Big-Batch Bolognese Sauce

Name: Big-Batch Bolognese Sauce
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 115 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 1 1/2 kg lean minced beef; 6 smoked bacon rashers; 500 g mushrooms, sliced; 4 onions, finely chopped; 3 carrots, finely chopped; 4 celery sticks, finely chopped; 8 cloves garlic, crushed; 6 cans chopped tomatoes; 6 tbsp tomato puree; 250 ml red wine; 4 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp dried mixed herbs; 2 bay leaves; 4 tbsp red wine vinegar; 1 tbsp sugar; 50 g Parmesan cheese, grated

This big-batch bolognese is rich, savory, and built for feeding a crowd or stocking the freezer. Slow-simmered beef, bacon, vegetables, tomatoes, and red wine create a hearty sauce that tastes even better the next day.

Servings12 Portions

Prep Time25 Mins

Cook Time90 Mins

Difficulty

Intermediate

Ingredients

lean minced beef
0.5 kg
smoked bacon rashers
6
mushrooms, sliced
500 g
onions, finely chopped
4
carrots, finely chopped
3
celery sticks, finely chopped
4
garlic, crushed
8 cloves
chopped tomatoes
6 cans
tomato puree
6 tbsp
red wine
250 ml
olive oil
4 tbsp
dried mixed herbs
2 tbsp
bay leaves
2
red wine vinegar
4 tbsp
sugar
1 tbsp
Parmesan cheese, grated
50 g

Step-by-Step Instructions

Warm the olive oil in a very large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon, onions, carrots, and celery, then cook gently for about 20 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft and lightly golden.

Stir in the garlic, dried herbs, bay leaves, and mushrooms. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the mushrooms begin to soften and the garlic smells fragrant.

Heat a large frying pan over high heat. Brown the minced beef in batches, adding only enough meat to cover the base of the pan each time. Break it up with a spoon and cook until well browned, then transfer each batch to the saucepan with the vegetables.

Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato puree to the saucepan. Pour the red wine, if using, into the empty tomato cans to rinse out any remaining tomato, then add it to the pan along with the red wine vinegar and sugar. Season generously with salt and black pepper.