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Home » Recipes » Beef » Easy Homemade Bolognese Sauce

Easy Homemade Bolognese Sauce

Published: Aug 18, 2024 · Modified: Jan 26, 2025 · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads.

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Everyone needs a good bolognese sauce recipe and this one is a family favorite I have been making for years. It is deliciously robust and super easy to make. Not only is it perfect for topping spaghetti, but it also makes a hearty meal when served over roasted vegetables! Make a big enough batch to store portions in the freezer and you can enjoy it any night of the week!

Ingredients

A white round plate containing diced onions and carrots, a white round plate containing uncooked ground meat, a dish containing minced garlic, a dish containing tomato paste.
Two jars of pasta suace.
  • Ground beef
  • Carrots
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Tomato paste
  • Jarred pasta sauce

My bolognese sauce uses jarred pasta sauce because a bunch of work has already been done for me in terms of depth of flavor, and we can't complain about convenience! You can, absolutely, start with regular tomato sauce and figure out the seasonings as I have also done it many times before, but if you want this to be as easy as possible, don't be shy and grab those jarred sauces!

How to Make the Bolognese Sauce

Diced onions and carrots in a pot.

Heat large pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil and saute onions, carrots, and salt and cook about 2 minutes.

Diced onions and carrots and minced garlic in a pot.

Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute.

Red tomato paste, diced onions and carrots in a pot.

Add the tomato paste and stir and cook for another minute.

Raw ground meat in a pot with diced carrots and onions.

Add ground beef and mix with all the ingredients in the pot.

Carrots and cooked ground meat in a pot.

Continue to break up the ground beef and mix with the vegetables until the meat is cooked through.

Red tomato sauce in a pot.

Add pasta sauce to the pot and mix well. Once sauce starts to bubble, reduce heat to low-medium and simmer for about 1 hour, lid slightly ajar. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.

Cooked ground meat and carrots in a tomato sauce in a pot.

Serving Suggestions

A spoonful of bolognese sauce being laid on a mound of spaghetti on a white plate.

Obviously, bolognese goes perfectly with traditional spaghetti. This sauce is also totally gluten-free, and if you use it to top a heap of rice noodles or other gluten-free pasta, you don't have to miss out on the comfort a bowl of pasta can give.

A white round plate containing a fork and knife and roasted cauliflower topped with bolognese sauce and grated cheese.

The sauce doesn't have to be limited to eating with pasta, though! It makes a very hearty meal when served over roasted cauliflower or a mix of roasted vegetables which also means low-carb!

The bolognese sauce would also make a delicious hot savory dip! Try it with my Gluten-Free Parmesan Garlic Breadsticks for an appetizer or fun meal!

Commonly Asked Questions

A white square dish containing bolognese sauce and a spoon.

What jarred sauce should I use?

Use whatever is your favorite jarred sauce! I like to use ones that are basic in flavors like onion and garlic or basil. You could also use two different flavors.

Can I use other ground meats?

Mixing ground meats is a common variation to bolognese. A mix of ground beef, pork, and lamb would be delicious!

Can you freeze the bolognese?

YES! This recipe makes a large enough batch to set aside to freeze for easy future meals! I use quart-sized freezer bags and fill them with enough sauce good enough for a meal to serve 4. On those nights when I need to pull together a meal quickly or I don't have much energy, it's a huge relief knowing I have packs of bolognese in the freezer, ready to go!

Other Recipes You Might Like

If you like this bolognese sauce recipe and are looking for more pasta-type dishes, be sure to check these out:

  • One-Pan Saucy Beef Pasta
  • Garlic Shrimp & Spinach One-Pan Pasta
  • Spicy Miso Beef Noodles
  • Miso Udon Carbonara

If you want more recipe ideas for using beef, consider giving these a try:

  • Smoke Chipotle Beef Barbacoa
  • Asian Ground Beef Rice Bowls
  • Sweet Potato Cauliflower Shepherd's Pie
  • Savory Vietnamese Beef Vermicelli
A fork in a mound of spaghetti and bolognese sauce on a white plate.

If you don't have a trusty bolognese sauce recipe yet, you definitely have to give this one a try! By using jarred pasta sauce, it's a shortcut to a deeply delicious bolognese and saves you from simmering your sauce for hours to achieve it! Try it with your favorite shaped pasta, served over roasted vegetables, or as a dip with your favorite bread!

~ Lisa.

Easy Homemade Bolognese Sauce

Everyone needs a good bolognese sauce recipe and this one is a family favorite I have been making for years. It is deliciously robust and super easy to make. Not only is it perfect for topping spaghetti, but it also makes a hearty meal when served over roasted vegetables! Make a big enough batch to store portions in the freezer and you can enjoy it any night of the week!
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Simmering Time: 1 hour hour
Total Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes
Makes: 12 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ medium onion, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 20-24oz. jars pasta sauce
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 8-quart pot
  • Santoku Knife
  • Quart-size freezer bags

Instructions

  • Heat large pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil and saute onions, carrots, and salt and cook about 2 minutes.
  • Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute.
  • Add the tomato paste and stir and cook for another minute.
  • Add ground beef and mix with all the ingredients in the pot; cook through.
  • Add pasta sauce to the pot and mix well.
  • Once sauce starts to bubble, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 1 hour, lid slightly ajar.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.

Notes

  • Use whatever jarred sauce you like. I prefer using ones that are basic in flavors like onion and garlic or basil. Use different flavored sauces, if desired.
  • Use a combination of different ground meat like ground pork or lamb with the beef, if desired.
  • To freeze portions for future meals, refrigerate the sauce overnight in a food container or pot. Then spoon the chilled sauce into the quart-sized freezer bags, squeeze out as much as possible before sealing the bag, and freeze.
  • Depending on how much of the sauce my family and I eat on the day of cooking it, I will get about 4 quart-sized bags of sauce for freezing.
Have you made this recipe?Leave a comment below and share a photo on Instagram! Be sure to mention @dayinthekitchen!

**This recipe was originally posted March 26, 2017 and republished in August 19th, 2024 with updated photos, writing, and recipe notes.

You Might Also Like:

  • One-Pan Saucy Beef Pasta
  • Beef Tomato Stew
  • Rice Cooker Gyudon Beef Bowls
  • Asian Ground Beef Rice Bowls

Comments

    5 from 4 votes

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  1. Bonnie says

    January 26, 2025 at 4:44 am

    In the ingredients list tomato paste is not listed in the ingredients but in the steps it is. So how much is required?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      January 26, 2025 at 4:43 pm

      Hi Bonnie! Thank you for letting me know that I accidentally left the tomato paste out. I've added it to the ingredient list now.

      Reply
  2. Colleen says

    April 08, 2020 at 12:02 pm

    5 stars
    Lisa, no guilt about using a jarred pasta sauce. My go to meal after working, and commuting is often just spaghetti with a jarred pasta sauce. Love all the veggies you used in your recipe.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      April 10, 2020 at 8:23 pm

      Thanks, Colleen!

      Reply
  3. Kelly Neil says

    April 07, 2020 at 8:11 pm

    5 stars
    I LOVE polenta and love the idea of saucing it up! Thanks for sharing!!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      April 08, 2020 at 9:45 am

      Thanks, Kelly. The bolognese definitely makes polenta a lot more exciting!

      Reply
  4. Sean@Diversivore says

    April 06, 2020 at 11:47 pm

    5 stars
    Ooh, bolognese on polenta? Yes please! It really does go with all kinds of meals, and it's fantastic for freezing and having on hand. I like that you've got lots of veggies in your recipe - definitely a nice touch from both a flavour and a nutritional perspective. Cheers!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      April 08, 2020 at 9:45 am

      Thanks, Sean!

      Reply
  5. Kristen says

    April 04, 2020 at 4:19 am

    5 stars
    I’m always intrigued by other people’s bolognese recipes, it’s nice to switch things up every once in awhile!

    Reply
  6. Joyce says

    April 01, 2020 at 3:08 pm

    Looks good! And great idea about making a big batch and freeze some for later!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      April 01, 2020 at 8:34 pm

      Thanks, Joyce! Anything to save a bit of work later in meal prep, right? 😉

      Reply
  7. Cynthia says

    April 01, 2020 at 12:41 am

    Yum! Freezing sauce is so smart! My kids love spaghetti. We also use jarred sauces at home as a starting base. Will have to give your recipe a try!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      April 01, 2020 at 8:32 pm

      Thanks, Cynthia! I think using jarred sauces is a great way to get a bolognese going...glad I'm not the only one!

      Reply

Hey, I'm Lisa!

Welcome to A Day in the Kitchen! This is your one stop shop for easy gluten-free recipes for baking and cooking, as well as traditional home-cooked Chinese dishes! Whether you want to try gluten-free baking, are feeling nostalgic for Chinese dishes you had as a kid, or you simply want easy meal ideas, I've got you covered! It's always a great day to cook!

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