My Favorite Pasta Bolognese: The Unexpected Ingredient That Makes It

Pasta Bolognese is one of my all-time favorite dishes, and this is the recipe I come back to again and again. It’s rich, hearty, easy to make, and has one unexpected ingredient—a teaspoon of cinnamon—that transforms the sauce into the sweet-and-savory combination we love.

We especially love it during the colder months, when a big pot of Bolognese and a bowl of bucatini are pretty hard to beat. I’ve served this to friends, brought it along to dinner parties, and almost inevitably someone asks me for the recipe. So while you won’t find many recipes here on Dabbling & Decorating, this favorite was simply too good not to share.

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What Is Bolognese?

Bolognese is a traditional Italian meat sauce that originated in Bologna, Italy. Unlike a simple tomato or marinara sauce, Bolognese is built around meat and is traditionally slow-cooked with ingredients such as onion, vegetables, milk, and wine to create a thick, hearty sauce.

Traditional Bolognese is often served with tagliatelle or another pasta sturdy enough to hold the meat sauce. My version takes a slightly different turn with sausage, ground beef, and cinnamon for that sweet-and-savory flavor we love—and I especially like serving it with bucatini.

Why This Is My Favorite Pasta Bolognese Recipe

This is one of those recipes I’ve made again and again because it’s easy, incredibly flavorful, and always gets the same reaction. Whenever I serve it to friends or bring it to a dinner gathering, someone asks me for the recipe. The combination of ground beef, sausage, tomatoes, red cooking wine, and cinnamon creates this wonderful sweet-and-savory Bolognese that’s hard to stop eating.

At our home in Vermont, we especially love making it during the colder months. And when we’re at our home on the Seacoast, a big bowl of pasta Bolognese is one of our favorites after a snowy day.

Ann was recently quoted in Homes and Gardens in their All of the most stylish rustic kitchens I am seeing right now have this one feature in common – it’s easy to replicate, and you probably already own everything you need article (2025)

Pasta Bolognese Ingredients

One of the reasons I make this pasta Bolognese so often is that the ingredients are simple and easy to find. Ground beef and sausage give the sauce its hearty base, while tomatoes, red cooking wine, milk, onion, and a few other pantry staples come together as the sauce cooks.

One ingredient I do recommend splurging on is a good-quality Parmesan cheese. Skip the pre-grated variety and look for a wedge of fresh Parmesan in the cheese or deli section. Grate it over the pasta just before serving—it really does make a difference.

Why I Add Cinnamon to My Pasta Bolognese

Here’s the ingredient that makes this Bolognese so special: ground cinnamon. It brings a sweetness that plays beautifully against the savory beef, sausage, tomatoes, and red cooking wine, creating that sweet-and-savory combination that makes this recipe so delicious.

How much cinnamon you add really comes down to personal taste. I prefer a lighter cinnamon flavor in my Bolognese, while my husband likes quite a bit more. I recommend starting with about ½ teaspoon—I use McCormick ground cinnamon—then letting the sauce simmer for a bit before tasting it. If you want more of that sweet cinnamon flavor, sprinkle in a little more, let it simmer again, and taste as you go.

If cinnamon in Bolognese sounds a little unusual, trust me on this one. Start small and adjust it to your liking. It’s the ingredient people don’t necessarily expect, but it’s also what makes this recipe different, and one of the reasons we love it so much.

How to Make Pasta Bolognese

Start by browning the ground beef, sausage, and chopped onion together over medium heat for about 6 minutes, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Once browned, you have the hearty base for the Bolognese sauce.

Next, stir in the milk, red cooking wine, bouillon cubes, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and cinnamon.

From here, everything simmers together, giving all those sweet and savory flavors time to develop. See the full recipe card below for exact measurements and instructions.

Once the sauce has thickened, serve it over your favorite pasta with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan. I especially recommend bucatini; the hollow center catches the Bolognese beautifully, while the thick pasta stands up well to such a hearty meat sauce.

And don’t be shy with the sauce. This is one pasta Bolognese where you want plenty of that rich, meaty sauce in every bite.

What to Serve With Pasta Bolognese

We keep things pretty simple when we serve pasta Bolognese—a warm loaf of garlic bread, a fresh green salad with Italian dressing, and a glass of our favorite red wine. With a sauce this hearty, you really don’t need much more.

I also love serving Bolognese in a large bowl, especially a favorite vintage bowl with plenty of room for the pasta, sauce, and freshly grated Parmesan. It’s a hearty dish, so this is definitely one of those meals where a generous bowl just feels right.

A Pasta Bolognese Recipe Worth Making Again

This pasta Bolognese has been a favorite in our home for years, and I hope you’ll give the cinnamon a try—it really is what makes this recipe so delicious. Serve it over bucatini with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan, pour a glass of wine, and you have one of my favorite dinners.

And since I can never resist making the table part of the occasion, explore some of my favorite vintage table ideas for a little inspiration for your next pasta night.

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