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Bolognese Sauce with Beef ravioli

Bolognese Sauce with Beef Ravioli

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Large sauté pan or Dutch oven Essential for building that rich, slow-cooked bolognese base.
  • Medium pot For boiling the ravioli.
  • Wooden spoon Helps stir the sauce without damaging the pot surface.
  • Fine grater Great for fresh Parmesan on top.

Ingredients
  

For the bolognese sauce

  • 1 lb ground beef 80/20 works great for flavor
  • 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 medium carrot peeled and finely diced
  • 1 celery stalk finely diced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 can 28 oz crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine or beef broth as a substitute
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional for a little heat
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

For the ravioli

  • 1 lb beef ravioli store-bought or homemade ravioli
  • Salt for pasta water

Toppings (optional but highly recommended)

  • Fresh basil or parsley chopped
  • Grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions
 

Sauté your aromatics

  1. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 5–7 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes to deepen the flavor.
    chopped onions, diced carrots, and celery are being sautéed

Brown the beef

  1. Add ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Break it up with a spoon as it cooks. Cook until browned and no longer pink, about 8 minutes.

Deglaze and simmer

  1. Pour in the red wine (or beef broth), scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom. Let it reduce by half, about 5 minutes. Then add crushed tomatoes, milk, oregano, and red pepper flakes.
    red wine is being poured in from a glass measuring cup

Simmer slow and low

  1. Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. This lets the flavors meld into a rich, velvety sauce for ravioli easy enough for weeknights but rich enough for guests.

Cook the ravioli

  1. In a pot of salted boiling water, cook the beef ravioli according to package directions (usually about 4–5 minutes). Drain and set aside.

Assemble

  1. Spoon bolognese sauce over the ravioli and gently toss or layer in bowls. Top with fresh herbs and grated Parmesan.