Spaghetti with pork bolognese has to be one of the all time most comforting foods. This pork bolognese recipe is just ground pork cooked with aromatics, wine and some cream in a sauce for about an hour until rich and delicious.
This pork bolognese is like making a restaurant quality meal at home, but without the hefty price.
What is the difference between a pork bolognese and a pork meat sauce?
A traditional pork bolognese is less of a meat sauce and more a thick meat ragu. Pork bolognese also has finely diced carrots, celery, garlic, meat and just a touch of tomatoes (or tomato paste) to hold it all together.
To finish it off, it is cooked with milk and wine giving it a beautiful rich background note.
A meat sauce is going to be a larger amount of tomato sauce and not necessarily with carrots and celery (although some people make their meat sauce this way.) I know that is a bit confusing 🙂
Over the years, after many Italian families arrived here in the U.S., this changed to more of a meat sauce (marinara and meat). This pork bolognese sauce recipe is inspired by the traditional pork ragu not the Italian American meat sauce.
It is just so delicious!
Now, I am not a big fan of celery so I have left it out of my recipe. I promise you this bolognese will be every bit as amazing as one you would get at a restaurant and this sauce does not need that celery!
Why this ground pork sauce is the best!
A bolognese sauce can be made with so many different types of meat and you will usually see it made with ground beef. This pork bolognese sauce recipe is one of my favorite ways to cook a bolognese sauce.
Once you try a bolognese with pork, you will know why I love it so much.
With a pork bolognese sauce, there is a more delicate and rich flavor that the pork imparts. To me it tastes more like the all day Sunday sauces so many Italian mothers and grandmothers would make.
Pork is actually the meat that I use for my Italian gravy as well.
The only difference is this recipe is it will not take all day, only about 40 minutes and it achieves the same great flavor as an all day sauce.
Now don't get me wrong, I do love beef with marinara as well. That is why I make a traditional bolognese (this bolognese uses beef and omits the cream) and a pasta with homemade Italian meatballs which is also made with beef.
It is just for this dish, pork is definitely my favorite.
The ingredients for this pork bolognese:
- Whole canned tomatoes (San Marzano preferably). If you cannot find San Marzano tomatoes then look for canned Italian Peeled Tomatoes.
- Garlic- very finely chopped.
- Carrots- this actually adds a bit of sweetness to the sauce. Italians add carrots to many sauces.
- Meat- We use ground pork in this recipe.
- Olive oil- Try to use extra virgin olive oil.
- Red pepper flakes- this adds a little body to the sauce but no heat.
- Nutmeg- this is a classic ingredient in a traditional bolognese sauce.
- Cream- The cream helps add richness to the recipe.
- Milk- Helps again with creaminess.
- Salt and pepper- This one is per the recipe and then tasting at the end to see if you want to add more.
- Red wine- Traditional bolognese sauces use white wine but since we are working with a leaner meat, ground pork, we are adding in a bit more flavor with red wine.
- Spaghetti- Try to find a good brand of pasta. Cheap pasta is never worth it.
You can even add your own touches to the ingredients like I did here with the addition of some zoodles (zucchini spiral noodles). It is a great way to add some nutrients to your pasta.
How to make
Making this pork bolognese is very easy. Here are what the steps look like:
The Best Tomatoes For this Pork Bolognese Sauce
One of the ingredients that is preferable in making this sauce is San Marzano tomatoes. You have probably already heard of these or at least seen them in the grocery store.
True San Marzano tomatoes are those that are imported from Italy. The tomatoes are grown in the San Marzano region of Italy and they do have a much better flavor than many tomatoes that are grown elsewhere.
It is my favorite tomato to use for my tomato soup as well!
Some people say this is because of the soil makeup of the San Marzano region. That region is very fertile and located near Mt. Vesuvius where the volcanic activity has helped give a different makeup to the land.
These tomatoes have a much sweeter and less bitter flavor.
You will sometimes see people add sugar to their tomatoes and sometimes that may be necessary, especially if you find that your tomatoes are not sweet and too acidic in flavor. Ideally, you want to avoid adding sugar to the sauce and make sure you invest a few extra cents in a better quality tomato!
Preparing your tomatoes for this ground pork bolognese recipe
One of the great ways to make sure you have a smoother sauce is to pour your tomatoes into a large bowl and with your clean hand, reach in to the bowl and gently squeeze each tomato until it falls apart.
Once you have done this, go ahead and reach your hand into the bowl again and take fist fulls of the tomatoes and squeeze them until the tomatoes are completely broken up and there are no large pieces left.
When that is done, you can pour your tomatoes into your pan. If you are in a rush, you can certainly add your Whole San Marzano tomatoes into the sauce and mash them down while in the pan.
Another tip that I found over the years to make a much better homemade sauce is to slice your garlic really thin; as thin as absolutely possible. Cutting your garlic paper thin does two things.
First it actually helps release the juice in the garlic. The other thing it does is it will infuse into your sauce much easier this way, opposed to just mincing it.
Now, if you are looking to pull off the entire Italian restaurant style dinner, these recipes are great to serve with your pork bolognese:
- Olive oil and parmesan bread goes so well with the bolognese and it starts with store bought bread. Even our garlic and tomato rubbed crostini would be great! So easy and always impresses!
- A great side dish would be spinach with crispy pancetta! This is a classic that is always so delicious with a bolognese or as a side for other meals.
- For a quick Italian salad, this spinach and mushroom salad will be a hit. Very simple ingredients and very fresh. This one can act as a vegetable side and a salad.
Tips and ideas for this Pork Bolognese Recipe:
Freezing your pork bolognese sauce
This bolognese sauce can be doubled to make leftovers or used as a freezer meal for a later time. If you want to freeze the sauce, just let the sauce come to room temperature and then place it in a freezer proof container or bag and place in the freezer for up to a month.
Thawing is as simple as placing it in the refrigerator the day before you need to use it and then gently reheat and add to some pasta.
Substituting the meat in this bolognese
This recipe calls for ground pork and we love it that way but we also use this recipe to make a traditional bolognese with ground beef. If you want to use ground beef for this recipe just follow all the steps the same way.
It comes out just as amazing. We recommend using a leaner ground beef for the recipe like a 90/10 mix because this recipe is all about reducing liquids. Too much grease makes it hard to reduce the liquids down.
Whatever you decide, I hope you give this bolognese pasta a try and it becomes a favorite in your house like it is in mine!
More Faqs about Pork Bolognese
Bolognese is traditionally served with fresh tagliatelle pasta. Tagliatelle is the only pasta the people from the Bolognese region serve with bolognese. They call the dish tagliatelle al ragu.
In Bologna Italy, a ragu is a bolognese sauce. They do not call their sauce bolognese. They call this sauce a ragu. We call it a bolognese sauce because it comes from the Bolognese region.
A bolognese sauce should be very thick. Thicker than a traditional American meat sauce. I like to say it is between plain ground meat and an Italian American meat sauce.
Spaghetti with Pork Bolognese
Tried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 lb dried spaghetti the best quality. I like to use DeCecco brand
- 1 28 oz can of whole San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 cup finely chopped carrots
- 1 cup good quality dry red wine optional
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup heavy cream (you can substitute whole milk if you do not have cream) if you do not have heavy cream you can substitute with ¼ cup of milk
- 5 cloves of garlic sliced as thin as possible Try for almost paper thin if you can making sure to cut the garlic slowly so you do not cut yourself.
- 4 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil best quality you can find
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter optional
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
Sauce
- In a large pan over medium heat, add your olive oil, red pepper flakes, carrots and garlic and cook for about 4-5 minutes or until the carrots begin to soften.
- Now add your ground pork and break up into small pieces and brown all the way through.
- Next add all of your wine and simmer on medium high until the wine completely evaporates and gets absorbed into the meat. About 15 minutes
- Once your wine is cooked out completely, turn the heat down to medium and add your milk and cream and nutmeg and cook until the cream mixture evaporates and is absorbed completely into the meat. About 15 minutes
- With a fork, scoop out your tomatoes from the can and place them on a cutting board. Save the juice.
- Dice the tomatoes and add them to the pan.
- Now add the remaining juice from the can into the pan and mix well.
- Next, add salt and mix well.
- Cover with a tight fitting lid and turn down heat down to low and allow to gently simmer for at least 20 minutes, 30 is even better.
- Now go ahead and add your tablespoon of butter and gently mix that into the sauce. This is optional
- Taste for seasoning and see if it needs any salt.
Pasta
- Bring a large pot of water to boil on the stove.
- When the water is boiling salt it well and add your spaghetti. Follow the instructions on the box of spaghetti for cooking just to al dente.
- Once the pasta is cooked drain the pasta and place it back into the pot.
- Add 1 ladle of the red sauce to the pasta and mix well to prevent it from sticking to itself.
Serve
- You can plate this family style by placing your pasta in a large platter style bowl and scooping out 1-2 ladles of meat sauce over top of the pasta.
- Serve this with the remaining pasta sauce and freshly grated Parmesan on the side.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
For leftovers:
If you are doubling the recipe or have enough for leftovers, make sure to store the sauce and the pasta separate. Ideally for leftovers it is best to just make enough pasta for the first night and make enough sauce for 2 nights. On the second night (leftover night) just make a new pot of pasta to go with the sauce.Nutrition
Nutrition Values are estimates only.
See full nutrition disclaimer here
Dawn S says
I have used this wonderful recipe and made this dish for the 3rd time last night. It was perfect and my guests loved it as much as the others when I made it.
The only thing I did differently was add a little more wine and milk/cream to extend the cooking time a bit as the liquid seemed to reduce a bit too quickly.
I made the parmesan bread and spinach which were also fantastic!
Thank you 🙂
Melissa says
I love hearing that 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing!
Sandi Ficker says
I made this with a few variations- I added tsp of onion powder, petite diced tomatoes and a can of tomato paste but everything as per recipe. I also used rotini pasta and mixed sauce into pasta. I served it at our local soup kitchen and everyone loved it! I will definitely make this again and again.
Melissa says
Love hearing that Sandi! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Sarah says
Absolutely delicious, my first time trying something like this and it turned out to be a crowd pleasure.
Melissa says
Hi Sarah. I am so glad to hear that 🙂
maria says
This recipe was a hit , it was delicious. I didnt have wine so I used beef broth instead, my family loved it .
Melissa says
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it 🙂
Len says
Ohhhh my, this is soooooo good. At first I thought it should have some onions and celery in it (other bolognese recipes I've seen) BUT the other recipes are a variation on this one.
Does not need celery nor onions! Perfect as is.
Melissa says
I am so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Len says
One thing I did forget to add: while doing the cooking, I did not taste till near the end (bad on me) and just added the 1T of salt without regards to the quantity specified. Having reduced our salt intake over the years, I found this wayyyyyy too salty (as did SWMBO). The flavour itself is outstanding.
Is it an error in the recipe that it calls for 1T (tablespoon) and not 1t (teaspoon) of salt??
Melissa says
Thank you, updated that to 1 tsp 🙂
Joselyn says
Omg, my first Bolognese and it came out sinfully delicious. Replaced the milk & cream with 3/4 cup coconut oil. Didn’t add any butter and used a 15oz can of tomato sauce.
Melissa says
I am so glad you enjoyed it and that your first bolognese was a success!
Sammy says
This makes a delicious pork bolognese sauce!
Meg says
This pork bolognese came out delicious!
JR says
Followed this exactly and it came out amazing
Melissa says
Love hearing that!
Christina says
This was delicious
Melissa says
I am so glad you enjoyed it Christina
Cheryl D says
Wonderful recipe!
Melissa says
Thank you Cheryl!
Dori says
Everyone thoroughly enjoyed this bolognese. It was a hit
Melissa says
I am so glad to hear that 🙂
Brita says
This was absolutely delicious. Followed the recipe to a T and it was the best sauce I have ever.
Melissa says
I am so glad to hear that Brita 🙂
Kelli says
Questions, is it pot or pan that we are suppose to use? I read the ingredients it says pot and then pan so little confuse. My food looks completely different then the picture mine looks pale and creamy looking. I used a pot to cook the pork maybe i should've used a pan to darken the meat.
Melissa says
Hi Kelli. It sounds like you ended up with a pink sauce! Tasty I am sure but not the end result you you thought it would be 🙂
This sounds like the dairy part of the recipe needed a little more time to reduce. If you make it again, just make sure to reduce the dairy part of the recipe a little longer. Depending on how much fat is in the ground pork, it can take more or less time.
I hope this helps!
Mia says
Outstanding! The best bolognese I have ever made.
Daniel says
Made this last night and it was the best!
Mike R says
I made this with the following substitutions; used homemade cranberry wine, cream cheese instead of cream, and zucchini noodles instead of spaghetti. Added romano cheese to my plate and it was FABULOUS! Thanks.
Melissa says
I love those subs- they sound delicious! I am so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Terry says
I changed this up a bit. But, would like people to know that it is still wonderful with the eliminations I made due to dietary restrictions. I eliminated the milk, cream and butter and did not use salt. Used crushed tomatoes to save time and added onion and dried basil. This was so delish. Wish I could have added all the dairy and I would have passed over this recipe, but decided to try because you never know...it really was wonderful! Sorry for all the alterations, but thank you for this recipe.
Melissa says
Hi Terry.
Thanks so much for sharing and I am so glad to hear you enjoyed it. Because of your diet, you may like my Authentic Bolognese recipe since it does not use any cream or milk. Many Italian families in Italy actually make their family bolognese sauce without all the dairy and rely on the fat from the meat to make a rich sauce 🙂
Ben says
Our new go to bolognese sauce! Really delicious
Chad says
Followed it exactly and it came out amazing. We loved it!
John Landeck says
Tastes fantastic, but the recipe could use some clarification. 4 Tbsp of oil is definitely too much, so I had to spoon some fat off after browning the pork, and the sauce is quite liquidy when the recipe is followed with the lid on. I simmered for an extra 15 minutes with the lid off to reduce. We would definitely make it again though, with these modifications!
Melissa says
Hi John. We are glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Roger Musser says
I substituted skim milk for the whole milk but added a little extra heave cream to compensate. Also, I added a large chopped onion to the carrots in an early step.
This was delicious, I'm adding it to my regular meal rotation.
Melissa says
Hi Roger. I am so glad to hear that! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Dana says
This tastes like a dish I ordered in Italy. It was really amazing. I never thought to use ground pork but it was so good.
Kevin says
Awesome recipe! Not your run-of-the-mill spaghetti with meat sauce, this one is the real deal.
Kylie says
This was so yummy! the cream and wine really made it so decadent and flavorful.
Maiken says
Wow! Just wow! This recipe is absolutely fabulous!
Followed it to a T and made with fettuccini pasta. Hubby’s words; wow, this is 100% restaurant quality.
This will be a staple in our household, yum!
Melissa says
Thank you so much! I am so glad you and your husband enjoyed it 🙂
Habanero says
Haven't finished cooking yet, but there is no way this is 40 min from start to finish. Will post again after we sample the finished product. It looks amazing!
Sarah says
Wow! This was so good. Literally, everyone cleaned their plate. Next time I will double the recipe to have leftovers
Ali says
This dish was a hit. Very easy and perfect for a weeknight dinner
Meghan says
This is such an amazing recipe! Thanks for sharing this