Traditional Bolognese Meat Sauce Recipe

Make the dough

On a clean work surface, mound the all-purpose and semolina flours and create a large well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well, add olive oil and salt. Using a fork, gently whisk the eggs while slowly incorporating a little flour from the inside edge until mixture thickens. Gradually incorporate more flour until a shaggy dough forms. If dough is too dry, add up to 2 tablespoons water; if too wet, add a tablespoon of flour.

Knead and rest

Knead the dough for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to relax the gluten.

Roll and cut

Divide dough into 4 portions. Working with one portion at a time, flatten and pass through a pasta machine from the widest to the thinnest setting (or roll by hand) until you reach the desired thickness (about setting 6–7 on many machines for tagliatelle). Lightly dust with flour, fold into thirds, and slice into 1/4-inch (6 mm) wide strips for tagliatelle. Unfurl and hang or lay flat on a lightly floured tray while you prepare sauce.

Prepare soffritto and aromatic base

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a wide heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring, until it renders fat and becomes lightly golden, about 3–4 minutes. Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery (soffritto) and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and translucent, 8–10 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Brown the meats

Increase heat to medium-high. Add ground beef and ground pork, breaking up with a wooden spoon. Spread into an even layer and let brown without stirring for 2 minutes, then stir and continue to cook until meat is mostly browned and no large pink pieces remain, about 6–8 minutes total. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper as it browns.

Tomato paste and deglaze

Push the meat to the side, stir in the tomato paste, and toast it for 1–2 minutes until it darkens slightly to develop sweetness. Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping any browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine simmer until mostly evaporated, about 3–4 minutes.

Milk and simmer

Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in the milk, stirring to combine. Let it simmer gently until reduced by about half, about 5 minutes. This step softens the acidity of tomatoes and tenderizes the meat.

Add tomatoes, stock, and herbs

Stir in the crushed tomatoes, stock, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, remaining salt (adjust to taste), and remaining pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Long, slow simmer

Reduce heat to low so the sauce barely simmers with occasional bubbles. Partially cover and cook gently, stirring every 15–20 minutes, until thickened and flavors meld, 1.5–2 hours. If sauce reduces too much, add up to 1/2 cup additional stock or water. Taste and adjust seasoning near the end; remove and discard bay leaf.

Finish sauce

If desired, stir in 1–2 tablespoons of cold butter off heat for sheen and richness. Keep sauce warm while you cook the pasta.

Cook the fresh pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Drop the fresh pasta and cook 2–4 minutes depending on thickness (taste for al dente). Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water before draining.

Combine pasta and sauce

Add the drained pasta to the warm Bolognese in the pot (or transfer sauce to the pasta pot). Toss gently, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time to loosen the sauce and help it cling to the noodles, about 1–2 tablespoons as needed.

Serve

Portion the pasta onto plates, finish with a generous sprinkle of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and chopped basil or parsley if using. Offer extra cheese at the table.