If you’re in the mood for a luxurious and comforting pasta dish, this creamy white bolognese sauce is the perfect choice. This sauce is a rich, velvety twist on the classic bolognese, featuring ground pork and veal, crispy pancetta, and a medley of fresh herbs that always remind me of fall.
Whether you’re serving it for a cozy weeknight dinner or a special occasion, this dish is sure to impress. Enjoy with garlic bread, a simple side salad, and your favorite Italian dessert (mine is tiramisu, duh!)
If you haven’t tried my traditional Italian bolognese yet, be sure to give that a try next! Or check out all of my easy pasta recipes, like this skillet lasagna with sausage and ground beef or slow braised short rib ragu.
What You’ll Need
- Meats: diced pancetta, ground pork, and ground veal
- Veggies: onion, carrot, celery, and garlic
- Herbs: Fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme. You’ll also need a dried bay leaf and grated nutmeg.
- Unsalted butter and extra virgin olive oil
- Liquid: dry white wine, low-sodium chicken broth, half-and-half (or heavy cream). If not using wine, add a bit more chicken stock or broth.
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, always
- Cheese: Mascarpone and Parmigiano Reggiano (grated Parmesan) or Pecorino Romano
- Fresh lemon: the lemon zest brightens up the flavor of the pasta and works so well with the pork, veal, and cream sauce!
- For serving: dried pasta, polenta, or gnocchi, high-quality extra virgin olive oil, and flaky sea salt.
What is soffritto? Soffritto is a traditional Italian base of finely diced onions, carrots, and celery. It forms the flavor foundation for many Italian sauces, soups, and stews.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Pancetta: Guanciale or bacon can be substituted.
- White wine: Dry vermouth or dry sherry can be used. Prefer no alcohol? You can omit entirely, but the sauce will be slightly less rich.
- Half-and-half: For a lighter sauce, you can substitute the half-and-half with whole milk. For extra richness, use heavy cream.
- Parmesan cheese: Pecorino Romano or Grana Padano can be substituted.
- Pasta shape: Tagliatelle, pappardelle, and rigatoni are classic choices, but feel free to experiment with other shapes. I used campanelle here.
Directions
This is not a difficult sauce recipe, but it does take time. The full instructions are in the recipe card below, this is just a quick overview.
- Crisp the pancetta, then transfer to a bowl.
- Sauté the soffritto until softened.
- Brown the ground meats, seasoning well and breaking up with a spatula as needed. Return the pancetta to the pot.
- Create the base by deglazing with white wine. Cook down slightly, then add chicken stock or broth and half-and-half. Stir in herbs and seasonings, then simmer the sauce. I let this cook for about 45 minutes.
- Cook the pasta until al dente, then reserve a bit of pasta water before draining.
- Finish the pasta. Heat the white bolognese in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the cooked pasta directly to the pan. Add mascarpone, Parmesan cheese, and lemon zest. Toss to coat, then stir in some of the reserved pasta water until you reach your desired consistency.
- Divide the pasta between bowls, then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, chopped rosemary, grated Parm, and a pinch of flaky sea salt. Enjoy!
Ari’s Best Tips!
- Pasta choices: This sauce pairs beautifully with wide, flat noodles like tagliatelle or pappardelle, which hold the creamy sauce well. However, feel free to use your favorite pasta shape. My kids often ask for unique shapes of pasta, so pictured here you see campanelle pasta.
- Perfectly seasoned: Be sure to taste the sauce as it simmers and adjust the seasoning as needed. A little extra salt or a dash of black pepper can elevate the flavors.
- Thickening the sauce: The reserved pasta water is key to creating a thick, clingy sauce. Add it gradually to reach the desired consistency.
- For serving: I cannot stress enough how important extra virgin olive oil, flaky sea salt, and freshly grated cheese are to elevating literally any pasta dish at home. Just do it! Thank me later.
Make-Ahead, Leftovers, & Storage
- To make-ahead: The white bolognese sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Simply reheat it over low heat before adding the pasta.
- Leftovers and storage: Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Freezing: This white bolognese sauce freezes well! Allow it to cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
This creamy white bolognese sauce is perfect for a hearty dinner. Serve it with a simple green salad dressed with a light vinaigrette and some crusty bread to soak up the sauce. Try it with my shredded kale salad or this easy arugula salad. Both are ready in less than 10 minutes!
For an extra indulgent touch, pair it with a glass of crisp white wine, like Chenin Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc.
Italian Desserts To Serve After Dinner!
Never one to shy away from a themed menu, consider adding one of these foolproof Italian desserts to the end of your meal:
Enjoy this delightful creamy white bolognese sauce and elevate your pasta nights to a whole new level!
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Creamy White Bolognese Sauce For Pasta
Discover the secret to a creamy, flavorful White Bolognese Sauce, perfect with pasta, gnocchi, or creamy polenta. This easy-to-follow recipe features pancetta, mixed meats, and rich herbs, flavored with white wine, half-and-half and lots of cheese and lemon zest.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 827kcal
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
For the white bolognese sauce
- 4 oz pancetta, diced
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup sweet onion, finely diced, about 1 medium or ½ large
- 1 cup carrot, peeled and finely diced, about 1 large
- 1 cup celery, finely diced, about 2 stalks
- 1½ tsp kosher salt, divided
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 lb ground veal
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
- 1½ cups dry white wine, such as Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 2 cups half-and-half or heavy cream
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped, plus more for serving
- 2 Tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 1 dried bay leaf
- ½ cup mascarpone cheese
- 1 medium lemon, zester
For serving
- 1 lb dried pasta
- Gnocchi or polenta
- Grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
- High-quality extra virgin olive oil
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Cook the pancetta. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When hot, add 4 oz diced pancetta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy on all sides, about 5-7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pancetta to a bowl.
- Cook the soffrito. To the pot, add 4 Tbsp unsalted butter. Once melted, add diced onion, carrot, and celery, then season with ½ tsp kosher salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened. Add 5 cloves chopped garlic, stir, then cook 1 minute more.
- Add ground meat. Add 1 lb ground pork and 1 lb ground veal, then season with 1 tsp kosher salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring often and breaking up the meat with a spatula as needed.
- Deglaze the pan. Pour in 1½ cups dry white 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 ½-¾ cup of fat. Removing this makes the white bolognese sauce less greasy. Return the cooked pancetta to the pot.
- Add the liquid. Pour in 2 cups of chicken stock (or vegetable stock) and 2 cups half-and-half. Stir in 2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary, 2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage, 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, 1 bay leaf, and ¼ tsp ground nutmeg.
- Simmer. Reduce the heat to medium, then simmer for about 45 minutes. Give the ragu a stir occasionally and lower the heat as needed if it begins bubbling too much.
- Finish the bolognese. Remove the bay leaf, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed, adding more kosher salt or pepper if you like.
- When ready to serve, cook pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente, meaning just slightly undercooked by 1-2 minutes. This is important! Before draining, reserve 1 cup of 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 all dente pasta directly to the pan along with ¼ – ½ cup mascarpone cheese, the zest of 1 lemon, and lots of grated Parmesan (the amount will depend on how much pasta you add – start with ¼ cup and go up from there). Cook, stirring or shaking the pan often, so that each piece of pasta is completely coated with sauce. To finish, add a couple tablespoons (more if making a lot of pasta) of the reserved pasta cooking water to help bind the sauce together. The starch from cooking the pasta will thicken the sauce!
- To serve: Divide the pasta between bowls, then serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, chopped rosemary, freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, and a pinch of flaky sea salt. I know it sounds like a lot, but this is what makes the pasta sauce exceptional! Love black pepper? Add as much as you like. Enjoy!
Notes
- Nutrition facts include 1 lb dried pasta. Nutritional information would be different for gnocchi or polenta.
- Make-ahead: The white bolognese sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Leftovers and storage: Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Freezing: The sauce can be frozen forup to 3 months.Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Calories: 827kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 701mg | Potassium: 811mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3386IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 159mg | Iron: 3mg
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We super loved this recipe and I highly recommend. The fresh herbs and lemon zest help add such a great flavor to what is already a great dish. This makes a large batch, which would be great to serve a large group, enjoy all week,or to freeze for later. I subbed ground chicken for the veal as I didn’t want to have to go to a separate grocery to purchase it and it seemed to fit the recipe well.
Yessss, so thrilled to hear this! The lemon zest is my favorite part too. Thanks, Sally! xo, Ari