Bolognese Sauce Recipe - Instant Pot and Stove Top

5 from 5 votes

Bolognese Sauce Recipe - Instant Pot and Stove Top

Craving a rich, hearty Bolognese but short on time? This Instant Pot version delivers all the slow-cooked flavor in a fraction of the time. Perfect for busy weeknights—plus, stovetop directions are included!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Pressure building15

Total Time40

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Instant pot, Meat Sauce, spaghetti

Servings: servings

Calories: 225kcal

Author: Sally Humeniuk

Equipment

1 Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

4 ounces pancetta
1 tbsp butter
1 large white onion
2 stalks celery
2 carrots
2 lb lean ground beef
¼ cup dry red wine, or grape juice
2- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
3 bay leaves
½ tsp kosher salt, plus more to season meat
½ tsp fresh black pepper, plus more to season meat
¼ cup grated Parmesan
½ cup half & half, or cream
½ cup shredded Parmesan
¼ cup fresh basil

Instructions

Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker Instructions

Chop 4 ounces pancetta into minced pieces as best you can. Set aside. Mince onion, celery stalks, and carrots. You should have about ¾ cup each of the celery and carrots after mincing but doesn't have to be exact.
4 ounces pancetta, 1 large white onion, 2 stalks celery, 2 carrots
Press saute function on the pressure cooker and adjust to low heat. Add the pancetta and cook until the fat is rendered, about 3-4 minutes.
Add butter and the minced onion, celery and carrots. Cook until the onions are translucent, about 5-6 minutes.
1 large white onion, 2 stalks celery, 1 tbsp butter, 2 carrots
Add 2 pounds ground beef and season with some salt and pepper to taste. Saute until barely browned, about 4 minutes. While cooking the meat, break it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
2 lb lean ground beef
Add ¼ cup wine or grape juice and cook until it reduces down, about 3-4 minutes.
¼ cup dry red wine,
Add 2-28 ounces crushed tomatoes, 3 bay leaves, ½ teaspoon salt and fresh black pepper. Cover, and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.
2- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes, 3 bay leaves, ½ tsp kosher salt,, ½ tsp fresh black pepper,
When time is up, let pressure release naturally for about 10 minutes, then switch to Vent and finish releasing pressure. Remove lid, take out bay leaves, stir in ¼ cup grated Parmesan (this helps thicken the sauce), ½ cup half & half. If at this point you feel the sauce still isn't as thick as you'd like, you can turn on the Saute function again at low heat and cook the Bolognese down a bit more before serving, about 5-10 minutes.
¼ cup grated Parmesan, ½ cup half & half,
Serve over your favorite pasta, garnished with ½ cup shaved or shredded Parmesan and¼ cup fresh basil leaves.
½ cup shredded Parmesan, ¼ cup fresh basil

Stove top instructions

Chop 4 ounces pancetta into minced pieces as best you can. Set aside. Mince onion, celery stalks, and carrots. You should have about ¾ cup each of the celery and carrots after mincing but doesn't have to be exact.
Heat a large pot or dutch oven to medium heat, add the pancetta, butter, onion, celery, and carrots. Heat until onion is translucent, 3-4 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking to the pot.
4 ounces pancetta, 1 tbsp butter, 1 large white onion, 2 stalks celery, 2 carrots
Add 2 the ground beef and season with some salt and pepper to taste. Saute until barely browned, about 4 minutes. While cooking the meat, break it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add ¼ cup wine or grape juice and cook until it reduces down, about 3-4 minutes.
2 lb lean ground beef, ¼ cup dry red wine,
Add 2-28 ounces crushed tomatoes, 3 bay leaves, ½ teaspoon salt and fresh black pepper. Raise heat and bring mixture to a boil. Cover the pot and turn the heat down to a simmer. Let cook 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Start warming the water to cook your pasta around this time.
2- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes, 3 bay leaves, ½ tsp kosher salt,, ½ tsp fresh black pepper,
When the sauce has about 10 minutes left, turn the heat up for the pasta water, bringing to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Before draining the pasta water, reserve 1 cup to use to thin the bolognese, if necessary.
Remove lid from the bolognese and add Parmesan and half and half or cream to the mixture. Stir and keep warm until the pasta is ready. Thin with pasta water if desired.
¼ cup grated Parmesan, ½ cup half & half,
Serve Bolognese Sauce over the pasta and sprinkle extra Parmesan along with fresh basil.
½ cup shredded Parmesan, ¼ cup fresh basil

Notes

Whenever I serve pasta and sauce, I like to pour the drained pasta back into the pot that it boiled in and add about a cup of sauce into the pasta, stirring it together. This gives the pasta even more flavor.
If you prefer, you could use one pound ground beef, one pound ground pork, and then use less of the pancetta. Center cut bacon may be used in place of the pancetta.
Half and half may be substituted with whole milk or heavy cream, depending on your preference.
I find this sauce tastes even better the next day and frequently make it a day ahead of serving.
Bolognese is customarily served with tagliatelle but use whatever you like. That being said, since Bolognese is a hearty textured sauce, it pairs best with "bigger" pasta, like papardelle, bucatini, rigatoni or penne.
If you're not cooking in the pressure cooker and want the sauce to simmer for hours, cook in an oven-safe dutch oven at 285F degrees for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Nutrition