Instant Pot Bolognese Sauce

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 12/12/22
Pappardelle with Bolognese sauce

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Pressure Build/Release: 14 mins
Total: 54 mins
Servings: 6 servings

Bolognese sauce is a hearty Italian sauce chock-full of meat and vegetables. The sauce frequently includes wine, as well as milk or cream. An Italian Bolognese—or ragù alla Bolognese—is traditionally used to dress wide pasta, such as tagliatelle, fettuccine, and pappardelle, and it is an excellent sauce to use in a meaty lasagna.

This Instant Pot version of Italian-style Bolognese sauce contains ground beef, red or white wine, and some cream, which is added just before the sauce is ready to serve. The sauce takes just 30 minutes to cook in the electric pressure cooker, yet it tastes as if it simmered for hours on the stove. Serve this sauce with the more traditional wide pasta or serve it with spaghetti.

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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 1/2 cups diced onion

  • 1/2 cup diced carrot

  • 1/2 cup diced celery

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

  • 1/2 cup dry red wine, or white

  • 1/2 cup chicken stock

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 2 tablespoons Italian flat-leaf parsley, plus more for optional garnish

  • 1/3 cup heavy cream

  • 1 pound hot cooked pasta, for serving

  • 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving (about 1/3 cup)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for Instant Pot Bolognese sauce

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  2. In a 6-quart Instant Pot, select the sauté button. When the display reads "hot," add the oil and diced vegetables—onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring, for about 4 minutes, or until the onion is softened.

    Sauté the vegetables in the Instant Pot.

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  3. Add the ground beef, garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the meat is no longer pink. Drain and discard excess fat, if desired.

    Brown the ground beef in the Instant Pot

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  4. Add the wine and chicken stock and stir, scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pot.

    Making Instant Pot Bolognese sauce

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  5. Add the bay leaves and crushed tomatoes to the Instant Pot.

    Instant Pot Bolognese sauce with ground beef

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  6. Secure the lid on the pot and ensure the valve is in the sealing position. Choose the pressure cook or manual setting (high pressure), and set the time for 20 minutes. When the time is up, carefully release the pressure following the manufacturer's instructions for a quick release.

  7. Stir the tomato paste into the sauce and switch to the sauté function. Simmer the sauce for about 5 to 6 minutes, or until thickened.

    Instant Pot Bolognese sauce

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  8. Add the parsley and cream to the sauce and heat through.

    Add cream to the Bolognese sauce

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  9. If serving with pasta, toss the sauce with about 1 pound of hot, cooked and drained pasta. Transfer the pasta and Bolognese sauce to a serving bowl.

    Close-up of Instant Pot Bolognese sauce with pappardelle pasta

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  10. Serve the pasta and sauce with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and extra chopped parsley, if desired.

    Ragù alla Bolognese with pappardelle pasta

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Tip

  • Thick sauces can be a problem when they don't contain enough liquid to create the steam required to build pressure. Food or bits of food stuck to the bottom of the pan after sautéing can also cause the burn notice. When you add the stock and wine, make sure you scrape up any food that is stuck onto the bottom of the pan. If you do happen to get a burn notice, scrape the bottom and add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of liquid to the pot before you proceed.

Recipe Variations

  • Replace about 1/2 pound of the beef with ground pork or use equal amounts of beef, veal, and pork.
  • Sauté a few ounces of finely diced pancetta or bacon along with the vegetables.

What is the difference between Bolognese sauce vs. spaghetti sauce?

Bolognese sauce, which originated in Bologna, Italy, has cream, meat, and vegetables in it, while spaghetti sauce is tomato-based with meat and a blend of herbs. 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
500 Calories
30g Fat
21g Carbs
35g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 500
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 30g 38%
Saturated Fat 11g 56%
Cholesterol 116mg 39%
Sodium 614mg 27%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 7%
Dietary Fiber 4g 15%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 35g
Vitamin C 20mg 100%
Calcium 118mg 9%
Iron 6mg 32%
Potassium 1121mg 24%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)