Bolognase Sauce is SO easy to make. With a little time and a few great ingredients, you will have the tastiest Sunday Gravy you’ve ever had!

As a girl who has 100% Dutch heritage, I feel a little weird writing about and sharing a spaghetti sauce recipe.  I can hear it now, “what does she know?”  Well, depends on the day, but in this case a lot!  I got this recipe from a friend at my old work.  His parents were born and raised in Italy.  So, yes yes I am qualified!

 

Part two is that I feel funny writing this down cause it’s SO EASY!!!!  Seriously.  EASY!  Anyone can make this.  So let’s get down to business ok?

First – how I roll.  I make a HUGE pot of this sauce – I normally double this recipe.  It’s not time consuming like you are in the kitchen for 6 hours, but you do have to let this sauce cook for a while.  So you aren’t a slave to the stove, but you have to be there to stir.  So why would I want to do that a lot?  I don’t.  So when I go I go big.  This is the perfect freezer food.  It thaws great and all you have to do is boil noodles, heat sauce for 10 minutes and bam – there is your dinner.

Second – you can’t get the measurements wrong, because for the most part there are none (although you do have to follow the can ratio’s).  But seriously, when you’re making a big old pot of gravy you do not need to measure how much Italian seasoning you put in.  Really.  Make it however flavorful you and your family like!

Third – play around with this.  If you don’t like ground meat in your sauce, don’t use it.  Consider putting some big slice of beef in and letting it simmer and taking it out before serving (We have used a cheap shank and removed it before eating – the beef flavor gets in but you aren’t eating the tough meat).  Many people will use a meat loaf mix (Pork, Hamburg, and Veal).  I love love love that flavor combo but I do my sauce cheap so plain old hamburg it is!  This isn’t rocket science.  It’s delicious sauce.

What are the ingredients to Bolognase Sauce? 

• 3 cans of Tomato Sauce
• 2 cans of Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 can of Tomato Paste
• 1-2 Onions, Chopped and sauteed
• 2-3 Shallots, Chopped and sauteed
• 3-5 Cloves of Garlic, Minced and slightly toasted
• Olive Oil, enough for cooking onions, garlic and shallots
• 2-3 pounds of ground meat (Beef, Pork, Veal or a combo of all)
• 2-3 tsp Italian spice
• 2-3 tsp Garlic Powder
• 2-3 tsp Onion Powder
• 2-3 tsp Basil (I love basil so I use extra even though there is some in the Italian spice)
• 1-2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/4-1/2 C Sugar

 

What are the steps for making Sunday Gravy? – aka Bolognase Sauce?

• While Browning your meat – add at least 1 tsp of all of the spices to the meat (except sugar)
• Put all the cans of tomatoes into a large large pot (I multitask and do this while the meat is browning). Dump some more seasonings in there and sugar to taste (add slowly – you can always add more spices and sugar later)
• Turn the stove on very low under the pot. Tomatoes will easily burn and you want this to be a low and slow kind of cooking.
• When your meat is browned drain the grease. Add the meat into the tomatoes.
• Chop of some onions and sweat them with a healthy dose of Olive Oil. How fine you chop determines a smoother or chunkier style sauce. When the onions are well on their way all your shallots (shallots add so much flavor don’t be shy!). And when the onions and the shallots are almost done add in some garlic for just a couple of minutes. Then add it to the tomatoes and meat.
• Cook on low for another 2 hours at least – adding spices/sugar if needed. Stir it at least every 15-30 minutes.
• Any leftovers can be frozen

I consider this a comfort food dinner – to me – most pasta is! Do you need some more ideas for yummy pasta Comfort Food??? I have you covered here!!!

• Beefy Stuffed Shells
• Ravioli Lasagna
• Taco Spaghetti

Now some of you are reading because you LOVE freezer meals – ME TOO!!!! So here’s a few more AWESOME Freezer Meal Ideas!

• Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Chili
• Shortcut Vegetable Ragu
• Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken Parmesan

Bolognase Sauce - "Sunday Gravy"

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Ingredients

• 3 cans of Tomato Sauce
• 2 cans of Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 can of Tomato Paste
• 1-2 Onions, Chopped and sauteed
• 2-3 Shallots, Chopped and sauteed
• 3-5 Cloves of Garlic, Minced and slightly toasted
• Olive Oil
• 2-3 pounds of ground meat (Beef, Pork, Veal or a combo of all)
• 2-3 tsp Italian spice
• 2-3 tsp Garlic Powder
• 2-3 tsp Onion Powder
• 2-3 tsp Basil (I love basil so I use extra even though there is some in the Italian spice)
• 1-2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/4-1/2 C Sugar

Instructions

1. While Browning your meat - I add at least 1 tsp of all of the spices (except sugar)
2. Put all the cans of tomatoes into a large large pot (I multitask and do this while the meat is browning). Dump some more seasonings in there and sugar to taste (add slowly - you can always add more spices and sugar later)
3. Turn the stove on very low under the pot. Tomatoes will easily burn and you want this to be a low and slow kind of cooking.
4. When your meat is browned drain the grease. Add the meat into the tomatoes.
5. Chop of some onions and sweat them with a healthy dose of Olive Oil. How fine you chop determines a smoother or chunkier style sauce. When the onions are well on their way all your shallots (shallots add so much flavor don't be shy!). And when the onions and the shallots are almost done add in some garlic for just a couple of minutes. Then add it to the tomatoes and meat.
6. Cook on low for another 2 hours at least - adding spices/sugar if needed. Stir it at least every 15-30 minutes.
7. Any leftovers can be frozen