Rigatoni Bolognese Recipe (2024)

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My rigatoni bolognese is a simple, yet elegant date night-worthy dish made with homemade bolognese sauce, rigatoni, fresh basil, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil. Bolognese is very easy to make, it just needs time to simmer.

My philosophy on bolognese has evolved over the years. I’ve learned to keep the ingredients very simple and let the tomatoes, beef, and fat do all the heavy lifting. This recipe follows a similar blueprint to Marcella Hazan’s simple tomato sauce. If you haven’t tried her recipe, it’s a culinary miracle.

Looking for more delicious Italian recipes? Try my simple creamy gnocchi or my baked gnocchi bolognese! You should also check out my very similar no-boil baked ziti recipe.

What is Bolognese?

Bolognese is a classic Italian meat sauce made with ground beef/sausage, onions, carrots, celery, fresh herbs, garlic, San Marzano tomatoes, butter, wine, and whole milk. It’s famous for its rich and meaty texture and undeniable flavor.

For this recipe, I used rigatoni but you can pair it with your favorite pasta of choice. I love gnocchi, pappardelle, and linguini too.

Ingredients

• Rigatoni: bolognese works great served with any kind of pasta. My favorites are pappardelle and gnocchi.
• Ground beef and sausage: I like to use a 50-50 mix but you can use all beef or all pork if you prefer. 85% lean beef is the best balance and fat and flavor. Try spicy Italian sausage for a warming spicy twist (perfect for winter). Many recipes also call for optional 4-5 ounces of chopped pancetta in addition.
• San Marzano Tomatoes: look for imported tomatoes from Italy (D.O.P Certified) for the best results. The other common option is “San Marzano-styletomatoes”, which are often grown in California. San Marzano tomatoes are rich and flavorful and the absolute best canned tomato for sauces.
• Whole milk: use whole milk for its higher fat content. This holds up best to simmering. Milk adds texture and richness and is one of the secret signature ingredients in bolognese.
• Beef or chicken stock: stock adds flavor and body. Beef stock is preferred but chicken stock is fine too.
• Yellow onion: I prefer yellow onion but white onion works well too. Another delicious twist would be substituting for 2-3 shallots.
• Celery and carrots: cut lengthwise first and then dice. I prefer my veggies to be finely chopped so they add to the overall flavor and texture without you noticing.
• Dry white wine: look for a dry wine like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. This is for deglazing the pan and freeing the caramelized flavors. The alcohol will burn off when simmering. You can also use dry red wine.
• Fresh basil: I love fresh basil but you can also use fresh parsley. Both of these ingredients are optional. Do not use dry spices for best results! Make basil pesto with anything leftover.
• Garlic: garlic is an optional ingredient but I love the flavor it adds to homemade sauce. My favorite way to prepare is with a microplane so it’s very fine/pureed.
• Butter: butter adds richness and flavor. It’s my favorite ingredient to enhance tomato sauce and add color.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities below.

How to Make Bolognese

Step 1.

Melt butter over medium heat in a large pan or Dutch oven. Add garlic and onion. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in celery and carrots, simmering for 3-4 minutes until softened.

Step 2.

Increase heat to medium and add ground beef/sausage. Season all over with salt and pepper. Cook until browned and no longer pink. About 5 minutes. Use the tip of a wooden spoon to break up the beef and pork into the smallest chunks possible.

Step 3.

Add the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon (image 3a). Simmer until evaporated/mixture is dry, about 5 minutes (image 3b).

See Also

Carnivore Ground Beef RecipesPork Tenderloin Recipe in Oven EASY JUICY | Best Recipe BoxShepherd's Pie Recipe - An Easy Classic | DownshiftologyGordon Ramsay's Authentic Turkey Wellington Recipe - TheFoodXP

Quick Tip

Don’t mistake the fat content for wine. There will still be some fat left in the pan however it will be thicker than wine.

Step 4.

Add tomatoes, crushing with a wooden spoon into smaller chunks. Add milk, beef stock, and chopped basil. Mix until incorporated and reduce heat to low.

Step 5.

Let simmer on the lowest heat setting so the sauce is just simmering. Simmer for 2-3 hours, uncovered, stirring every 30 minutes, until the sauce has thickened (image 5a). You can use a spoon to skim some of the fat off the top if desired but I recommend you leave it. Stir to mix the fat eith the sauce (image 5b). Adjust with salt if needed.

Quick Tip

The sauce is ready when you can run a spoon through it and the bottom remains clean. If it collapses on itself or pools with liquid, simmer longer.

Step 6.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and cook al dente. Strain, reserving pasta water. Add pasta and sauce to a large bowl or separate pan on low heat with a splash of reserved pasta water (image 6a). Toss to mix until pasta is completely coated and slightly creamy (image 6b). Plate topped with fresh basil and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

How to Serve Bolognese

The proper way to plate any pasta dish is to mix the sauce with the pasta so it’s fully coated. The secret lies in tossing the pasta and sauce together in a separate pan or large bowl with a splash of starchy pasta water. The starch emulsifies, adding creamy texture and helps the sauce to better cling to the pasta!

Finish with freshly grated parmesan cheese and a drizzle of nice olive oil to make everything pop. You will be amazed how much this changes the entire dish.

Enjoy this recipe? If you made this recipe, please leave a ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ star rating in the recipe card below & areview in the comments!