Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese, a popular Italian staple that features a delicious tomato sauce cooked low and slow with ground beef, pancetta, and soffritto before being combined with tagliatelle pasta. A hearty dish to prepare for your next gathering or for Sunday dinner!

This is one of the special recipes I grew up with in my Italian kitchen. My mom and nonna would always make it for a Sunday lunch or dinner, and now I continue to make it as well. It's truly comfort in a plate and brings back so many beautiful memories of family gatherings and food cooked with love.

I love this recipe because it doesn't take a whole lot of active cooking time (lots of hands off cooking time though!), yet produces the most rich and flavorful result in the end. It's one of those classic Italian pastas that I make over and over.

If you're looking for a quick pasta to make on the other hand, but is equally as satisfying, definitely give my pasta amatriciana a try. It gives off bolognese vibes, but doesn't take as long to make!

Tagliatelle alla bolognese in a plate with a napkin to the side

Meat/technique to use

I am all about traditional Italian recipes, which is why I use pancetta and ground beef in the bolognese sauce.

The secret to getting a bolognese with tons of flavor is to truly brown the ground beef (almost to the point where it caramelizes), and then properly deglaze with wine.

Properly browning the beef adds a great depth of flavor to the final sauce. The beef will release flavor at the bottom of the pot, and then scraping the bits at the bottom once deglazed will add all their flavor back into the sauce.

Browning the beef will take a while, however, up to 20 minutes, so be patient! I know 20 minutes is a lot of time to brown beef, but trust me, this bit of extra time is worth. it.

Bolognese sauce in a pot with a napkin to the side

Pasta to use

When making this classic Italian recipe, fresh egg tagliatelle is the pasta variety that you will want to use. If you don't have tagliatelle, any other thicker egg noodle will work, like fettuccine or pappardelle.

Dry pasta (like I use in this authentic cacio e pepe), is also an option. But using egg pasta is the traditional pasta to pair with this sauce.

Many people in other parts of the world use spaghetti for bolognese, but bolognese needs a thicker noodle to cling to because it's such a hearty sauce.

Vegetables and seasonings/herbs

Vegetables are cooked into authentic bolognese sauce for flavor. Celery, carrots, and onions, also known as soffritto, are the only vegetables that are in authentic bolognese. Original tagilatelle ragu does not use any other vegetables, including mushrooms or garlic.

The only seasoning needed for this recipe is a little salt. Fresh or dry herbs, like oregano and basil, are not needed--bolognese has so much flavor already!

Plate of tagliatelle alla bolognese topped with parmigiano reggiano with a fork

How to make it

Make the soffritto: Place carrots, celery and onion in a large food processor. Pulse the veggies in the food processor until finely chopped. Set aside.

Cook the pancetta and veggies: Cook the pancetta, then add the minced celery, carrot, and onion and let cook until tender.

Carrot, celery and onion chopped finely in a food processor

Carrot, celery and onion being placed into a pot with pancetta in it

Cook the ground beef: Add the ground beef. Let it cook until browned. This can take a while--about 10 to 20 minutes. Let it completely brown, as this is where a lot of the flavor will come from.

Raw ground beef in a pot on top of soffritto and pancetta

Browned ground beef, pancetta and soffritto in a pot being stirred

Add wine and tomatoes: Next, add the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pot to lift off any brown bits. This will help build flavor. Then, add the jars of crushed strained tomatoes. Let it come to a boil then bring heat down to low so it gently simmers.

White wine being poured into a pot with meat in it

Passata poured on top of meat and soffritto in a pot

Let the sauce cook down: Partially cover the pot with a lid and let the sauce cook down for about 3 hours. If the sauce dried up too much while cooking, add a few ladles of unsalted vegetable broth.

Cook the pasta: Cook the tagliatelle and then add them to the sauce. Mix the tagliatelle with the sauce with tongs.

Bolognese pasta being mixed with tongs in a pan

Serve! Plate the tagliatelle with bolognese sauce and top with some parmigiano reggiano.

Storing and reheating

Authentic bolognese is so tasty, and you'll want to make sure to save any leftovers you have so you can enjoy it later. You can store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, just place in a pan and reheat on the stove.

You can also freeze it if you know you won't be able to eat it all right away. I like to freeze just the extra sauce in a container (will keep for up to 3 months), thaw it in the fridge overnight, and mix it in with fresh boiled pasta. It makes an easy quick dinner!

Recipe

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5 from 1 vote

Homemade Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese, Step by Step

Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese, a popular Italian staple that features a delicious tomato sauce cooked low and slow with ground beef, pancetta, and soffritto before being combined with tagliatelle noodles. A hearty dish to prepare for your next gathering or for Sunday dinner!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 3

Servings people

Calories 1264kcal

Author Pina Bresciani

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
2 carrots peeled
2 celery stalks
1 white or yellow onion
1.5 cups pancetta diced
4.5 cups regular ground beef
⅔ cup white wine dry
2 jars (680mL each) crushed strained tomatoes (passata) unsalted
500 grams tagliatelle egg noodles or similar

Instructions

Cut the carrots, celery and onion into medium-sized pieces (no need to be precise- they will go into the food processor)
Place the carrots, celery and onion in a large food processor. If they don't all fit, you may need to work in batches.
Pulse in the food processor until finely chopped.
To a large heavy bottom pot, over medium heat, add the olive oil. Once warm, add the pancetta.
Let the pancetta cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the minced celery, carrot and onion.
Let them cook until tender, about 5-10 minutes.
Add the ground beef. Let it cook until browned. This can take awhile - about 10-20 minutes. Ensure to let it brown, as this is where a lot of the flavor will come from.
Add the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pot to lift off any brown bits - this will help build flavor.
Add the jars of crushed strained tomatoes. Give everything a big stir. Let the sauce come to a boil. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting.
Partially cover the pot with a lid and let the sauce cook down - for about 3 hours. Add salt if necessary. But the pancetta is already very salty so you may not need to add any salt.
If sauce dries up too much while it's cooking, add a few ladles of unsalted vegetable broth.
Cook the tagliatelle and add them to sauce. Mix the tagliatelle with the sauce with tongs.
Plate and top with parmigiano reggiano.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Ensure that the ground beef gets nice and browned before adding the wine - almost caramelized. This caramelization is what will give the sauce a deep, rich flavor
If the sauce starts to dry out before done cooking, add unsalted vegetable broth
You will have to add very little salt (if any) to the sauce. The pancetta is already very salty and provides almost enough salt to the dish.
Try to use an unsalted passata. If you use a passata with salt in it, you will run the risk of the of the sauce being too salty (the pancetta is already very salty)

Nutrition Facts

Homemade Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese, Step by Step

Amount Per Serving

Calories 1264 Calories from Fat 684

% Daily Value*

Fat 76g117%

Saturated Fat 27g169%

Trans Fat 3g

Cholesterol 275mg92%

Sodium 648mg28%

Potassium 1070mg31%

Carbohydrates 77g26%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 58g116%

Vitamin A 4173IU83%

Vitamin C 3mg4%

Calcium 92mg9%

Iron 6mg33%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Comments

5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

Homemade Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese, Step by Step

Meat/technique to use

Pasta to use

Vegetables and seasonings/herbs

How to make it

Storing and reheating

Recipe