Bolognese Sauce
Whip up a deliciously hearty bolognese sauce that’s easy on the wallet and perfect for meal prep! Packed with rich ground beef, aromatic onions, and a splash of red wine, this versatile sauce freezes beautifully, making it a go-to for cozy weeknight dinners. Get ready to savor the taste of Italy right at home!
Prep
30
min
Cook
180
min
Serves
35
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 35🥬Fresh Produce(8)
- Dry basiloptional
- 1 lb carrots (454 g)
- 1 lb celery (454 g)
- 1 tbsp dried basil (15 ml)
- 1 tbsp dried parsley (15 ml)
- 2 red onions
- pepper
- 2.5 cups water (600 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(3)
- 1.25 lb chicken livers (567 g)
- 2 lbs ground beef (907 g)
- 2 tbsp Liquid chicken bouillon (or a stock cube) (30 ml)stock cube
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 1 tbsp heavy Cream (15 ml)optional
- 6g Parm (0.21 oz)optional
🫙Pantry Staples(5)
- 3 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
- 200g dry lentils (7.06 oz)
- 85g dry Penne (3 oz)optional
- 3 tbsp olive oil (45 ml)
- 6 oz can tomato paste (170 g)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(4)
- 1 tbsp dried oregano (15 ml)
- 1 tbsp dried thyme (15 ml)
- 1 tbsp garlic powder (15 ml)
- salt
🍯Sauces & Condiments(3)
- 2 tsp Balsamic vin (10 ml)optional
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (60 ml)
- 1 bottle white wine
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Process a bunch of veggies including carrots, celery, and red onions.
- 2
Brown the meat, including ground beef and chicken livers.
- 3
Add dry lentils to the meat mixture.
- 4
Combine all ingredients in a large pot and simmer for several hours.
- 5
Let it cool down and portion into ice cube trays.
- 6
Once frozen, transfer to plastic bags for storage in the freezer.
- 7
To serve, heat up 4 cubes and boil some penne pasta to add in.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Brown the ground beef and chicken livers in batches over high heat (450-500°F pan surface) rather than crowding the pan, since overcrowding drops the temperature below 300°F and causes the meat to steam instead of sear, preventing Maillard browning and the deep savory flavor it creates.technique450-500°F
- ✓Sweat the processed carrots, celery, and onion (soffritto) in fat over low heat for 15-20 minutes before adding the meat, as this slowly breaks down cell walls and converts starches to sugars, building a sweet aromatic base without browning the vegetables.timing15-20 minutes
- ✓Simmer the combined sauce at a bare 180-190°F simmer for a minimum of 3 hours, not a rolling boil, so collagen in the meat and any connective tissue slowly converts to gelatin, giving the sauce its signature silky, coating texture rather than a grainy one.technique180-190°F, 3+ hours
- ✓Add dry lentils directly to the simmering liquid rather than pre-cooking them, since they'll absorb roughly 2.5 times their volume in liquid over the multi-hour simmer, so account for this by adding extra stock or water upfront to prevent the sauce from drying out and scorching.ingredient2.5:1 liquid absorption ratio
- ✓Cool the sauce to below 70°F within 2 hours before portioning into ice cube trays, since bacteria multiply fastest between 40-140°F, and freezing a large mass of hot sauce directly creates a slow temperature gradient that keeps the center in the danger zone far too long.timingbelow 70°F within 2 hours
Share this recipe
Prep
30
min
Cook
180
min
Serves
35
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Bolognese Sauce
Whip up a deliciously hearty bolognese sauce that’s easy on the wallet and perfect for meal prep! Packed with rich ground beef, aromatic onions, and a splash of red wine, this versatile sauce freezes beautifully, making it a go-to for cozy weeknight dinners. Get ready to savor the taste of Italy right at home!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 35🥬Fresh Produce(8)
- Dry basiloptional
- 1 lb carrots (454 g)
- 1 lb celery (454 g)
- 1 tbsp dried basil (15 ml)
- 1 tbsp dried parsley (15 ml)
- 2 red onions
- pepper
- 2.5 cups water (600 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(3)
- 1.25 lb chicken livers (567 g)
- 2 lbs ground beef (907 g)
- 2 tbsp Liquid chicken bouillon (or a stock cube) (30 ml)stock cube
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 1 tbsp heavy Cream (15 ml)optional
- 6g Parm (0.21 oz)optional
🫙Pantry Staples(5)
- 3 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
- 200g dry lentils (7.06 oz)
- 85g dry Penne (3 oz)optional
- 3 tbsp olive oil (45 ml)
- 6 oz can tomato paste (170 g)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(4)
- 1 tbsp dried oregano (15 ml)
- 1 tbsp dried thyme (15 ml)
- 1 tbsp garlic powder (15 ml)
- salt
🍯Sauces & Condiments(3)
- 2 tsp Balsamic vin (10 ml)optional
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (60 ml)
- 1 bottle white wine
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Process a bunch of veggies including carrots, celery, and red onions.
- 2
Brown the meat, including ground beef and chicken livers.
- 3
Add dry lentils to the meat mixture.
- 4
Combine all ingredients in a large pot and simmer for several hours.
- 5
Let it cool down and portion into ice cube trays.
- 6
Once frozen, transfer to plastic bags for storage in the freezer.
- 7
To serve, heat up 4 cubes and boil some penne pasta to add in.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Brown the ground beef and chicken livers in batches over high heat (450-500°F pan surface) rather than crowding the pan, since overcrowding drops the temperature below 300°F and causes the meat to steam instead of sear, preventing Maillard browning and the deep savory flavor it creates.technique450-500°F
- ✓Sweat the processed carrots, celery, and onion (soffritto) in fat over low heat for 15-20 minutes before adding the meat, as this slowly breaks down cell walls and converts starches to sugars, building a sweet aromatic base without browning the vegetables.timing15-20 minutes
- ✓Simmer the combined sauce at a bare 180-190°F simmer for a minimum of 3 hours, not a rolling boil, so collagen in the meat and any connective tissue slowly converts to gelatin, giving the sauce its signature silky, coating texture rather than a grainy one.technique180-190°F, 3+ hours
- ✓Add dry lentils directly to the simmering liquid rather than pre-cooking them, since they'll absorb roughly 2.5 times their volume in liquid over the multi-hour simmer, so account for this by adding extra stock or water upfront to prevent the sauce from drying out and scorching.ingredient2.5:1 liquid absorption ratio
- ✓Cool the sauce to below 70°F within 2 hours before portioning into ice cube trays, since bacteria multiply fastest between 40-140°F, and freezing a large mass of hot sauce directly creates a slow temperature gradient that keeps the center in the danger zone far too long.timingbelow 70°F within 2 hours