This rich meaty Bolognese Sauce is prepared in an Instant Pot in just an hour!
We also have options for the slow cooker or stovetop and is quite simply delicious!
Making Bolognese in the Instant Pot is quicker than making Bolognese the traditional way, but still packed with all the rich flavor you want in this classic sauce. It’s chocked full of flavor!
This classic Italian meat sauce is great for dinner and perfect for feeding a crowd. I often make a double batch and freeze it. It’s perfect over a steaming bowl of thick pasta and out of this world in lasagna.
Jump to RecipeBolognese Sauce is also called ragù. In Italy, ragù is a term used to describe a type of meat sauce that has been cooked for many hours over low heat. This Bolognese Sauce recipe is perfect for the Instant Pot because it dramatically shortens the cooking time with the same deep rich flavor.
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Ingredients needed for Bolognese Sauce:
- Olive oil
- White Onion, Carrots, and Celery – (also known as Italian soffrito)
- Pancetta
- Ground beef and Ground Pork
- Garlic
- Tomato Paste
- Red Wine – dry variety such as Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Sangiovese
- Crushed or whole Tomatoes (peeled, seeded, and finely chopped). We prefer the San Marzano variety
- Italian Parsley (flat leaf)
- Cream or Half & Half
To Serve:
- Parmesan Cheese – shredded
- Pasta for serving – fettucine, tagliatelle, pappardelle, tortellini or gnocchi
How to make in the Instant Pot:
It takes a little time to make this sauce, but every step is really easy, and worth it for this rich meaty sauce! Just follow the step-by-step below and you cannot fail.
Traditional Bolognese Sauce is better when you build the sauce in this order:
- Make a “Soffrito” which is a mixture of carrots, celery, and onions that are uniformly chopped in a medium dice
- Sauté with soffrito with olive oil until soft and translucent. Soffrito is an important building block in Italian cooking.
One of the nice things about the Instant Pot is that you can sauté everything right in the pot, much like a dutch oven, on the stovetop. Sautéing starts to build the flavors.
- Add the diced pancetta and lightly brown. This will really deepen the flavor of the sauce.
- Add the ground pork and ground beef and season well with salt and pepper. Cook until most of the juices have evaporated and the meat is lightly browned.
- Add the tomato paste and chopped garlic and allow the flavors to blend for a few minutes.
- Pour in the red wine. Deglazing the pot with wine (scraping up any of the brown bits on the bottom of the pan) adds a lot of flavor. Don’t skip this step because those brown bits are packed with flavor! Simmer until the wine is mostly evaporated.
- Before pressurizing in the Instant Pot add the additional liquids – crushed tomatoes and water, as well as half the parsley.
Cooking Times:
- Since the meat is already cooked, the Instant Pot will just need to pressurize for 20 minutes to deepen all the flavors.
- If you are cooking in a slow cooker double the water (to 1-1/2 cups) and cook for about 6-7 hours.
- If cooking on the stovetop double the water (to 1-1/2 cups) and cook over low heat for about 3 hours.
How to cook Bolognese in a slow cooker or on the stovetop:
The recipe is the same as cooking in a pressure cooker, except for the cooking time, and the addition of more water (noted above and in the recipe card below).
- In a slow cooker begin cooking on high for 2 hours and then cook on low for an additional 5 hours or until thickened.
- On the stovetop cook on medium for about 30 minutes, and then turn to low, and simmer for another 2.5 hours or until thickened.
Finishing the Sauce:
Finishing this classic Bolognese Sauce in an Instant Pot is the same as in a slow cooker and a dutch oven. Once you have the thick consistency you want, add a small amount of cream and parsley, blend and serve. Remember this is not a creamy sauce. The added cream helps neutralize the acidity of the tomatoes and wine.
The best type of pasta to use for serving:
Bolognese Sauce is traditionally served over a wide noodle, such as Tagliatelle, Pappardelle, or Fettucine. These sturdy cuts of pasta will stand up to the weight of the sauce. It’s also terrific with tortellini and gnocchi.
Finish with a sprinkling of shredded Parmesan cheese. We prefer Parmigiano Reggiano for the most authentic flavor!
Freezing and refrigerating Bolognese Sauce:
This sauce freezes beautifully. Allow the sauce to cool completely before preparing to freeze.
I like to freeze it in a variety of glass jars (based on the amount you know you’ll want to reheat later). It’s easy to thaw out a glass jar by simply placing it in a bowl of warm water, or leaving it in the refrigerator overnight.
You can also store prepared Bolognese in the refrigerator safely for about 3 days.
Looking for an Instant Pot?
If you are still looking for an Instant Pot we recommend the Instant Pot DUO Plus 6 quart. It’s the ideal size for this recipe and is easy to use.
Suggested Wine Pairings:
The history of Bolognese sauce dates back to late 18th century Italy. When thinking of wine pairings for this classic dish look no further than Italy itself. Sangiovese is one of the great indigenous grapes from Italy which makes this medium-bodied wine a perfect pairing for our classic Bolognese Sauce.
Your weekday wines:
- Gabbiano Chianti Classico Riserva, Italy
- Tenuta La Badiola 642 II Canapone Red Wine, Italy
Your weekend wines:
- Castello Banfi Sangiovese Rosso di Montalcino, Italy
- Antinori Guado al tasso II Bruciatto, Bolgheri
A special occasion wine:
- Castello Banfi Sangiovese Brunello Di Montalcino, Italy
- Bibi Graetz Testamatta Sangiovese, Italy
Other dinner ideas:
- Perfect Pan-Seared Scallops
- Slow Cooker Irish Pot Roast
- Classic Beef Stew
- Garlic Mushrooms over Pasta
- Cornish Game Hens with Roasted Root Vegetables
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Bolognese Sauce Recipe (Instant Pot or Stovetop)
Equipment
- 6 Quart Instant Pot, Large Slow Cooker, or Large Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1½ cups onion, diced
- ½ cup carrots, dice
- ¾ cup celery, diced
- 4 oz pancetta, diced
- 1 lb ground beef chuck
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste
- ½ cup dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir or Merlot
- 28 oz tomatoes, crushed
- ¾ cup water*, see notes below for slow cooker and stovetop
- ½ cup Flat-leaf parsley, divided
- ¼ cup heavy cream or half & half
For Serving:
- 1 lb wide noodle cooked pasta, tagliatelle, pappardelle, fettucine
- ½ cup Parmesan, freshly grated, optional
Instructions
- Heat Instant Pot to highest Saute setting. Add olive oil and heat until shimmering.
- Add onions, carrots, and celery and cook until softened and golden, about 8 minutes.
- Add pancetta and saute 1 minute. Add ground chuck, ground pork, salt, and pepper and continue to saute until meat is brown and most of the juices have evaporated. If you have excess fat, carefully remove insert, drain and return to Instant Pot.
- Add garlic and tomato paste and mix well, cooking about 2 minutes. Add red wine and simmer for about 3-4 minutes, or until the wine has evaporated.
- Add water (see note below for additional water need for slow cooker and stovetop), crushed tomatoes (including their juices), and ¼ cup parsley. Mix well and bring to a low boil. Place lid on Instant Pot, seal and set to high pressure for 22 minutes.
- Quick release the pressure – be careful as very hot steam will quickly escape. Once the float drops on the release, about 12-13 minutes, carefully remove the lid.
- Change Instant Pot setting to the low saute setting and bring to a low bubble. Continue to cook about 10 minutes, stirring to make sure all is well combined, and cook to the consistency you desire. In a slow cooker begin to cook on high for 2 hours and then cook on low for 4-5 hours.If cooking on the stovetop, cook on medium for 30-minutes, then reduce to low and simmer for another 2½ hours.
- Stir in remaining parsley and heavy cream. Check seasonings and add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Prepare a wide noodle pasta, serve with Bolognese Sauce, and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan.
Notes
- In a slow cooker or stovetop increase water to 1.5 cups
- Serve with a wide flat pasta, tortellini or gnocchi
- Freeze for up to 6-months
- Refrigerate for 3-4 days
- Nutrition facts do not include pasta and cheese
kim
Love this recipe! It was super easy and so flavorful. I will definitely be making again!
Angela Allison
Yes! I love this recipe! Anything Italian and in the instant pot is my type of meal. The flavors are spot on too!
Michelle
Such a great idea to make this in the instant pot, and I love the wine pairings you’ve added for this recipe. Perfect!
Paula Montenegro
I love bolognese but never make it with pancetta and pork. I can only imagine the flavor it has! Definitely making it this week. Thanks for sharing!
Jeannette Ta
I love how easy this recipe is! You can’t go wrong with adding all those amazing flavours into the Instant Pot. Thanks for sharing!
Kathy Absher
This looks sooooo delish, can’t wait to try it!
Jayne
Thank you Kathy! enjoy