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    Home » Recipes » Pasta

    Italian Sausage Bolognese

    Published: Dec 21, 2012 · Modified: Nov 19, 2022 by Jessie · This post may contain affiliate links; if you buy something we'll earn a commission at no cost to you.

    Jump to Recipe

    Mix up a classic bolognese recipe by adding spicy Italian Sausage in place of beef! A hearty red wine sauce with a vegetable base pairs perfectly with a pile of al dente spaghetti.

    Spaghetti in a shallow white bowl, topped with dark red bolognese sauce and parmesan cheese. this recipe

    Bolognese is SO. COOL.

    It's just a sweet, flavor-packed spaghetti sauce - but the base of the sauce is made from hearty root vegetables. And WINE.

    Wooden spoon stirring sausage bolognese in a large skillet.

    Could this BE any awesome-er? (I may have been compulsively watching Friends all week. Whatever. It's only the best show in the history of forever).

    Silver fork twirling spaghetti strands with dark red bolognese sauce in a white bowl.

    Answer: No. It could not be any awesome-er.

    Two white bowls filled with cooked spaghetti and topped with bolognese sauce.

    Traditional bolognese is made with beef, but I swapped that out for italian sausage to add a bit of a kick to the sauce. I also set aside a few hours one afternoon to really let the sauce and its flavors develop - you can rush this process a little bit, but this definitely isn't a five-minute pasta sauce. It takes some lovin' and some time. PERFECT for cloudy afternoons spent dreading impending snowstorms and watching a whole season of Friends.

    Close up of a bowl of spaghetti noodles topped with dark bolognese sauce and shredded parmesan.

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    📖 Recipe

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    Italian sausage bolognese in a white bowl.

    Italian Sausage Bolognese

    ★★★★★ 5 from 1 review
    • Author: Jessie
    • Prep Time: 15 min
    • Cook Time: 3 hours
    • Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
    • Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
    • Category: Pasta
    • Cuisine: Italian-American
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    Description

    An easy Italian Sausage Bolognese perfect for chilly evenings.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 2 large carrots
    • 2 celery stalks
    • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
    • ½ of a large yellow onion
    • 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • 1 lb. Italian sausage
    • 2 cups hearty red wine (Cabernet Sauvignons, Merlots, or Syrahs work well)
    • ½ cup tomato paste
    • 2-4 cups water (you may not need it all)
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1 lb. pasta (I used spaghetti)
    • ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese, for garnishing (optional)

    Instructions

    1. In a food processor, puree carrots, celery, garlic, and onion until they form a thick paste.
    2. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add vegetable puree, salt and pepper. Saute until veggies are cooked and browned, about 10 minutes. You’ll deglaze the pan later, so don’t be afraid if the veggies stick a bit.
    3. Add Italian sausage to the pan. Break it apart with a spoon or spatula as you cook it and saute until meat is browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes.
    4. Add tomato paste to the pan. Stir to incorporate the paste with the other ingredients and cook 1 minute.
    5. Add ½ cup of the red wine and stir to break up any clumps of meat and veggies. Add the remaining red wine and bay leaves and bring to a simmer.
    6. Cook until red wine has reduced by half, about 10-15 minutes.
    7. Add 1 cup of the water. Bring back to a low simmer and cook until water has reduced by half, about 15-20 minutes. Repeat, adding 1 cup of water and reducing, until you are ready to eat. This is where the flavor really builds – keep adding water and reducing as needed! This is also the right time to add additional seasoning. When you’re ready to eat, reduce the sauce one final time until it reaches your desired consistency.
    8. Cook pasta according to package or recipe directions until 1 minute less than al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.
    9. Add reserved pasta water to sauce and mix to incorporate. Top pasta with bolognese sauce and shredded parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

    Notes

    To prevent pasta from sticking, toss cooked pasta with a scoop or two of bolognese sauce before plating, and then top with sauce and serve.

    Top pasta with fresh basil if you like.

    Use beef in place of Italian sausage if you like.

    Adapted from Anne Burrell

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size:
    • Calories: 498
    • Sugar: 5.5 g
    • Sodium: 451.9 mg
    • Fat: 15.2 g
    • Carbohydrates: 68 g
    • Protein: 20.5 g
    • Cholesterol: 24.4 mg

    Keywords: pasta, comfort food, tomato sauce

    Tag @lifeasastrawberry on Instagram to show us what you're cooking! Nutrition information is calculated per serving; it is approximate and will vary based on many factors.

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    1. Jill Bero

      April 08, 2022 at 8:55 am

      This was excellent! It was very easy, and tastes like it had been simmering all day. I made it for a weekly dinner night with friends, and everyone raved about it! I followed the recipe exactly, except for one substitution, I had an open container of beef stock in my fridge that I needed to use up, so I eased up on adding salt, and used that in place of the cups of water. It tasted so rich and wonderful! This recipe is a keeper!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Team Life As A Strawberry

        April 08, 2022 at 11:36 am

        We're SO happy to hear this recipe was a hit!

        Reply
    2. Natasha @ Salt and Lavender

      February 03, 2016 at 11:02 am

      I LOVE bolognese sauce. Great recipe!

      Reply
      • Jessie

        February 03, 2016 at 1:40 pm

        Thank you so much, Natasha!

        Reply
    3. Gay White

      December 21, 2012 at 2:29 pm

      yum-o!

      Reply

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