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This fettuccine bolognese recipe comes together in under 45 minutes using simple ingredients! The bolognese sauce is rich, creamy, and packed with incredible flavor.
I love serving it with a simple salad and cheesy garlic bread, but feel free to serve it with the sides of your choice.
Bolognese is a traditional Italian meat sauce, usually made with a mix of beef and pork, slow-cooked with onions, carrots, celery, and tomatoes. However, I like to make mine with ground beef and crispy pancetta. After making it over five times, this is my favorite version!
Table of Contents
INGREDIENT NOTES
See the recipe card below for ingredient quantities and complete instructions.
- Ground Beef – Like I mentioned above, many people make bolognese with a mix of ground pork and beef, but I prefer using ground beef and pancetta. The crispy pancetta adds incredible flavor. I use 80/20 ground beef for more richness, but 90/10 works too.
- Tomatoes – I used a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes, but you can also use a jar of marinara sauce, just make sure it’s 28 ounces! If you use less than that, reduce the amount of pasta, or the dish will end up too dry.
- Parmesan Cheese – A must! It adds so much great flavor, use as much or as little as your heart desires.
- Veggies – Make sure to dice the veggies the same size so they cook evenly!
- Pasta – Any pasta will work!
TOP TIPS
- Cook the onions, carrots, and celery (called the sofrito) in plenty of oil on low heat for at least 4-5 minutes to soften the veggies, before adding the garlic and ground beef!
- Cook the pancetta first until it’s crispy. This will add a lot of flavor and saltiness to your bolognese sauce. I highly recommend adding it!
- After mixing the cooked pasta with the meat sauce, check the seasoning before serving. The sauce may taste great, but the plain noodles can make the whole dish taste bland. Always adjust the seasoning at the end, adding more salt or cheese if needed.
- Right before serving, be sure to mix the pasta and meat sauce thoroughly, as the meat tends to settle at the bottom of the pot. Stir well to evenly distribute the meat throughout the dish.
STORAGE
You can either serve the bolognese sauce over the pasta or mix the pasta into the sauce. If you’re cooking for 1 or 2 people and want leftovers, I recommend keeping the pasta separate so you can store the sauce in an airtight container without the noodles.
The sauce stores much better on its own. However, if you mix the noodles in, just put any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Simply reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until heated through.
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. And consider following me on Facebook or Pinterest!
Fettuccine Bolognese
Equipment
- large pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 4 ounces pancetta , finely diced
- ¼ cup onions, finely diced
- ¼ cup celery, finely diced
- ¼ cup carrots, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup red wine , or beef stock
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon parsley , fresh
- 1 teaspoon basil , fresh
- 1 lb fettuccine, cooked til al dente
- parmesan cheese , to taste
- salt and pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Add the pancetta to a large pot and cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until crisp. Once the pancetta is nice and crisp, remove it from the pot and set it aside. Leave the grease that the pancetta releases in the pot.
- Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pot and cook for 4-5 minutes or until softened. Add oil if needed.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 15 seconds. Add the beef, breaking it apart as it cooks, and continue until the beef is fully browned, about 5-6 minutes.
- Add the red wine and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the wine reduces by half.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, sugar, Italian seasoning, and season generously with salt and pepper. Once the meat sauce comes to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes over medium heat.
- Once the 15 minutes are up, add the heavy cream, fresh basil, fresh parsley, and allow it to cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the cooked pasta and parmesan cheese, check for seasoning, and add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve warm, and enjoy!
Notes
- Cook the onions, carrots, and celery (called the sofrito) in plenty of oil on low heat for at least 4-5 minutes to soften the veggies, before adding the garlic and ground beef!
- Cook the pancetta first until it’s crispy. This will add a lot of flavor and saltiness to your bolognese sauce. I highly recommend adding it!
- After mixing the cooked pasta with the meat sauce, check the seasoning before serving. The sauce may taste great, but the plain noodles can make the whole dish taste bland. Always adjust the seasoning at the end, adding more salt or cheese if needed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Omg this looks delicious I will definitely make this tomorrow
This was fantastic! Absolutely loved it!