A Restaurant-Quality Italian Meat Sauce Right At Home
There are few dishes more comforting than a big bowl of rigatoni bolognese — thick, rich, deeply savory, and perfumed with red wine and herbs. This version is everything I want in a classic Italian meat sauce: tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture, a luxuriously glossy finish, and layers upon layers of slow-built flavor. As the sauce simmers, the veggies soften, the tomatoes sweeten, and the meat becomes unbelievably silky. The aroma alone will stop you in your tracks!
While I’m all for fast weeknight dinners, sometimes you need a recipe that asks for a little patience… and rewards you tenfold. This bolognese does exactly that. And the best part? After the initial sautéing, it’s gloriously hands-off. Pour a glass of wine, cue up a playlist, and let the magic happen.
Let’s Get Right To It: My Secret Ingredient
Chicken livers? Really? I can practically feel you rolling your eyes from here.
But here’s the trick: chop them finely. If you add large pieces, you’ll definitely notice them (texturally) later. However, if you chop them into small, fine pieces, they melt into the sauce completely, adding savory richness and umami without ever making the sauce taste “livery.” If it’s good enough for James Beard and Kenji Lopez, it’s good enough for me.
You won’t know they’re in there… but you’ll miss them if they’re not. 😉
How I Fell In Love With Bolognese
Bolognese sauce, a classic ragu from Bologna in Emilia-Romagna, is a rich, slow-simmered, meat forward sauce built on soffritto, wine, stock, tomatoes (though less tomatoes than meat), herbs, and milk. While there on our honeymoon, the first thing we ordered was bolognese. It was everything: rich, luscious, and humbling in its simplicity.
Traditionally served with tagliatelle or layered in lasagna, it’s just as dreamy with rigatoni, whose ridges and tubes catch every bit of that silky, savory sauce.
Looking for More Ragus?
The three that I make the most often: ground lamb ragu with ricotta and mint (it takes just 30 minutes), slow-braised short rib ragu (John’s favorite!), and this insanely delicious slow-simmered duck leg ragu that will stop everyone in their tracks, guaranteed.
I got the idea to add rosemary and thyme from a fantastic Italian cookbook, Roads Of Rome, by Jarrett Wrisley and Paolo Vitaletti. The fresh herbs take this meat sauce over the top! 💯
Take It From A Former Fine-Dining Restaurant Chef 👩🏻🍳
Okay, truth time: these are my very best tips for success in recreating a restaurant-worthy pasta dish at home.
- Use a heavy Dutch oven: Enamel-coated cast iron (such as Staub or Le Creuset) distributes heat evenly.
- Skimming the fat is crucial: It keeps the sauce rich without feeling heavy or greasy.
- Keep the simmer gentle: Just a bubble or two. Rapid boiling = dry sauce.
- Reserve pasta water every time: It’s liquid gold.
- Cook whichever pasta shape you choose to a true al dente, because it will finish cooking in the sauce, and starting with anything softer will leave it overcooked by the time you serve.
Starchy Water Is The Key To Restaurant-Worthy Pastas
Finishing the pasta in the sauce on a stovetop allows the noodles to absorb the flavors while the starchy pasta water helps the sauce coat every ridge and curve. It’s the key to achieving the glossy, restaurant-quality finish you can’t get by tossing them together in a bowl.
Serving Ideas
- A simple mixed greens salad with lemon vinaigrette
- Warm garlic bread or crusty ciabatta
- A side of oven-roasted broccoli or blistered green beans
- A glass or two of red wine (such as Barbera, Chianti, or Sangiovese)
Take your time, trust the process, and let the pot work its magic. This is the kind of recipe that turns a Sunday afternoon into something cozy and memorable—and the leftovers are even better. Be sure to let me know what you think in the comments below!
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Rich, Slow-Simmered Italian Bolognese with Rigatoni
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup sweet onion finely diced, about 1 medium or ½ 1 large
- 1 cup carrot finely diced, about 1 large
- 1 cup celery finely diced, about 2 stalks
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ cups red wine such as Rioja
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups low sodium chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 1 (28 oz) can whole San Marzano plum tomatoes
- 2 dried bay leaves
- ½ lb chicken livers rinsed, drained, and trimmed of any fat or connective tissue, very finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme finely chopped
- 1 lb rigatoni
- lemon zest for serving
- Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano for serving
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Make the soffrito. Finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Yes, you can do this in a food processor. No, I don't generally. I like the soffrito to have some texture, not turn into pulp.
- Sweat the veggies. Heat olive oil and butter in a large dutch oven over medium-low to medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes until translucent. Raise the heat to medium, then add the carrot and celery. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Brown the meat. Increase the heat to medium-high, then add the ground beef and ground pork. Season the meat immediately with 2 tsp Kosher salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Let this cook about 8-10 minutes, stirring often and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Deglaze the pan. Pour in red wine, allowing it to reduce and evaporate, about 3-4 minutes. Don't worry, all the flavor stays behind!
- Skim the fat. Once the wine reduces, you'll see excess fat float to the top of the pan. Use a spoon to skim the fat, then discard. This will yield about ¾ – 1 cup of fat. Removing this makes the bolognese sauce less greasy.
- Add remaining liquid. Pour in the whole milk and chicken stock. Next, crush the tomatoes with your hands directly into the pot. Add two bay leaves and — the most important part of the recipe! — ½ lb finely chopped chicken livers.
- Simmer low and slow. Allow the sauce to simmer over low heat for 3 hours, checking on it and stirring every 30 minutes or so. If the heat is at a proper simmer, you shouldn't need to add any additional liquid at all.
- Finish the sauce. Remove the bay leaves, then add freshly chopped rosemary and thyme. Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed.
- When ready to serve, cook pasta. Cook rigatoni or other pasta according to package directions for al dente, meaning just slightly undercooked by 1-2 minutes. This is important! Before draining, reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water. Drain pasta, do NOT rinse, and set aside.
- Cook with pasta in the sauce. Transfer as much bolognese as you want to a large skillet. Heat over medium high heat until bubbly. Add al dente rigatoni or other pasta shape directly to the pan. Cook, stirring or shaking the pan often, so that each piece of pasta is completely coated with sauce.
- To serve. Add a couple tablespoons (more, if making a lot of pasta) of the reserved pasta cooking water. The starch from cooking the pasta will thicken the sauce and bring it to life! Divide pasta between bowls, then serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, grated lemon zest, freshly grated Parmesan, and a pinch of flaky sea salt!
Notes
- If you omit the chicken livers (please don’t!) you will likely need to add additional Kosher salt. Taste and adjust as needed.
- Make-ahead: The sauce tastes even better after 1-2 days. Keep refrigerated for 3-4 days.
- Reheating: Warm in a skillet until bubbly, then toss in cooked al dente pasta and finish with Parmesan and lemon zest.
- To freeze, cool completely, store in an airtight container, then freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight or warm gently in a skillet with a splash of stock. Do not free pasta mixed with the sauce.
I loved this recipe! The perfect Sunday supper. I skipped the chicken livers and it still tasted phenomenal. I froze the other half of the sauce and can’t wait to use for another hearty winter meal!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Claire! I noticed it didn’t receive 5 stars. Was there something about the recipe you didn’t like that you can share with me? Always looking to improve my recipes. xo, Ari
I was super nervous about the lack of traditional Italian herbs like basil and garlic, but I followed the recipe exactly as it was written. It turned out really quite good and my 7 and 10 year olds kids loved it. It’s perfect for a snowy day or a day stuck inside which there are way too many of these days!
Kristi, this is great feedback! Thanks for trusting me enough to make the recipe as written!! My kiddos love this one too, SO cozy and satisfying! I think the herbs really make take it over the top! xo, Ari
Hi!
Love your website. I was excited to make this Bolognese- I gathered all the ingredients except the chicken livers which I love. Live in a small mountain town and no chicken liver at all three markets. Is there any substitute or should I order them online?
Thanks!
Best,
Liz
Oh, that’s awesome! You can absolutely make it without the chicken livers, but I love the umami flavor they add. You’ll be fine without it, though! xo, Ari
So delicious! I’ve been wanting to make Bolognese for a while now and this recipe did not disappoint, so much flavor, just like our favorite Italian restaurants!
So thrilled you loved this recipe! I think the fresh herbs at the end take it completely over the top!! xo, Ari
Made it exactly as written. Excellent. Only thing I noticed is yours seem to be more red looking like it had tomato sauce. Unused the can of tomatoes called for but they were whole tomato’s not plum could that make the difference in color? Just curious. It was delicious nevertheless. Thank you for sharing these amazing recipes ❤️
Hi Shirley! There’s definitely variation in different types of canned tomatoes, so that might be it. A little hard to know without having been in the kitchen with you. So glad you enjoyed it, though! Thank you for taking the time to review, it means a lot! xo, Ari
Where can I find the whole video and not the 1 minute?
Hi MJ, that’s the only video I’ve posted of the Rigatoni Bolognese. Do you have a specific question I can help answer about the cooking instruction? Best, Ari
Just a quick question – when simmering the sauce do you have it partially covered or no lid at all? Can’t wait to make this!
Hi Betsy! I leave the pot uncovered while it simmers. No lid needed. Enjoy and let me know what you think! xo, Ari