Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe

Prep

Finely chop the onion, dice the carrot and celery into small uniform pieces (a classic soffritto). Mince the garlic and finely chop the pancetta if using. Crack and measure spices and liquids.

Sauté soffritto

Heat a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil and butter. When butter is melted and foaming, add the chopped onion, carrot and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and slightly golden, about 8–10 minutes.

Add garlic and pancetta

Add the minced garlic and chopped pancetta (if using) and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant and pancetta begins to render fat.

Brown the beef

Increase heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon. Spread into an even layer and let it brown undisturbed for 2–3 minutes, then stir and continue until no pink remains and meat develops some color, about 6–8 minutes total. Season with 1 tsp of the salt and 1/4 tsp of the pepper while browning.

Tomato paste & deglaze

Push the meat and vegetables to one side, add the tomato paste to the empty space and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring, to caramelize slightly. Stir paste into the meat mixture. Pour in the wine to deglaze, scraping browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce by about half, 2–3 minutes.

Add liquids & seasonings

Stir in the crushed canned tomatoes, beef stock, milk, dried oregano, bay leaf, remaining salt and pepper, and the optional sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Slow braise

Reduce heat to the lowest simmer. Partially cover the pot and let the sauce cook very gently, stirring occasionally, for 60–90 minutes until thickened and flavors concentrated. If sauce reduces too much, add a few tablespoons of water or stock. Taste halfway through and adjust salt and pepper.

Finish sauce

Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in torn basil leaves (if using) and chopped parsley. If the sauce feels too acidic, adjust with up to 1/2 tsp sugar. Stir in remaining 1–2 tbsp stock or a splash of milk if texture seems dry. Keep warm over the lowest heat while you cook the pasta.

Boil pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tbsp kosher salt. Add the spaghetti and cook until just shy of al dente (follow package timing and subtract 1 minute), usually 8–10 minutes.

Finish pasta in sauce

Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water and drain the spaghetti. Add the drained spaghetti directly to the sauce pot over low heat. Toss the pasta in the sauce, adding 1/4–1/2 cup reserved pasta water as needed to loosen and help the sauce cling to the noodles. Cook together 1–2 minutes until pasta reaches al dente and sauce coats strands.

Plate

Divide spaghetti among 4 warm plates or bowls. Spoon extra sauce on top. Drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil if desired, sprinkle grated Parmesan and the remaining chopped parsley. Serve immediately.