Bolognese sauce

Here’s a classic, simple Bolognese sauce you can make at home—no fancy ingredients needed 🍝

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped (optional but traditional)
• 400 g (about 1 lb) ground beef (or half beef, half pork)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 can (400 g) crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup milk (or a mix of milk and cream)
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Optional: dried oregano or basil (use lightly)

Instructions

1. Sauté the vegetables
   Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Cook 5–7 minutes until soft.
2. Brown the meat
   Add ground meat. Break it up and cook until browned and no pink remains.
3. Add flavor
   Stir in garlic and tomato paste. Cook 1–2 minutes to deepen the flavor.
4. Simmer
   Add crushed tomatoes and a pinch of salt and pepper. Lower heat and simmer gently for 20–30 minutes (longer = better flavor).
5. Add milk
   Stir in milk and simmer another 10–15 minutes. This makes the sauce rich and smooth.
6. Taste & adjust
   Season as needed. Keep herbs subtle—Bolognese isn’t very herby.

Serve with

• Tagliatelle (most traditional)
• Spaghetti
• Lasagna
• A little grated Parmesan on top

If you want, I can give you a quick 20-minute version, a vegetarian option, or help scale it for meal prep.