The other weekend, we went up to Big White with all the cousins to celebrate Sammy’s birthday, and we had such a BLAST! When I was trying to figure out what to make to feed 16 people, I immediately thought of my Bolognese recipe!
There are a handful of recipes in our house that I could probably make with my eyes closed… and this is one of them. My Bolognese has been a crowd pleaser for the past few years and I swear it just keeps getting better with age.
It’s the kind of recipe that fills the whole house with the coziest smell, makes enough to feed an army, freezes beautifully, and somehow tastes even better the next day. This is our go-to Sunday sauce, our “what should we make for dinner this week?” meal, and the one I make anytime I want something hearty, comforting and packed with veggies without anyone at the table even realizing it.
If you’ve been around here for a while, you might remember my Famous Bolognese Revamped post from years ago. This version has evolved a bit over time (like all good family recipes do!), but the heart of it is the same. Simple ingredients, lots of veggies, and that incredible, cozy smell.
This makes enough to feed 16 people, so if you’re hosting a family dinner, or if you want to split it up and store some in the freezer… this is the recipe for you! Without further ado…
Homemade Bolognese Sauce: A Family Fave!
Ingredients
3 tbsp 3 olive oil
3 cups 3 celery, diced
2 cups 2 carrots, diced
4 cups 4 mushrooms, diced
2 cups 2 onion, diced
2 cans 2 crushed tomatoes
1 jar 1 Rao’s tomato sauce
4 lbs 4 ground beef or other meat (Plant-based option: When I was vegan, I would swap the beef for 8 cups of very finely diced portobello mushrooms and it works SO well.)
200 g 200 tomato paste
2 cups 2 parmesan cheese finely grated
1 large 1 cut rind from parmesan block (about 1 inch x 4 inches)
2 cups 2 dry white wine
3 large 3 garlic cloves, minced
½ tbsp ground fennel
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup 1 pasta water
Directions
- Start by sautéing the onions and garlic in a large pot until soft and fragrant.
- Add the ground beef to the pot and cook over medium heat. Continue cooking until the beef is no longer pink and has developed a rich, dark brown colour.
- Next, add your celery, carrots, mushrooms into the pot. Cook until the veggies begin to soften.
- Add in the tomato paste, dry white wine, tomato sauce, garlic, fennel, parmesan, salt & pepper and let that simmer for a few minutes. These ingredients add so much depth to the sauce and makes it taste like it’s been cooking all day (even if it hasn’t!)
- Add in the crushed tomatoes, Rao’s tomato sauce and ground beef. Stir everything together, bring it to a gentle simmer and let it cook low and slow. The longer it sits, the better it gets.
- This step is optional, but I swear by it. Scoop a few cups of the sauce into a blender, blend until smooth, and stir it back into the pot. It makes the sauce thicker, richer, and helps it stick perfectly to your noodles.
- Finish off the sauce with more parmesan, a cup of pasta water and a few basil leaves. Enjoy with your favourite noodles!
This recipe is loaded with vegetables, incredibly filling, kid-approved, and makes enough for leftovers, lunches and freezer meals.
We usually serve this over spaghetti (gluten-free noodles for me) with a big Italian-style salad on the side. SO YUM.
This recipe makes a big batch on purpose. I almost always freeze a few containers because on busy weeknights, having this in the freezer is a life-saver. If you’re looking for a cozy, hearty, veggie-packed dinner to add to your rotation, this is it. I’ve been making this for years and I don’t see that changing anytime soon!
xo
Jilly
