Bolognese Sauce Recipe
This Bolognese Sauce (aka Sunday Sauce) is hearty, robust and full of depth and flavor! Make it in a slow cooker, on the stovetop or in an Instant pot. We lighten it up with ground turkey (optional) and add mushrooms for extra umami.
How to Make the Best Bolognese Sauce
Few dishes evoke the warmth and comfort of an Italian kitchen quite like a slow-simmered Bolognese sauce. This recipe, often called Sunday Sauce in Italian-American households, is a labor of love that rewards you with layers of rich, meaty flavor infused with aromatic vegetables and herbs.
What sets this Bolognese apart is its versatility and depth. By adding mushrooms to the traditional mirepoix of onion, carrot, and celery, you get an extra boost of umami that makes the sauce taste like it’s been cooking all day—even when it hasn’t. The option to use ground turkey makes it lighter without sacrificing any of the heartiness you expect from a proper Bolognese.
Whether you choose the slow cooker method for hands-off cooking or prefer to tend a pot on the stovetop, this sauce fills your home with the most incredible aroma. Serve it over your favorite pasta, spoon it onto creamy polenta, or toss it with roasted spaghetti squash for a lower-carb option. Don’t forget the generous shaving of Parmesan on top.
Bolognese Sauce
This Bolognese Sauce (aka Sunday Sauce) is hearty, robust and full of depth and flavor! Make it in a slow cooker, on the stovetop or in an Instant pot. We lighten it up with ground turkey (optional) and add mushrooms for extra umami.
Ingredients
Meat and Vegetables
Seasonings
Sauce Base
Instructions
Cook the Meat and Vegetables
- In a very large dutch oven (medium-high heat) or sauté function of a slow cooker, sauté the ground turkey and onion in olive oil for 7-9 minutes until lightly browned. If there is a lot of liquid, drain.
- Add the garlic, carrots, celery and mushrooms. Continue sautéing and stirring, cooking the veggies until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add all the spices and salt.
Build the Sauce
- Make a well in the pan and add tomato paste. Sauté it for 1-2 minutes, which will give the sauce depth. Mix it all together then add the wine, scraping up all the brown bits.
- Let simmer on medium heat until wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the can of tomatoes and their juice, breaking them up with the metal spatula. Stir in the soy sauce. Toss in the parmesan rind (optional) to add even more depth and a bay leaf.
Slow Cook
- Place this in a slow cooker on its lowest setting for 6 hours (or medium heat for 3 hours). Adjust seasonings, add more salt to taste, discard parmesan rind and bay leaf.
- Alternately you can continue to simmer in the dutch oven on the stove, covered, for 1-2 hours on lowest heat, adding chicken stock if necessary (if it gets too dry) or uncovering and cooking off liquid if it seems too liquidy. Taste and adjust salt to your liking.
- Serve over cooked pasta, quinoa or roasted spaghetti squash with grated parmesan, sprinkled with fresh basil or Italian parsley.
Notes
- For best results, use a mix of ground meats like beef and pork for added depth of flavor.
- The soy sauce adds umami without making the sauce taste Asian—it's a secret ingredient many Italian grandmothers use.
- This sauce freezes beautifully for up to 3 months.
- San Marzano tomatoes are preferred for their sweeter, less acidic flavor.
