I didn’t grow up with a traditional meat sauce on our Sunday table, so Bolognese wasn’t part of my childhood food story. But once I finally discovered it, I fell hard — a slow-simmered sauce layered with flavor that feels both rustic and elegant.
Bolognese—you had me at hello.
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While many recipes include milk, this Bolognese is made without. In 2023, the Accademia Italiana della Cucina updated the “official” guidelines for ragù alla Bolognese, and milk was no longer required. So this version reflects that authentic standard — rich, meaty, and every bit as comforting, just without the dairy.
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The role of milk in bolognese
When I set out to make Bolognese, I turned first to my Italian cooking bible, The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan. Her version was fabulous — but I wanted to understand the dish more deeply. From Serious Eats to Food & Wine to Bon Appétit, every recipe had its own take. And they all included milk.
Milk has always been a benchmark ingredient in bolognese. If a recipe didn’t have it, many Italian wouldn’t consider it Bolognese.
Traditionally, milk was added to help tenderize tougher cuts of meat and mellow the acidity of tomatoes. But with today’s leaner beef and high-quality canned tomatoes, it’s no longer essential — which is why the Accademia Italiana della Cucina dropped it from the official recipe guidelines in 2023. That change keeps the sauce rich and nuanced without the dairy.
“Whether it’s because leaner cuts of meat are available today or to help consumers with dairy dietary restrictions, the Accademia Italiana Della Cucina that governs the bolognese recipe decreed that authentic bolognese sauce no longer “requires” milk.“
The new Bolognese “rules”
Here are the bolognese “rules” I’m applying from the official recipe:
Ground Meat Mixture. A minced combo of beef and two kinds of pork (pancetta) but not veal, smoked pancetta or bacon.
↠I use a combo of ground beef, fresh ground pork, and diced unsmoked pancetta.
Wine. Typically white but red wine is ok. Never brandy or another alcohol.
↠White wine is the choice for this recipe.
Tomato. A blend of passata (tomato puree) and paste.
↠The passata I recommend is Mutti Passata in addition to tomato paste.
Soffritto. Sometimes also called the “holy trinity” in cooking. Soffritto is a vegetable mixture of diced onion, carrots and celery.
↠Not changing one thing here!
Equipment needed for bolognese
Traditionally, bolognese is made in a terracotta pot, similar to a chambra but an enameled cast iron dutch oven (the wider the better) is a perfect choice. Either way you want a large pot so the bolognese can beautifully brown.
Bolognese principles
Building layers of flavor. Every step and ingredient is cooked and simmered in steps until it’s dry. This is the key to the recipe.
Simmer on the lowest heat. The sauce should barely bubble as it simmers. If you’ve done these steps correctly, it is impossible to burn the sauce.
No lid needed. If you are simmering the sauce at a low enough temperature, there is no need to put a lid on the pot.
You’ll add in butter and pasta water at the end which adds a luxurious creaminess.
How to make bolognese, step by step
Here are the steps:
Pro Tip
The core principle of bolognese is low and slow. Cook every step at a low temperature, slowly.
The best pasta for bolognese
A long pasta noodle gives the bolognese sauce lots of real estate to cling. My favorite types of pasta for bolognese are:
Tagliatelle. A delicate egg pasta, tagliatelle pasta is wider than fettuccine but narrower than pappardelle.
Pappardelle. A ribbon pasta. You can buy dried pappardelle or cut your own from a fresh pasta recipe with a pasta cutter (love this doube flat and fluted pasta wheel.
Spaghetti. I know I don’t have to tell you what spaghetti is. It is a great alternative to one of the wider pasta types.
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Tender Ragù Alla Bolognese (no milk)
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb tagliatelle or pappardelle pasta, cooked, reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta water plus more to reheat leftovers -SEE NOTE BELOW
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil, more if needed
- 3 oz pancetta, I use the diced pancetta from Trader Joe's
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 2 celery, finely diced
- 1 onion, finey chopped
- 2 lbs ground beef , I use 80%
- 1 lb ground pork
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup white wine, it has to evaporate completely; you can use red if you prefer
- 1 ½ cup chicken broth
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 oz tomato paste
- 28 oz passata
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat a large wide dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and stir in the diced pancetta. Saute in the olive oil until browned but not charred. (That will affect the flavor of the sauce.) Use a slotted spoon to remove the pancetta to a paper-towel lined plate to drain. Set aside.
- Add a little more oil to the pan if it looks too dry. Add the carrots, celery and onion to the pan. Saute the soffritto until cooked and softened a bit for 5-10 min.
- Add the ground meat and the ground pork to the vegetables. Season with the salt and pepper.Using the edge of a wooden spoon, finely mince the meats. Brown (but don't let it get too dark), over medium high heat until cooked about 8 minutes.
- Pour in 1 c wine and the nutmeg and cook until the wine evaporates and the meat is almost dry in the pan. This might take 5 minutes or so.After it does, stir in the tomato paste and melt into the meat. Stir in the passata and chicken stock. Allow to come together and then stir in the cooked pancetta.
- Reduce the heat to the lowest of simmers. The sauce should barely bubble (but it should bubble.)
- Simmer the bolognese for 3 hours on the lowest temperature.
- Add pasta water and a pat of butter at the end.
Notes
- You’ll easily have enough sauce for 8-10 people so adjust the pasta portions as needed. We typically make 1 lb. for 4-6 people,but to be honest end up with leftovers.
- For the wine, I recommend a dry white wine like a pinot grigio or chardonnay. I don’t recommend a sweet wine.
- Low and slow is the name of the game. This is not a sauce meant to be rushed. Take your time and enjoy the process!
- Make ahead up to 4 days ahead. This is a sauce that gets better as it sits.
How many servings in this recipe?
What white wine do you recommend:
Hi Mike! Good catch (and all corrected)! There will be enough sauce for about 8-10 people especially once the pasta water is added. Adjust the amount of cooked pasta as you see fit. For the wine, I use a crisp, dry white wine like a Pinot Grigio but have used Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc as well. Please let me know if you have any more questions and thanks you!
Great recipe. I’ll definitely make it again.
Thank you so much Maureen!! I’m glad you enjoyed it!! 😊