The BEST Pork Bolognese Recipe

This recipe makes me SO happy! It’s totally one of those happy-food-dance-in-your-chair kinda meals. I could literally eat it once a week…all year-round.

I’ve tasted other bolognese recipes, however, after years of tinkering, I have found that this one, for my taste anyway, is the BEST pork bolognese recipe! This is a go-to comfort food for me.

How Do You Make Bolognese?

Making a bolognese is simple, all you need is one pot for the meat sauce. You start with your mirepoix, which is your chopped veggies (onions, carrots, celery) which will impart both flavor and texture to the bolognese. Then you add your meat followed by tomato paste, wine and water. It really doesn’t take long for the flavors to build.  Leftovers are just as delicious!

What Meat Do You Use For Bolognese Sauce?

You can use ground pork as I do, or choose to use ground lamb (my second favorite), ground beef, or even ground chicken. I have also made a meatless mushroom bolognese using minced mushrooms.

What Do You Serve Bolognese Sauce With?

Traditionally, you serve bolognese sauce over pasta. I like to use rigatoni for this. I will also use rotini or pappardelle. Many choose to serve it over traditional spaghetti as well. Sometimes I honestly just eat it right out of a bowl…No pasta necessary! I for sure eat about 1/4 cup of it out of the pot as it cooks, lol!

What About Leftover?

If you make a big pot of the BEST Pork Bolognese Recipe, you can use leftovers for lasagna filling, for a Shepards Pie, as a filling for hand pies, or to top zoodles with.  You can also serve leftovers overtop a baked potato or avocado and call it a meal.

Garlic bread is a perfect partner to The BEST Pork Bolognese Recipe, check out my recipes for The Ultimate Garlic Bread.

I am a meatball fanatic, as evidenced by the number of meatball recipes I have on my site (click here to see them). I have a beef meatball recipe of course, as well as pork, a variety of chicken and even a mushroom “meatless” meatball recipe. When it comes to a bolognese, I’ve found that pork is the way to go. The meat is just so flavorful mixed in with the vegetables, sauce, and pasta.  I am literally making this for dinner tonight now that I have been typing and thinking about it, lol! I have to!!

I hope you try out my recipe for The BEST Pork Bolognese Recipe!

Enjoy!

The BEST Pork Bolognese Recipe

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

When the temperature dips a warm, comforting Pork Bolognese hits the spot!

Author: Colleen Kennedy

Recipe type: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1½ TBS bacon grease, grapeseed oil or olive oil
• 1½ cups chopped Vidalia onion (about 1 med-large)
• Heaping ½ cup chopped carrots
• ⅓ cup chopped celery (optional)
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 3 large cloves of garlic minced
• 2 pounds ground pork
• 8 oz tomato paste
• 2 cups red wine (something full-bodied that you would drink...not a "cooking" wine. I like a Cab for this)
• ½ cup water
• A few sprigs of Thyme
• ½ TBS sugar (optional)
• Red pepper flakes if you want a little heat (optional)
• Pasta (I like Rigatoni for this, however, any type of pasta works)
• Freshly grated Parmesan (or your favorite hard Italian cheese) if you like

Instructions

1. In a large pot, heat bacon grease or olive/grapeseed oil.
2. Add in the onions, carrots and celery and saute for 5 minutes or until tender and just browning.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add in garlic and saute for 1 minute.
5. Add in pork, break it up and allow it to brown.
6. Add in tomato paste, stirring to combine it with the meat and vegetables.
7. Add in wine, water and Thyme.
8. Season with additional salt and pepper and if adding sugar do so here (see notes).
9. Turn heat down to low and allow bolognese to simmer for 20-30 minutes, checking back often to stir and see if additional liquid (water or wine) needs to be added.
10. If you happen to have a Parmesan cheese rind, add it or a piece of it to the sauce (not necessary, just a nice way to use it up).
11. Add in a few shakes of red pepper flakes (more if you like heat)
12. Allow bolognese to sit off heat for 15-30 minutes before serving, reheating if necessary.
13. Serve over your favorite pasta, adding fresh shaved Parmesan if you enjoy it.

Notes

If you have Thyme on-hand add in a half dozen sprigs (tie together with kitchen twine for easy removal. OR strip two sprigs and add in just the leaves.

Tomato paste is bitter and depending on how dry the wine you used is...the sauce may need a bit of sugar. Taste and decide on your preferance.

Don't be shy with your seasoning. If you enjoy a bit of heat...add in red pepper...as much or as little as you like.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 6oz

3.4.3177