This rigatoni bolognese will make your loved ones think you were raised by an Italian Mama. Full of flavor, this meaty sauce is a labor of love.
It has all the flavors of a true Bolognese, and it will not take an entire day to make it. A true Bolognese is meaty with hints of red wine and rosemary, and a deep tomato taste. My rigatoni bolognese recipe is simple, delicious, and a keeper. Buon Appetito!
Love bolognese but looking for a quicker version? Try my weeknight bolognese and rigatoni d!
RIGATONI BOLOGNESE INGREDIENTS
- Extra virgin olive oil/Butter: A mix of butter and olive oil gives a nice flavor when sautéing the veggies. Butter alone will burn.
- Onions/Celery/Carrots: Known as mirepoix, this mixture of aromatics forms the base of the sauce.
- Garlic: This aromatic gives a strong pungent flavor, a necessary ingredient.
- Salt+Black pepper
- Ground beef: 80/20 lean to fat is perfect for this recipe.
- Ground pork: Using a mixture of beef and pork makes a great meaty taste and texture.
- Pancetta: This cured pork belly has a salty flavor. How is pancetta different than bacon? Bacon is smoked while pancetta is not.
- Tomato paste: This concentrated tomato adds deep tomato flavor.
- Canned San Marzano Tomatoes: Whole tomatoes are the most regulated (versus diced or pureed) which ensures the most consistent flavor and texture. San Marzano tomatoes are regulated to ensure region, processing, and cultivation (somewhat like wine). They are simply the best among all canned tomatoes.
- Milk: Whole milk
- Red wine: Choose a decent quality wine – one that you would want to drink.
- Fresh Rosemary/Oregano/Sage: These herbs will make your sauce sing.
- Heavy cream: For finishing the sauce. The cream mellows out the acidity of the tomatoes and gives the sauce a velvety texture.
- Fresh basil or Italian parsley: For garnish, these will add freshness to an otherwise rich sauce.
- Freshly grated Parmesan: Gotta top your bowl with real Parmesan Reggiano!
- Parmesan Rind: This is optional but adds so much to the flavor of the sauce. Don’t throw away your rinds. Freeze them for times like this.
TIPS
- Steps: The order and process of this recipe is very important. Each step is intended to build flavor.
- Dutch Oven: This is the perfect cooking utensil because the sauce cooks for a long time. The heavy bottom of a Dutch Oven helps to prevent scorching.
- Crumbling: When browning our meat, I crumble the meats finely as possible, smaller than most recipes, so the meat in the sauce clings to the pasta.
- Seasoning: I like to season during the process, layering along the way, so each layer has its best flavor.
- Crumble It! Break it down as fine as possible. The small pieces will carry the sauce better and have a texture of an authentic sauce.
- Bouquet Garni: Bouquet Garni is when you tie all the fresh herbs together with a string. Drop the bundle of fresh herbs into the sauce. When it’s time to fish out the stems, you have a single bundle to find and there won’t be any stray stems for your guests to find.
- Don’t Sauce It All: You will likely have leftovers. When serving, estimate how much pasta you will need. Reserve the remaining pasta, if any, and refrigerate separately for leftovers. The pasta will stay al dente and won’t be overcooked upon reheating for leftovers.
- Better The Second Day: Bolognese is often better the next day. Go ahead and make it the day before you intend to serve it. You will have less stress if you are serving guests. Just reheat on the stove and prepare the pasta.
STORING + FREEZING + MAKE-AHEAD
- How Long Can You Keep This in The Fridge? Your sauce will last up to four days in the fridge. Store the pasta separately.
- Can You Freeze This? Yes, place in a freezer-safe container, label, and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator and heat on the stove.
- Make-Ahead: Make the bolognese sauce a day ahead (see tips). Or make the sauce earlier in the day and cook the pasta just before serving dinner. Simply reheat the meat sauce, mix in the pasta, and serve.
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.
SERVING RECOMMENDATIONS
We love this rigatoni with a simple green salad dressed with our very easy-to-make balsamic vinaigrette or Mediterranean salad and a side of our very favorite garlic bread!
HOW TO MAKE RIGATONI BOLOGNESE
- Saute the vegetables.
- Brown the meats.
- Stir in the tomato paste.
- Pour in the milk.
- Stir in wine, canned whole tomatoes, and Parmesan. Boil. Add the herbs and cook for 2-3 hours. Add the heavy cream.
- Serve with pasta.
***See the full instructions below.
MORE SAUCE RECIPES
MORE ITALIAN PASTA RECIPES
- Pasta Alla Norma
- Italian Spaghetti
- Lasagna
- Chicken Riggies
- Creamy Tuscan Sausage Pasta
- Cavatappi With Creamy Tomato Sauce
- Cannelloni
- Mostaccioli
- Five Cheese Ziti Al Forno
- Tortellini Al Forno
- Italian Spaghetti
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Rigatoni Bolognese
This rigatoni bolognese will make your loved ones think you were raised by an Italian Mama. Full of flavor, this meaty sauce is a labor of love.
Servings: 6 - 8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 cups onions finely chopped
- 4 ribs celery, finely chopped
- 4 large carrots, finely chopped
- 1 heaping tablespoon garlic, minced
- salt
- black pepper
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 4 ounces pancetta, finely diced
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano, with their juice
- 1 cup red wine
- Parmesan rind
- 1 (4-5 inch) sprig fresh rosemary
- 3-4 (3-inch) sprigs fresh oregano
- 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Toppings
- fresh basil or Italian parsley
- Freshly grated Parmesan
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottom 8-quart pot, heat oil (2 tablespoons) and butter (2 tablespoons). Add onions (1 1/2 cups), celery (4 ribs), carrots (4), garlic (1 heaping), 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper then sauté, on medium-high, stirring often, until vegetables are tender and translucent, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add the ground beef (1 pound), ground pork (1 pound), pancetta (4 ounces), 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Turn the heat up to high, then brown and crumble the meats.
- When meat is browned, stir in tomato paste (1 can), lower the heat to medium, and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes.
- Pour in the milk (1 cup) then continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in wine (1 cup), canned whole tomatoes (1 can) and their liquid (breaking them up with your hands as you add them, discarding hard stem core), and Parmesan rind, then bring mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, stir in fresh rosemary (1 sprig), oregano (3-4 sprigs), and sage (1/4 cup), then simmer, uncovered, for 2 to 3 hours. Stir occasionally, watching so as not to burn the sauce. If the sauce begins to look dry, pour in 1/4 cup of water, as frequently as needed.
- After the sauce is done simmering, stir in 1/4 cup heavy cream. Continue to simmer gently, for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning adding more salt and pepper. Remove and discard any herb stems and Parmesan rind.
Cook Pasta:
- When the sauce has about half an hour left to cook, cook pasta. In a large pot, bring 5 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Stir in 2 tablespoons table salt.
- Add pasta to boiling water. Stir occasionally so the pasta doesn't stick together.
- When pasta is almost cooked, remove and save 2 cups of the pasta water.
- Cook pasta for 7 minutes. It will be slightly underdone but will cook through in the next step.
Assemble:
- Add the drained cooked pasta to the sauce. Stir in 1/2 cup pasta water and continue to simmer.
- Stir to coat pasta and cook until the pasta is al dente, adding more pasta water as needed (you likely won't use it all. Save extra to use for leftovers).
- Ladle dressed pasta into individual pasta bowls and top with freshly grated Parmesan and garnish, as desired with sliced or torn basil or parsley.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Steps: The order and process of this recipe is very important. Each step is intended to build flavor.
- Dutch Oven: This is the perfect cooking utensil because the sauce cooks for a long time. The heavy bottom of a Dutch Oven helps to prevent scorching.
- Crumbling: When browning our meat, I crumble the meats finely as possible, smaller than most recipes, so the meat in the sauce clings to the pasta.
- Seasoning: I like to season during the process, layering along the way, so each layer has its best flavor.
- Crumble It! Break it down as fine as possible. The small pieces will carry the sauce better and have a texture of an authentic sauce.
- Bouquet Garni: Bouquet Garni is when you tie all the fresh herbs together with a string. Drop the bundle of fresh herbs into the sauce. When it’s time to fish out the stems, you have a single bundle to find and there won’t be any stray stems for your guests to find.
- Don’t Sauce It All: You will likely have leftovers. When serving, estimate how much pasta you will need. Reserve the remaining pasta, if any, and refrigerate separately for leftovers. The pasta will stay al dente and won’t be overcooked upon reheating for leftovers.
- Better The Second Day: Bolognese is often better the next day. Go ahead and make it the day before you intend to serve it. You will have less stress if you are serving guests. Just reheat on the stove and prepare the pasta.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 725kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 737mg | Potassium: 1414mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 9085IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 193mg | Iron: 5mg
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