Authentic Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe

Name: Spaghetti Bolognese
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 Medium Onion, finely diced; 1 Medium Carrot, finely diced; 2 Celery Sticks, finely diced; 3 Garlic Cloves, minced; 2 tbsp Olive Oil; 300 g Beef Mince, ideally 15–20% fat for flavour; 150 ml Red Wine; 200 g Tin of Chopped Tomatoes; 1 tbsp Tomato Purée; 100 ml Whole Milk; 1 tsp Dried Oregano; 1 Bay Leaf; Salt and Black Pepper, to taste; 200 g Spaghetti; Parmesan, freshly grated; Salt, for the pasta water

Spaghetti bolognese is one of the most cooked dishes in British households - and when it's made properly, it's one of the most rewarding. The authentic version from Bologna bears little resemblance to the quick mince-and-tinned-tomatoes version many of us grew up with. The real thing is a slow-cooked meat ragù, built on a soffritto of onion, carrot, and celery, enriched with wine and a small amount of milk, and simmered low and slow until deeply flavoured, rich, and thick.

This recipe follows the traditional Bolognese method as closely as possible while using ingredients available at any UK supermarket. The key differences from a weeknight shortcut version are time and technique - the soffritto is cooked until properly soft, the wine is reduced fully before the tomatoes go in, and the ragù simmers for a full hour to develop the depth of flavour that makes a proper Bolognese so satisfying.

It's an ideal batch cook - this recipe serves 2 but doubles or triples easily, and the sauce freezes brilliantly. Make a big batch on a Sunday and you'll have the foundations of several meals ready to go throughout the week.

Ingredients

For the soffritto

1 Medium Onion , finely diced
1 Medium Carrot , finely diced
2 Celery Sticks , finely diced
3 Garlic Cloves , minced
2 tbsp Olive Oil

For the ragù

300 g Beef Mince , ideally 15–20% fat for flavour
150 ml Red Wine
200 g Tin of Chopped Tomatoes
1 tbsp Tomato Purée
100 ml Whole Milk
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 Bay Leaf
Salt and Black Pepper , to taste

To serve

200 g Spaghetti
Parmesan , freshly grated
Salt , for the pasta water

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or casserole over a medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook gently for 12–15 mins, stirring occasionally, until completely soft, sweet, and lightly golden. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 mins.

Tip: Don't rush the soffritto - this is the flavour base of the entire dish. Properly softened vegetables give the ragù a sweetness and depth that a quickly sweated soffritto simply can't match.
Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the beef mince and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, for 8–10 mins until thoroughly browned with no pink remaining. Don't stir too frequently - let the mince sit in contact with the pan to develop colour.
Pour in the red wine and let it bubble vigorously for 3–4 mins until almost completely reduced. You should be able to smell the alcohol cooking off.
Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, oregano, and bay leaf. Season generously with salt and pepper. Stir well, then pour in the milk. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover with a lid, and simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring every 15 mins or so. The ragù should be thick, rich, and dark by the end with very little liquid remaining.

Tip: The milk is a traditional Bolognese ingredient that softens the acidity of the tomatoes and tenderises the meat - don't skip it. It won't taste milky in the finished sauce.
About 15 mins before the ragù is ready, bring a large pan of well-salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions. Reserve a mugful of pasta water before draining.
Add the drained spaghetti directly to the ragù and toss well, adding a splash of pasta water to loosen if needed. Serve immediately in warmed bowls with a generous grating of Parmesan.

Alternatives & Variations

Use extra-lean beef mince (5% fat) instead of standard - reduces fat significantly, though the sauce will be slightly less rich; a splash of extra olive oil can compensate
Swap spaghetti for wholewheat spaghetti - adds fibre and a nuttier flavour with minimal impact on the overall dish
Reduce the pasta to 80g per person and bulk out with courgetti or finely diced mushrooms added to the ragù - cuts carbs while keeping the portion satisfying
Skip the Parmesan garnish or use a smaller amount - it adds a notable amount of saturated fat and salt

Replace the beef mince with a plant-based mince (Beyond Meat or Meatless Farm both work well) or a combination of finely diced mushrooms (300g) and green lentils (200g cooked). The mushroom and lentil version is particularly good - cook the mushrooms until completely dry before adding the lentils and continuing with the recipe as written. The long simmer time allows the flavours to develop in the same way as the meat version.

Swap the spaghetti for a good quality gluten free spaghetti - Rummo and Barilla both produce reliable gluten free pasta ranges available at major UK supermarkets. The ragù itself is naturally gluten free. Check your tinned tomatoes and tomato purée labels if you have a severe intolerance, though both are almost always gluten free.

FAQs

Around 1 hr 45 mins total - 15 mins of prep and 1 hr 30 mins of cooking. Most of that is the ragù simmering on a low heat with minimal attention needed. It's not a quick weeknight dish, but the hands-on effort is relatively low.

Rated Easy. The technique is straightforward - the main requirement is patience rather than skill. The soffritto needs time, and the ragù needs a proper long simmer. Neither step is technically demanding.

Yes - the ragù freezes brilliantly and is one of the best sauces for batch cooking. Cool completely, then freeze in portions in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat in a saucepan over a medium-low heat, adding a splash of water if it looks thick. Cook fresh pasta to serve.

Yes - the ragù actually improves overnight as the flavours deepen. Make it up to 2 days in advance and keep covered in the fridge. Reheat gently in a saucepan before serving with freshly cooked pasta. It's an ideal make-ahead dish for a dinner party or busy week.

In Italy, a simple green salad dressed with olive oil and red wine vinegar is the classic accompaniment. Garlic bread is the British favourite alongside it. A glass of the same red wine used in the ragù rounds it off perfectly.

The long simmer is what makes the difference between a good Bolognese and a great one. Time allows the collagen in the meat to break down, the wine and tomatoes to reduce and concentrate, and the flavours to meld into something deeply complex. A 20-minute Bolognese can taste fine - a 90-minute one tastes remarkable.