This Pork Bolognese, or ground pork pasta sauce recipe, is packed with flavor and is a great alternative to traditional beef-based spaghetti sauces. The combination of ground pork, finely chopped vegetables, and a delicious blend of herbs and spices creates a mouthwatering sauce that will elevate any pasta dish.
Plus, it's versatile enough to use in many other recipes, like lasagna, pizza, or even as a topping for baked potatoes.
Spaghetti bolognese is my ultimate comfort food. I know for some people it's mac and cheese, mashed potatoes or chicken soup but for me it's always been a big bowl of spaghetti with meat sauce sprinkled with a generous amount of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Add a glass of red wine and a good movie for the ultimate night in!
Do you love the idea of lightened up comfort food? Make sure to also check out this Corned Beef and Cabbage, Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Cauliflower Rice Casserole, Creamy Cajun Salmon Pasta and my creamy Polish Mushroom Soup with egg noodles.
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Why use pork?
While traditional Italian recipe for bolognese is typically made with ground beef or a combination of beef, pork, and veal, I personally prefer to use pork in my meat sauce. Over the years, I've perfected this dish for my family who loves both spaghetti and pork.
To make the recipe more accessible and kid-friendly, I opted to skip the pancetta and wine and instead finely chop celery, carrots, and onion with a food processor and cook them with ground pork.
This results in the vegetables melting into the sauce and adding a delightful flavor. Additionally, it's an easy way to sneak in some hidden vegetables for the kids. Although adding milk at the end is optional, it creates a velvety, slightly sweet sauce that is so delicious you'll want to make it again and again.
Ingredient notes
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Ground pork: Choose high-quality ground pork with a good fat content to ensure a juicy and flavorful sauce.
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Celery and carrot: the veggies add flavor and texture to the sauve
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Onion: use a small onion or half a large one. Both yellow and white onion will work
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Garlic cloves: use 2-3 cloves of garlic for added flavor. Mince or finely chop the cloves before using.
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Olive oil: Use a high-quality extra virgin olive oil to add flavor to the sauce.
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Crushed tomatoes: I like crushed tomatoes or tomato passata for this recipe. Sometimes I puree whole canned san marzano tomatoes in my Vitamix and that works well, too.
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Bay leaf: this herb adds depth of flavor and fragrance to the sauce. Be sure to remove it before serving.
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Tomato paste: this concentrated tomato flavor adds richness and thickness to the sauce. I like tomato paste in a tube because it's easy to store and you can use as much or as little as you want.
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Worcestershire sauce: this adds a tangy and savory flavor to the sauce. Look for a gluten-free version if needed.
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Dried oregano: This herb adds a subtle earthy flavor to the sauce.
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Whole milk or oat milk: use whole milk for a richer sauce or oat milk for a dairy-free alternative.
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Salt and pepper: for seasoning.
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Parmesan cheese: grated cheese is great on top of this sauce.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and substitutions.
How to make pork bolognese sauce
- To start, finely chop your celery, carrot, and onion in a food processor or mini chopper.
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or a heavy pot. Add the ground pork and chopped vegetables and cook on medium heat until the pork is no longer pink. Break the meat with a wooden spoon as you go.
- Add tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and minced garlic and cook for a few minutes longer.
- Turn the heat to low and add crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, and dried oregano.
- Simmer for 45-60 minutes partially covered. Stir the sauce occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pan. After an hour or so, check the sauce for thickness and flavor. If it's still thin and acidic from the tomatoes, I recommend cooking it a little longer.
- Once the sauce reaches the desired consistency, discard bay leaf, pour in the milk and ddd salt and pepper, if needed.
- Serve over pasta with grated Parmesan and chopped parsley.
Note: canned tomatoes usually have quite a lot of salt in them (unless you have the no salt added kind). Because of this, I don't recommend adding salt to the sauce until the end. If you add it at the beginning, you may end up with sauce that's too salty.
Serving suggestions
This bolognese sauce is perfect for pasta, but it can also be used as a topping for baked potatoes, or as a filling for lasagna or baked ziti. You can also add cooked vegetables, like zucchini, mushrooms, or bell peppers, for a hearty and flavorful vegetarian option.
My favorite way to serve it is over spaghetti cooked al dente, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Spaghetti isn't the only pasta that works with bolognese. Any long pasta, such as linguine, parpadelle or fettucine works beautifully, but shorter pasta, like penne rigate or rigatoni is perfect with meat sauce, too!
For a well rounded meal, serve it with a large bowl of salad, such as this Greek Chickpea Salad or La Scala Chopped Salad. Some fresh crusty bread or warm garlic bread on the side is a family favorite, too!
Storage, Freezing, and Meal Prep Tips
You can store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. Alternatively, you can freeze the sauce in an airtight container for up to three months. If you want to meal prep, make a big batch of sauce and freeze it in individual portions for quick and easy weeknight meals.
Are you a pasta lover? Try my one-pot Ricotta Mac and Cheese, this Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese or this 20-minute Shrimp & Spinach Linguine.
Recipe FAQs
Bolognese, also known as ragù alla bolognese, is a meat-based sauce that originated in Bologna, Italy. It is typically made with ground beef, pancetta or bacon, onions, celery, carrots, tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, and wine. The sauce is usually simmered for several hours to develop its flavor and to allow the meat to become tender.
If your sauce has too much liquid in it after 60 minutes, simmer the sauce for a longer period of time: the longer you simmer the sauce, the more liquid will evaporate, and the thicker the sauce will become. Just be sure to stir the sauce occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. If you don't have time to keep simmering, remove excess liquid with a small ladle and discard.
If you cook the sauce long enough and add milk at the end, the sauce should not taste acidic. If it still is though, add a pinch of sugar.
The milk adds a creamy and slightly sweet flavor to the sauce. However, you can skip it if you prefer a dairy-free option.
Yes, you can add any vegetables you like to the sauce. Sliced mushrooms, zucchini and bell peppers are great additions.
Yes! For pressure cooker (I use an Instant Pot), turn the cooker to "sauté" and follow steps 1-4 above. Then turn to high pressure and cook for 20 minutes.
Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then use the quick release to release any remaining pressure. Turn the pressure cooker back to sauté and cook the sauce a little longer to evaporate any excess liquid. Then stir in the milk.
To make the sauce in a crock pot, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, pork, and garlic, and sauté until the vegetables are softened. Cook until browned, breaking up any large chunks. Transfer the meat mixture to the slow cooker. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and spices, and stir to combine. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Uncover and stir in milk. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.
Recipe
Pork Bolognese (Ground Pork Pasta Sauce)
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 celery stick
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 onion small
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes or tomato passata
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ cup whole milk or oat milk for dairy free
- salt and pepper to taste
- grated parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Place carrot, onion and celery in the bowl of a food processor or a mini chopper. Pulse several times until finely chopped but not completely pureed.
- Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a large Dutch oven or a saucepan with a thick bottom.
- Add ground pork and finely chopped vegetables and cook on medium heat stirring often for 7-10 minutes or until the pork is no longer pink. Break the meat with a spoon as you go.
- Add tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and crushed or minced garlic. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes longer.
- Turn the heat to low, add crushed tomatoes, bay leaf and dried oregano. Stir together, cover partially and simmer on low for 45-60 minutes. Stir the sauce a few times during the simmering process, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot every time.
- Pour in the milk, stir and simmer for another minute, just to heat through.
- Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste. If the sauce seems too acidic, add a teaspoon or two of sugar.
Notes
Nutrition
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Meet the Author
Hi, I'm Agnieszka. I'm a mom of three and recipe developer, writer and photographer behind Wholly Tasteful. I love creating comforting, delicious, family-friendly recipes that you can feel good about.
Bogusia says
Ny favorite spaghetti👍