The Best Creamy Bolognese Sauce
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Scale
For the Sauce:
- 1 large red onion, diced
- 1 large red onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 7–8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1–2 portobello mushrooms, diced
- 1 lb ground beef (80/20 for the best flavor)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (Bona Furtuna herb blend is my favorite)
- 1 (28-oz) can whole San Marzano tomatoes
- 7–8 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (or soy sauce)
- 1 cup water (or red wine, white wine, or broth)
- ½–1 cup heavy cream (depending on how creamy you’d like it)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Italian Parsley, minced
For the Pasta:
-
1 lb rigatoni (or your favorite pasta)
-
1 cup reserved pasta water (if needed to loosen the sauce)
-
Ricotta, for serving
-
Fresh basil leaves or fresh herbs, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil, then stir in the diced red onion, and carrots, saute until soft about 7 minutes.
- Stir in minced garlic and cook another minute, just be careful not to let the garlic burn.
- Add portobello mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture deepens in color and becomes fragrant.
- Add the ground beef directly into the pot. Break it up with a spoon and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
- Pour in the whole peeled tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, water (or use red wine or broth if you have it on hand), thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Use a wooden spoon to break up the tomatoes slightly. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally and gently crushing the tomatoes as they cook down.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rigatoni until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves from the sauce. Stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese, tasting and adjusting salt and pepper as needed. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water to loosen it.
- Add the drained pasta directly to the sauce, tossing to coat. Serve immediately with ricotta, extra Parmesan, and fresh basil.
Notes
Need a thicker sauce? Simmer uncovered for the last 10 minutes.
No heavy cream? Use half-and-half or melt in a pat of butter at the end.
Make it ahead: This sauce tastes even better the next day. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Keywords: creamy bolognese pasta, creamy bolognese sauce, creamy bolognese