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My rigatoni bolognese is a simple, yet elegant date night-worthy dish made with homemade bolognese sauce, rigatoni, fresh basil, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil. Bolognese is very easy to make, it just needs time and patience to simmer.

My philosophy on bolognese has evolved over the years. I’ve learned to keep the ingredients very simple and let the tomatoes, beef, and fat do all the heavy lifting. This recipe follows a similar blueprint to Marcella Hazan’s simple tomato sauce. If you haven’t tried her recipe, it’s a culinary miracle.
Looking for more delicious Italian recipes? Try my simple creamy gnocchi or my baked gnocchi bolognese! You should also check out my very similar no-boil baked ziti recipe.
For this recipe, I used rigatoni but you can pair it with your favorite pasta of choice. I love gnocchi, pappardelle, and linguini too.
Table of Contents
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

- Rigatoni: bolognese works great served with any kind of pasta. My favorites are pappardelle and gnocchi bolognese.
- Ground beef and sausage: I like to use a 50-50 mix but you can use all beef or all pork if you prefer. 85% lean beef is the best balance of fat and flavor. Try spicy Italian sausage for a warming spicy twist (perfect for winter). Many recipes also call for optional 4-5 ounces of chopped pancetta in addition.
- San Marzano Tomatoes: look for imported tomatoes from Italy (D.O.P Certified) for the best results. The other common option is “San Marzano-style tomatoes”, which are often grown in California. San Marzano tomatoes are rich and flavorful and the absolute best canned tomato for sauces.
- Whole milk: use whole milk for its higher fat content. This holds up best to simmering. Milk adds texture and richness and is one of the secret signature ingredients in bolognese. Sometimes I will add a splash of heavy cream.
- Beef stock: stock adds flavor and body. Beef stock is preferred but beef broth or chicken stock is fine too.
- Yellow onion: I prefer yellow onion but white onion works well too. Another delicious twist would be substituting for 2-3 shallots.
- Dry white wine: look for a dry wine like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. This is for deglazing the pan and freeing the caramelized flavors. The alcohol will burn off when simmering. You can also use dry red wine.
- Fresh basil: I love fresh basil but you can also use fresh parsley. Both of these ingredients are optional. Do not use dry spices for best results! Make basil pesto with anything leftover.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities below.
Watch How to Make Bolognese
How to Serve Bolognese
The best way to plate any pasta dish is to mix the sauce with the pasta so it’s fully coated. The secret lies in tossing the pasta and sauce together in a separate pan with a splash of starchy pasta water over medium low heat. The starch emulsifies as it heats, adding creamy texture and helps the sauce to better cling to the pasta!
It’s a really important step that makes a big difference in the final presentation, especially for a thick and meaty sauce like bolognese. Finish with freshly grated parmesan cheese and a drizzle of nice olive oil to make everything pop. You will be amazed how much this changes the entire dish.
Expert Tips
- I typically make bolognese in a large Dutch oven. It’s best for cooking beef and simmering large quantities of sauce. You can also use a large high-rimmed saucepan.
- It’s important to very finely dice the celery, carrots, and onions. It improves the flavor and overall texture. If you have a food processor, you can quickly dice the veggies along with the garlic in seconds.
- The sauce should simmer for about 2-2.5 hours. This tenderizes the meat, thickens the sauce, and allows the flavors to meld together. Bolognese should not be runny or loose, but the consistency of a sloppy joe.
- If the sauce feels too greasy or oily, optionally skim out some of the fat for better texture.
- The meat should be very finely broken down and almost granular. Use the top of a spatula or wooden spoon to break up the meat as much as possible. A beef and pork combo is my favorite.
- If you can’t find ground Italian sausage, use Italian sausage in the casing and squeeze it out.
More Pasta Recipes
Enjoy this recipe? If you made this recipe, please leave a ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ star rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments!
Rigatoni Bolognese

Ingredients
- 1 pound rigatoni, pappardelle, gnocchi or linguini
- 1/2 pound 85% lean ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground sweet Italian sausage
- 4 ounces pancetta, diced, optional
- 28 ounce can San Marzano Tomatoes, juices included
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup beef stock or broth
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced
- 1 large carrot, finely diced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 8-10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh grated parmesan cheese, for topping
- Olive oil, drizzle
Instructions
- Melt butter over medium-low heat in a large pan or Dutch oven. Add garlic, onion, celery, and carrots. (I like to use a food processor to quickly finely dice). Simmer for 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Increase heat to medium and add ground beef/sausage. Season all over with salt and pepper. Cook until browned and no longer pink. About 5 minutes. Use the tip of a wooden spoon to break up the beef and pork into the smallest chunks possible.
- Add the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer until evaporated/mixture is dry, about 5 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, crushing with a wooden spoon/spatula into smaller chunks. Add beef broth, milk, and chopped basil. Mix until incorporated and reduce heat to low.
- Let simmer on the lowest heat setting so the sauce is just simmering. Simmer for 2-3 hours, uncovered, stirring every 30 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. You can use a spoon to skim some of the fat off the top if desired, but I recommend you leave it. Salt to taste. The sauce is ready when you can run a spoon through it and the bottom remains clean. If it collapses on itself or pools with liquid, simmer longer.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and cook al dente. Strain, reserving pasta water. Add pasta and sauce to a large bowl or separate pan on low heat with a splash of reserved pasta water (about 1/2 a cup for 2-3 servings.
- Toss to mix until pasta is completely coated and slightly creamy. Plate topped with fresh basil and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Excellent and will double the next time to freeze. This is authentic and a definite keeper! Thank you so much for sharing.
Hello,
I just wanted to know when to add the ricotta cheese or is that just a optional suggestion to be added with the basil?
Correct – optional topping at the end