bolognese recipes use a little pancetta, prosciutto or chicken liver, too.

Home » Italian » Authentic Bolognese Sauce
Grating cheese on squab sugo

Classic Sugo

This cousin of Bolognese sauce uses duck, squab or similar meats to make a dark, rich sauce every bit as good as Bolognese.

Read More about Pigeon, Dove or Duck Ragu

One point of contention is tomato. I use just a little, but most American versions make this a tomato sauce with meat. That may taste nice, but it’s not a Bolognese. I suspect Americans do this because we were first exposed to a sauce sorta-kinda like this by Italians from Southern Italy, where tomato-heavy meat sauces are more common.

Mushrooms, usually porcini, do have a place in an authentic Bolognese sauce. I use dried ones here. Broth is yet another debating point. Many recipes use beef broth, some use water. I used wild boar broth to go with the meat.

Wine? Yes, or no. Your choice. White or red both work.

What pasta you serve it on is also hotly debated. By far the most common is homemade tagliatelle, which is a little like linguine. But other pasta shapes are seen, too.

Curiously, spaghetti — the most common pasta used with Bolognese in America — is almost never used with this sauce in Italy. Again, I think using spaghetti is an influence from Italian-Americans from the south, where dried pasta is more commonly used.

Do you need to follow all these rules when you make your own Bolognese? I hope you do, because the result is unlike anything else you’ve ever tasted. Even if you use other meats, such as venison or hare or duck, following these guidelines will make an unforgettable pasta sauce.

But the Italian Food Police will not come breaking down your door if you add a little of this or a little of that to your liking. Improvisation is, after all, very Italian.

A bowl of venison ragu
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4.43 from 7 votes

Venison Ragu

This is a classic bolognese sauce geared toward venison. It takes a while to come together, but it will keep in the fridge a week, freezes well and can be pressure canned.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time3 hrs
Total Time3 hrs 20 mins
Course: Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 441kcal
Author: Hank Shaw

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup minced onion
  • 1 cup minced carrot
  • 1 cup minced celery
  • 2 pounds ground venison, or other meat
  • 1 ounce dried porcini, reconstituted in 1 cup hot water and chopped
  • 1 six- ounce can tomato paste
  • 1 cup venison stock, beef broth or water
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 nutmeg, grated or 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Pasta (tagliatelle, penne, etc)
  • Grated cheese for garnish

Instructions

  • Heat the butter over medium-high heat in a large, heavy pot like a Dutch oven. Add the onion, celery and carrots and cook gently for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often. Do not brown them. Sprinkle a little salt over the veggies as they cook.
  • When the vegetables are soft, stir in the chopped porcini and tomato paste and allow everything to cook for 3 or 4 minutes, again, stirring often. When the tomato paste begins to turn the color of brick, add the ground venison, the porcini soaking water and the broth. Bring to a simmer.
  • Allow this to cook down over medium-low heat. Take your time here and resist the urge to do this over higher heat. Stir from time to time. When the liquid has mostly evaporated, add the wine and repeat the process. When that has mostly evaporated, add the milk, nutmeg and black pepper and stir well. Bring back to a simmer and add salt to taste. Let this cook until it is the consistency you want.
  • When you add the milk to the sauce, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add enough salt to make it taste like the sea. Once the ragu has thickened, add the pasta to the salty water and cook until its al dente.
  • To serve, put the pasta in a large bowl and add a healthy ladle of sauce. Toss to combine. Give everyone their portion, then top with a small ladle's worth of sauce. Grate the cheese over the top and serve.

Video

Notes

If you want to pressure can this, you'll have to leave the milk out until you want to eat the sauce. But you can pressure can this at 10 PSI for up to 1000 feet of elevation for 1 hour. Follow your canner's directions. 

Keys to Success

  • Time. A real deal ragu takes time to make. You can rush things, but you will notice the difference. 
  • I make my own venison stock for this recipe, but you could use store bought, low-sodium beef broth. 
  • Use a food processor to finely mince the carrot, onion and celery. Way easier than by hand. 
  • If you can't find the porcini, skip it or use other dried mushrooms. I will often just use porcini powder. 

Nutrition

Calories: 441kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 403mg | Potassium: 808mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3340IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @HuntGatherCook or tag #HankShaw!

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Filed Under: Italian, Pasta, Risotto, Gnocchi, Recipe, Wild Game

Avatar for Hank Shaw

Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet's largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

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Comments

  1. Avatar for ChristiannChristiann says

    November 20, 2020 at 1:26 pm

    I used ground wild boar (from frozen), red wine, and dried shiitake mushrooms. Started at 3pm and finished at 6:30pm. The best fresh noodles I could find were linguine, but everything worked out okay. Very tasty!

    Reply
  2. Avatar for JoyJoy says

    April 18, 2020 at 1:42 pm

    This was so good! I used the wild boar but I unfortunately was missing the mushrooms. I had everything else and it was wonderful! Thank you for this recipe..

    Reply
  3. Avatar for Lauren WarnerLauren Warner says

    January 25, 2020 at 6:13 am

    Haha! I see it now. Why mind smashed 1 and 6 together I have no idea. Thank you for answering a dumb question, you are great!

    Reply
  4. Avatar for Lauren WarnerLauren Warner says

    January 24, 2020 at 9:47 am

    16 ounce can tomato paste. Just wanted to double check the amount. It may just be me but I’ve never seen a 16 oz can of paste. Thank you for all your awesome recipes!

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      January 24, 2020 at 10:08 am

      Lauren: Nope, it is one 6-ounce can of tomato paste!

      Reply
      • Avatar for TiaMariaTiaMaria says

        August 23, 2021 at 3:14 pm

        I thought 16oz as well… I thought it was wayyy too much but I couldn’t find my dad’s recipe and have not made this in over 6 years … oh well we shall see how it turns out ? as it’s already cooking and I’m thinking ? how is this meat going to brown. ? I always try to follow a recipe it as written on first attempt before I put my join twist on it. Don’t worry I won’t rate it until I properly follow the recipe

  5. Avatar for DavidDavid says

    January 21, 2020 at 7:46 pm

    Very good

    Reply
  6. Avatar for CurtCurt says

    November 10, 2019 at 2:58 pm

    First of all thank you for the explanation on Bolognese I was in that group of Americans that thought it was tomato sauce with meat. This recipe is fantastic results are phenomenal. I made it with ground black bear and let me tell you it was as good as any bolognese I’ve had in a quality Italian restaurant. I avoided the temptation to try to make this happen too quickly. Started prep at 11:30am and had dinner at 5:00pm. Patience is key, the part that stands out to me is the nutmeg. Initially it did not make sense however as the recipe progressed it became logical. Follow the directions on this one and you’ll be rewarded. I would not hesitate to use any ground red meat. Thanks again Hank spot on as usual.

    Reply
  7. Avatar for Alan ReedAlan Reed says

    April 23, 2019 at 10:42 am

    Thoughts on adding half a sprig of rosemary for flavor to take out before serving?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      April 23, 2019 at 11:27 am

      Alan: Go for it.

      Reply
  8. Avatar for EricEric says

    April 8, 2019 at 8:53 pm

    Excellent! Have made this twice. The second time I added 1.5 ounces of pancetta to the initial sauté, which added some violas to the string section. Polenta is another good base.

    Reply
  9. Avatar for miguel fernandezmiguel fernandez says

    January 15, 2019 at 8:58 am

    what quantity of sauce would this recipe make? Since it is so time consuming could you double, triple, or multiply by even more to make enough to can to have for the future.

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      January 15, 2019 at 9:02 am

      Miguel: Absolutely. You can scale it up as much as you want.

      Reply
  10. Avatar for carminecarmine says

    December 26, 2015 at 7:50 pm

    Hey team we had this in Tuscany one night near Greve and it was so unbelievably good that I found another nearby restaurant wnd did a repeat. Wild boar, wild Porcini, those sweet Italian onions and everything else you mentioned, no garlic. I dream of going back one day for a second repeat of the two nights dinners.

    Reply
  11. Avatar for CoertCoert says

    September 27, 2015 at 11:15 am

    I disagree on browning the veggies. Brown them! Brown tastes good!

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      October 1, 2015 at 9:07 am

      Coert: I agree, but not in this particular recipe, where I am trying to stay close to the Italian original.

      Reply
  12. Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

    April 27, 2014 at 10:21 am

    Aliasak: Nope. Not in this recipe.

    Reply
  13. Avatar for AliasakAliasak says

    April 27, 2014 at 7:47 am

    Hi Hank, is the ground meat browned before adding to the vegetables and tomato sauce?

    Reply
    • Avatar for davedave says

      July 9, 2020 at 8:45 am

      Did you ever get an answer to this?

      Reply
      • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

        July 9, 2020 at 9:41 am

        Dave: Yes he did. The answer is no.

  14. Avatar for Christina BollingerChristina Bollinger says

    March 20, 2014 at 3:40 pm

    Hi Hank,

    Do you have your duck fat vinaigrette recipe somewhere as well?

    Reply
  15. Avatar for RobRob says

    December 15, 2013 at 7:03 pm

    Hank,

    Just made this dish with javelina that I shot on a trip to Marfa, Texas. Outstanding recipe! Javelina isn’t as bad as its reputation, but it definitely takes a little bit of work to make it taste good, and this was an excellent use for it.

    -Rob

    Reply
  16. Avatar for AngelaAngela says

    March 14, 2013 at 2:43 pm

    I just had a craving for bolognese sauce, sadly don’t have any boar meat, but am de-frosting some minced pork instead. Will follow your recipe which looks very authentic to me tomorrow!

    Reply
  17. Avatar for LanceLance says

    January 23, 2013 at 4:51 pm

    I use Cocoa Powder in place of nutmeg. To get the fat back use Pancetta, lots of it. My Wild Boar Bolognese rocks

    Reply
  18. Avatar for AndrewAndrew says

    May 19, 2012 at 9:56 am

    Really good recipe. Did ours with pork, venison, and venison liver.

    Reply
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Hi, my name is Hank Shaw. I am a James Beard Award-winning author and chef and I focus my energies on wild foods: Foraging, fishing, hunting. I write cookbooks as well as this website, have a website dedicated to the intersection of food and nature, and do a podcast, too. If it’s wild game, fish, or edible wild plants and mushrooms, you’ll find it here. Hope you enjoy the site!

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