Olive Garden Bolognese Sauce Recipe

Updated on July 31st, 2025

If you’re craving a cozy pasta night, this Olive Garden Bolognese sauce recipe is exactly what you need. It brings together ground beef and Italian sausage with sautéed onion, carrot, and celery for a hearty, homemade meat sauce. A splash of red wine and crushed tomatoes builds out the flavor, while rosemary and sage give it warm, savory depth. It’s easy to make, incredibly satisfying, and pairs beautifully with your favorite noodles.

Why this recipe works

• Rich, balanced flavor: The mix of beef and sausage with wine and herbs creates a deep, savory sauce that’s layered and comforting.

• Straightforward ingredients: Simple pantry and fridge staples come together without needing anything fancy.

• Great texture: A slow simmer breaks everything down until the sauce clings perfectly to pasta.

• Tastes like restaurant quality: The flavors are impressive, but it’s still doable on a weeknight.

Serving suggestions

• Pair with pasta: Spoon generously over tagliatelle, fettuccine, or even penne for a filling dinner.

• Add something green: A crisp Caesar salad or simple arugula side balances the richness of the sauce.

• Bread on the side: Warm garlic bread or a crusty baguette is perfect for mopping up the extra sauce.

• Save the leftovers: The sauce tastes even better the next day, making it great for meal prep.

Olive Garden Bolognese Sauce Recipe

Save Recipe Recipe Saved

Print Recipe

If you’re craving a cozy pasta night, this Olive Garden Bolognese sauce recipe is exactly what you need.

• Author: Bobby
• Total Time: 1 hour & 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 Servings 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion (finely chopped)
• 1 carrot (finely chopped)
• 1 celery stalk (finely chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
• 1/2lb ground beef
• 6 ounces Italian sausage (ground or casings removed)
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 (28 ounces) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1/4 teaspoon dry rosemary)
• 1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped (or 1/4 teaspoon dry sage)
• salt and ground black pepper (to taste)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
2. Add the ground beef and Italian sausage and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, while chopping up into chunks with a spatula.
3. Deglaze the pan from red wine, allow the mixture to simmer to let the wine to reduce a bit. Add the crushed tomatoes, rosemary and sage. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Stir and mix together well. Simmer for 1 hour.
5. Serve over hot cooked pasta.

Nutrition

• Serving Size:
• Calories: 820
• Sugar: 6.1 g
• Sodium: 1425.9 mg
• Fat: 62.2 g
• Carbohydrates: 15.5 g
• Protein: 38.6 g
• Cholesterol: 162.7 mg