Easy bolognese sauce is delicious and comforting. I mean who doesn’t like spag bol as it’s often referred to here in Australia. Bolognese sauce is made a zillion different ways but what we are after is a delicious mix of beef, pork and bacon married with tomatoes, the holy trinity of onion, carrot and celery along with garlic. Add tomatoes, tomato paste , chilli and fennel seeds along with red wine and you’re headed to delicious. Season with salt and pepper and then throw in the secret ingredients……basil, olive oil, garlic and parmesan. Yum!
Secret ingredients….
Adding basil, olive oil, garlic and parmesan to your bolognese sauce completely adds a real lift to the sauce. Basil and tomatoes are just about the perfect marriage. The basil brings a real freshness to the sauce and makes it stand out. We love it!

Quick and easy
The best thing about this bolognese sauce is that it’s quick and easy and freezes like a dream for quick mid week meals.
Pork, beef mince (ground) and bacon
The marriage of pork which adds sweetness and beef mince along with bacon in a bolognese sauce is what gives it the depth of flavor. The bacon, well we all know what bacon does, it’s like manna from heaven.
Freezes like a dream
Bolognese sauce freezes extremely well. Perfect for those nights when you just don’t want to crank up the stove.
Check out some more winning pasta recipes
Easy Quick Tuna Pasta
Smoked Salmon and Lemon Pasta
Puttanesca Pasta Sauce – Spicy
Prawn Pesto and Chargrilled Capsicum Pasta

Chorizo Prawn Pasta
What’s your secret ingredient for bolognese sauce? We would love to hear from you in the comments below.

easy bolognese sauce
Bolognese sauce is ready in an hour. Pork, beef mince and bacon tickled with a little chili and finished with our secret ingredient of basil pesto to really lift the flavor of the sauce. It’s a winner!
Ingredients
bolognese sauce
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium onions cut into small dice
- 1 large carrot cut into small dice
- 2 stalks celery cut into small dice
- 2 rashers streaky bacon cut into small dice
- 500g beef mince (ground) (1 pound)
- 500g pork mince (ground) (1 pound)
- 6 fat cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup red wine
- 800g diced tomatoes (2 x 14 ounce tins)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon each of salt, chilli flakes and fennel seeds
- 4 tablespoons basil pesto - see below
basil pesto
- 1 bunch basil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
bolognese sauce
- add oil to a large heavy based saucepan over medium to high heat
- add onions, celery, carrot, bacon and garlic
- cook until softened - around 8 minutes
- add beef and pork and distribute through till colour has changed
- add red wine and reduce for 3 minutes
- pour in tomatoes, tomato paste, chilli, fennel and salt
- mix through
- reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 35-40 minutes
- add pesto and pepper stirring through the sauce
- serve and enjoy with your favourite pasta
basil pesto
- add all ingredients to a blender and whiz
Notes
- bolognese sauce freezes well
- you can use a good artisan pesto if you wish
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 699Total Fat 49gSaturated Fat 14gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 30gCholesterol 139mgSodium 963mgCarbohydrates 14gFiber 3gSugar 5gProtein 44g
Nutritional information provided here is only intended as a guide.