Italian Bolognese Recipes

Bolognese sauce has long been a favourite part of Italian dishes, from lasagne to spaghetti. Rich in flavour with its meaty texture, it's no wonder this sauce remains popular to this day. If you are looking to make an authentic Bolognese recipe, here are some ideas you can try.

Prepare the Ingredients: The main components of any Bolognese sauce are ground beef, garlic and onion. You can also add extra ingredients such as bacon, chilli and grated carrots for a bit more flavour. Chop your garlic and onion into small pieces and sauté in a pan on low heat.

You can add additional ingredients to the mix at this time if you so choose. At the same time, brown your ground beef on low heat while pureeing your tomatoes. The entire process should only take a few minutes.

Mix your Sauce: Add your tomato puree to a pan and mix in tomato paste, salt and pepper, and an additional bay leaf for flavour. Add your beef, garlic, onion and other ingredients to the sauce and heat on medium until it comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot, stirring occasionally.

While traditional Bolognese recipes often use ground beef and other meat ingredients, there are also some very tasty veggie Bolognese recipes that are completely meat-free. Here are some great vegetarian Bolognese recipes you can try at home.

Substituting the Meat: The first thing you need to consider when making a veggie Bolognese is what to use in place of ground beef. One excellent option is ground mushrooms, particularly shitake and cremini (brown) varieties. When finely ground, these mushrooms have a meaty taste similar to ground beef.

Another very satisfying choice is lentils, which, when cooked the right way, can easily replace ground beef in your Bolognese sauce. For a great example of this recipe, try our lentil pesto bolognese & mash dish.

Creating a delicious and meat-free vegan Bolognese recipe isn’t as difficult as you might think. While you might think you need ground beef to make an authentic Bolognese recipe, there are plenty of great substitutes that you can use to make a delicious Bolognese sauce.

Ditching the Meat: Of course, the first thing you need to do when looking for a vegan Bolognese recipe is what to use in place of meat. Perhaps the best meat substitute for a Bolognese recipe is mushrooms.

Mushrooms are rich in umami flavour, and when ground down into mince, they easily take the place of ground beef. While you can use any type of mushroom you prefer, the best ones for this recipe are shitake and cremini mushrooms. Alternatively, consider using lentils for your meat substitute, as they also offer a rich, meaty flavour when cooked well.

Once you have your meat substitute, cook your Bolognese sauce as normal. Try this lentil Bolognese & caramelised cherry tomatoes recipe as an example.