Ready to twirl your fork into a plate of authentic pasta? This classic tagliatelle bolognese is exactly what you need for dinner on a chilly evening—warm, savory, and perfectly saucy. With layers of slow-simmered meat sauce and perfectly cooked tagliatelle, this dish will make you feel like you’ve been transported to a cozy Italian trattoria. Buon Appetito!
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Tagliatelle bolognese has been a beloved staple in Italian homes and restaurants since the late 1800s. Originating in the Emilia-Romagna region—specifically Bologna (hence the name “bolognese”)—the history of tagliatelle bolognese is as rich as the sauce itself! Over the years, this dish has captured hearts and stomachs around the world for a reason. The hearty, mouthwatering sauce is cooked slowly and deliberately to perfection, and tagliatelle is the perfect pasta pairing for this iconic sauce (according to the Italians, of course)! While the dish has evolved over time, one thing remains unchanged: classic, authentic tagliatelle bolognese will always satisfy.
After traveling to Italy and enjoying tagliatelle bolognese at almost every trattoria, I was determined to recreate this incredible dish. After many trials and test batches, this recipe tastes just like the ones I fell in love with on my trips to Italy!
Do you love this classic Italian pasta dish and want even more? Check out my Pasta alla Genovese, Spaghetti alla Carbonara, and Lemon Pasta recipes!
Ingredients
- Tagliatelle – tagliatelle is a long, flat, ribbon-shaped pasta resembling fettuccini (but is a bit wider). Tagliatelle is the pasta shape traditionally used in Italy with bolognese sauce, as it has more surface area than a thinner shape like spaghetti. Its porous texture allows it to cling to the sauce and make each bite a cohesive burst of flavor. Also, quality really makes a difference here! I recommend looking for bronze-extruded durum semolina.
- Extra virgin olive oil – olive oil helps sweat the veggies.
- Unsalted butter – butter gives the sauce a rich, creamy texture, helping pull all the flavors together.
- Yellow onion – yellow onion is the first ingredient that makes up our mirepoix (a combo of chopped veggies that serve as our aromatic base)! This onion variety creates a perfect balance of sweetness and sharpness.
- Carrots – carrots are mirepoix ingredient #2! Also finely chopped, carrots provide a subtle sweetness when cooked that provides a depth of flavor in every bite of tagliatelle bolognese.
- Celery – celery is the third and final mirepoix element. Celery creates the savory note in our base aromatics.
- Tomato paste – the addition of tomato paste adds a deep, concentrated tomato flavor that forms the backbone of the sauce.
- Garlic cloves – the smashed and minced garlic cloves are a flavor-building essential. They infuse the sauce with a savory base that complements the meat and adds depth to the overall flavor profile.
- Ground pork – the pork in this dish contributes a slight sweetness to the sauce, balancing the more decadent flavors of beef and veal.
- Ground veal – delicate and tender, veal brings a mild, lean flavor to the sauce that helps create a well-rounded flavor and texture when combined with the other meats.
- Ground beef – ground beef adds a hearty flavor and a satisfying richness that forms the core of the Bolognese sauce, creating a phenomenal, savory foundation for the dish.
- Dry white wine – dry white wine adds acidity and brightness to the sauce. I recommend Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.
- Whole milk – whole milk is a classic ingredient and the key to mellowing out the acidity of the tomatoes and wine. It adds creaminess and helps to create a smooth, velvety texture that softens the bold flavors of the sauce.
- Nutmeg – a little bit of nutmeg adds a warm undertone to the sauce, bringing a touch more complexity to the finished dish.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano – Garnishing with a heaping pile of freshly grated cheese is essential for a classic pasta dish like tagliatelle bolognese.
How to Make Tagliatelle Bolognese
The full recipe instructions are in the recipe card below; this is just an outline.
Step 1: In a large pot, cook pork, veal, and beef over medium heat until browned, breaking up the meat into small pieces.
Step 2: Add olive oil and butter. Add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until softened.
Step 3: Reduce heat to medium-low, then stir in tomato paste and wine. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring periodically, until the wine evaporates.
Step 4: Stir in 1 cup of milk, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add more milk if the sauce becomes too dry. Add salt to taste.
Step 5: Boil tagliatelle in salted water until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup pasta water, then drain.
Step 6: Toss pasta with sauce, adding a little pasta water to help coat the pasta.
Step 7: Top with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and enjoy!
Variations on the Classic Tagliatelle Bolognese
- Make it Vegetarian – while bolognese is a classic meat ragù, there’s no reason for your vegetarian friends to miss out on all this deliciousness! In place of the pork, veal, and beef, you could add a mixture of finely chopped/ground mushrooms and walnuts! This will have a very similar texture to the original and keep the classic dish’s robust, savory, and umami flavors.
- Turkey or Chicken Bolognese – want to make this meal a little lighter? Cooking for someone who doesn’t eat pork, beef or veal? You can swap out ground turkey or chicken for the meat traditionally used in the dish. This variation is leaner than the original, but still maintains the savory deliciousness you get from the classic recipe!
- Spicy Tagliatelle Bolognese – to add an extra kick to your sauce, you can add chorizo in place of a portion of the ground beef or pork that the recipe calls for. You can also sprinkle in some red pepper flakes for even more heat!
My Pro Tip
Pro Tips
Enhancing Flavor – Let the sauce simmer for additional time after adding the milk and reducing the heat (Step 4) for a more intensely flavored sauce. If you have some time to kill, I recommend letting the sauce simmer, stirring occasionally, for at least 2 hours. Some Italians would tell you that it should be 4-6 hours! Make sure you have a bit more milk or some broth on hand to add to the sauce as it cooks. Either way, your kitchen will smell incredible!
Storage and Leftovers – If you have leftovers and want to store them for later, this dish keeps well in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Alternatively, you can freeze the sauce for up to 3 months, thawing in the fridge overnight before reheating. Reheat it on the stove or in the microwave, adding some fresh herbs like basil or thyme, or add another drizzle of olive oil over the top with freshly grated parm to make the dish taste brand new again!
Salted Water – Salt your water generously! A good heaping tablespoon will do the trick. This enhances the flavor and improves pasta texture by helping the pasta maintain its protein structure so it doesn’t become sticky. It also helps the sauce properly emulsify and cling to every bit of the pasta, so no bite lacks that mouth-watering sauce!
What to Serve With Tagliatelle Bolognese
- I recommend serving with a glass of Chianti or Sangiovese for the perfect pairing!
- Include some homemade bread on the side, like Garlic Bread, Pull Apart Bread, Baguette, or a rustic Italian loaf to soak up all of that tasty sauce!
- Add some greens on the side to help balance out the richness of the pasta. Simple side veggies like Broiled Asparagus or Roasted Green Beans would go so well with this classic pasta dish. You could also make this zesty Antipasto Salad to brighten everything up!
More Pasta Recipes You’ll Love!
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Authentic Tagliatelle Bolognese
Ingredients
- 1 pound tagliatelle pasta, spinach or regular
- ¾ ground beef, 80/20 is best
- ¾ pound ground pork
- ¾ pound ground veal, or use an extra ¾ pound pork if don't want to use veal
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk
- 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup carrots, finely chopped
- 1 cup celery, finely chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Salt, to taste
- Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, to garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, add beef, pork and veal and cook until brown, consistently stirring and breaking up meat into fine granules. No pieces of meat should be bigger than a pencil eraser!
- Add olive oil and butter. Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Sauté until just heated, about 4-5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, and add tomato paste. Stir. Add wine, and stir again. Let cook for about 20 minutes, stirring periodically, until wine evaporates.
- Add 1 cup milk. Stir, and reduce heat to low. Let cook for about 1 hour, occasionally stirring. Add additional ¼ cup of milk if the sauce seems to dry out. Let simmer for additional time for a more intensely flavored sauce (or if you have time to kill!). Add salt to taste.
- Boil tagliatelle to al dente in salted water. Reserve ¼ cup pasta water. Drain pasta.
- Add sauce until pasta is just coated in sauce. Add a dash of pasta water and stir again. Divide into shallow pasta bowls, and serve immediately with a generous handful of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Notes
- Leftover sauce keeps well in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Alternatively, you can freeze the sauce for up to 3 months, thawing in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This tastes just like the bolognese I had in Italy. It’s fantastic!
This is the biggest compliment! Thank you!
Grace