Bolognese sauce is a hearty, classic Italian recipe. The delicious meat sauce is warm and comforting. It’s freezer-friendly and perfect for serving a crowd.
Suitable for gluten free diets. Post includes Weight Watchers points.
There are few meals that can make you feel as satisfied as a bowl of pasta with bolognese sauce. Sprinkle it with some cheese and serve it with a salad or veggie and some crusty bread for a dinner your whole family will enjoy.
Traditionally, bolognese sauce is slow-simmered for hours. It makes for a lovely, flavorful sauce but most of us don’t have the time (or the interest) to babysit a pot on the stove all day long. This Instant Pot Bolognese is ready in under an hour and still has that delectable slow-cooked flavor. It’s the perfect recipe for busy families.
Instant Pot bolognese sauce is also super versatile. It can be served over garlic butter pasta or zoodles and can be layered in baked pasta dishes like lasagna. Pour it over a bowl of dump and start Instant Pot Garlic Butter Potatoes or bake it into a shepherd’s pie.
Trust me, folks, this easy bolognese sauce is a meal you will return to over and over again.
Why Make This Recipe
- Fast and Flavorful – Get that slow cooked taste “like grandma made” in under an hour.
- Comforting – When it comes to comfort food, nothing beats a warm bowl of meaty pasta.
- Freezer-Friendly – This sauce freezes well and can be used in a variety of recipes.
Ingredient Notes
- Olive Oil – Or use any light oil.
- Onion – White or sweet onion is preferred, but red onion will work.
- Carrots – Peel and chop them in even slices or dice.
- Ground Beef – You can substitute ground turkey or lean ground beef.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic will give you the most flavor, but you can use jarred garlic or granulated garlic (1 teaspoon) in a pinch.
- Tomato Paste – Look for tomato paste in a tube, so you don’t have to open a whole can.
- Italian Seasoning – Commonly used spices include oregano, basil, thyme and rosemary.
- Bay Leaves – Bay leaves last a long time, so keep a jar in your pantry. Leave them whole so they are easy to remove after cooking.
- Balsamic Vinegar – Many people prefer Worcestershire in bolognese so it makes a good substitute, but will not be as sweet as balsamic.
- Chicken Stock – You can substitute bouillon and water.
- Diced Tomatoes – Try fire-roasted tomatoes for a slightly smoky flavor.
- Salt and Pepper – Add to taste.
How To Make Instant Pot Bolognese
Get full ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.
- Sauté the onions and carrots in the Instant Pot until they begin to soften.
- Add the ground beef and cook until brown.
- Stir in garlic, tomato paste, Italian Seasoning, bay leaves, balsamic vinegar.
- Then pour in the chicken stock and deglaze the pan using a wooden spoon.
- Add in the tomatoes but do not mix in.
- Cover the Instant Pot and set to manual pressure / high pressure for 20 minutes. When done, perform a quick pressure release (QPR), remove the bay leaf, and serve.
Tips For Success
- Be sure to deglaze the pan with a wooden spoon after adding the chicken stock. This removes cooked bits from the bottom of the pan.
- To avoid getting a burn notice, do not stir in the tomatoes.
- Don’t forget to remove the bay leaf before serving.
Variations
- Swap the Meat – Traditional bolognese is made with ground beef. Try using ground turkey for a leaner sauce or ground Italian sausage for a different flavor to the sauce.
- Add A Little Dairy – When the sauce is finished, stir in ¼ cup of heavy cream just before serving.
- Add Bacon – Saute a bit of bacon before browning the beef and it will add an exciting depth of flavor to the recipe.
Budget-Friendly Tips
- Stock Up On Beef – Purchase beef in bulk or on sale and store it in the freezer for later use.
- Make Homemade Stock – If you have space in your freezer, it is easy to make homemade chicken stock by boiling a chicken carcass with water and veggies. It should be strained and stored in the freezer.
- Buy Tomato Paste in Tube – Most recipes only call for a small amount of tomato paste. Purchase it in a tube and store it in your fridge so you can just squeeze out what you need.
- Make A Double Batch – This Instant Pot Spaghetti sauce freezes well, so make a double batch and freeze it for an easy meal later on.
Make Ahead And Storage
Prep Ahead – Peel and dice the veggies and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. The sauce can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for about 5 days.
Store – Pour leftover Instant Pot spaghetti sauce into an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. Stir and heat for an additional minute or two if needed.
Freeze – Bolognese sauce freezes very well. Just follow these steps:
- Pour cooled sauce into freezer-safe bags and remove all the excess air.
- Label the bags, lay them flat, and place them in the freezer.
- This sauce can be frozen for 3 – 6 months.
FAQs
Bolognese is a thick sauce so it needs a pasta that can stand up to its weight. Tagliatelle is a popular choice along with thick spaghetti, bucatini, penne and gnocchi. You can also serve bolognese sauce over zoodles (zucchini noodles) or spaghetti squash.
You can call bolognese meat sauce but it might be frowned upon. Bolognese sauce originated in Bologna, Italy and is typically thick and meaty with a higher meat to tomato ratio. While a meat sauce may have similar ingredients, it typically contains more sauce than meat.
More Recipes You May Like
More Ground Beef Recipes
- Instant Pot Taco Pasta.
- Instant Pot Hamburger Helper.
- Wendys Copycat Chili Recipe.
- Meatball Pita Pockets.
- Eyeball Halloween Spaghetti.
Weight Watchers Points
There are 10 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.
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Get The Instant Pot Bolognese Sauce Recipe:
Instant Pot Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion peeled and diced
- 2 carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 pounds (900g) ground beef
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 ½ cups (350ml) chicken stock
- 28 ounces (800g) diced tomatoes
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- See the Instant Pot to sauté and add in the oil. When hot, add in the onions and carrot and cook for about 4 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
- Then mix in the ground beef, making sure to break up any lumps, and cooked until browned.
- Mix in the garlic, tomato paste, Italian Seasoning, bay leaves, balsamic vinegar, followed by the chicken stock, at which point you will want to deglaze the pot using a wooden spoon.
- Add in the diced tomatoes but DO NOT MIX in (leave on top).
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, turn the valve to sealing, and set to pressure cook (or manual) for 20 minutes at high pressure.
- When done, quickly release the pressure, discard bay leaves, adjust seasonings, and serve.
Notes
- Be sure to deglaze the pan with a wooden spoon after adding the chicken stock. This removes cooked bits from the bottom of the pan.
- To avoid getting a burn notice, do not stir in the tomatoes.
- Don’t forget to remove the bay leaves before serving.
- Instructions do not account for the time it takes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure.
- Storage: keep in airtight container inside the fridge for 5 days, or freeze for 3-6 months.
- There are 10 WW Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.
Nikki Krakauer “JustTabandMe”
Bolognese Sauce is a MEAT sauce. Around 3 Tablespoons of tomato paste is added for COLOR only! NO more tomatoes! If you add tomatoes, you are simply making spaghetti meat sauce with mirapoix, aka America’s bastardized idea of bolognese sauce!!! Check with Bon Appetite for authentic Italian recipe.