Instant Pot Bolognese Sauce
Bolognese Sauce is similar to Spaghetti Sauce. A Bolognese sauce is simmered for hours, and has wine, spices and milk. A pressure cooker cuts the time for 3-4 hours to one hour without sacrificing flavor. We enjoy this sauce over Pappardelle pasta-- but any pasta or potato gnocchi will do.
Servings 8 servings
Equipment
- 1 Pressure Cooker This can be adapted to a slow cooker or on a stove (see notes)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 celery rib diced
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork
- 4 ounces pancetta diced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning or dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg just a pinch!
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon just a pinch!
- ¾ cups dry red wine
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup beef stock
- ¼ cup heavy cream or half and half
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Set your pressure cooker pot to the high saute setting.
- Melt the butter. Add onion, carrot and celery, and cook, stirring often, until onions have become translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the ground beef, pork, pancetta, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and cook until browned, about 5-10 minutes. (Be sure to crumble the beef and pork as it cooks; drain excess fat.)
- Stir in tomato paste, garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, nutmeg and cinnamon until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and cook until reduced, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes and beef stock.
- Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 20 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
- Select low sauté setting; simmer, uncovered, stirring often, until thickened to desired consistency, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately. Ideally, we like a wide noodle pasta, such as Pappardelle. We've also served this over Potato Gnocchi. This sauce freezes well.
Notes
NOTES: Any pressure cooker recipe can easily be adapted to a stove top. The difference is, that the sauce needs to simmer on low heat for 3-4 hours on a stove. If adapting to a slow cooker, you will need to cook the mirepoix (vegetables), tomato paste, beef and pork in a stove pot. Add the liquids, wine, crushed tomatoes, garlic and seasonings. Then add to the slow cooker and simmer for 6-8 hours.
Recipe source: Very slightly adapted from "Damn Delicious"