Hearty Bolognese Sauce Base

Hearty Bolognese Sauce Base recipe videos

Hearty Bolognese Sauce Base is a rich, slow-simmered meat sauce originating from Bologna, Italy, traditionally made with a soffritto of onion, carrot, and celery, ground beef and/or pork, tomatoes, wine, and milk or cream. It's the foundational sauce for classic dishes like tagliatelle al ragù and lasagna alla bolognese.

🍳 View the full Hearty Bolognese Sauce Base recipe →

🍽️ Nutrition at a glance

This sauce is high in protein and fat from the meat, with moderate carbohydrates from the vegetables and tomatoes. A typical serving provides iron, B vitamins, and lycopene, with a calorie range of 250-400 depending on the meat-to-vegetable ratio and added fats.

Nutrition breakdown

Calories	280 kcal
Protein	18 g
Carbs	15 g
Fat	17 g
Fiber	3 g
Sugar	8 g
Sodium	680 mg
Iron	3.5 mg
Potassium	620 mg
Vitamin A	85 mcg RAE
Vitamin C	12 mg
Calcium	45 mg
Vitamin B12	1.8 mcg
Zinc	3.2 mg
Selenium	18 mcg

Per 1 cup (240 g) · estimated, varies by recipe

💡 What's interesting

Authentic Bolognese uses very little tomato compared to many international versions, and the inclusion of milk or cream is a traditional step to tenderize the meat and add richness, making it more of a meat ragù than a tomato sauce.