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Home » Course » Dinner » Easy Instant Pot Bolognese Sauce

Published: Oct 23, 2021 · Modified: May 31, 2022 by Veronika's Kitchen * This post may contain affiliate links

Easy Instant Pot Bolognese Sauce

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This rich and hearty Instant Pot Bolognese sauce is made with red wine and served over spaghetti or your favorite pasta. This is a great freezer-friendly recipe that is perfect for a meal prep and easily comes together in 1 hour in a pressure cooker.

Bolognese sauce over pasta in a grey bowl.

This Instant Pot Bolognese Sauce is one of my most favorite recipes that I love to serve with spaghetti or other type of pasta. Thanks to the pressure cooker, the cooking time is cut to at least half the time, while it tastes like it was slowly simmered for a few hours to perfection.

The secret ingredient in this recipe is a splash of heavy cream that brings all the flavors together by reducing the acidity of the sauce and making it creamier. Also, I love using red wine, which helps to create a deep rich flavor, while the carrots and celery bring up the sweetness.

Using red wine in sauces and gravy is one of my favorite ways to enrich flavors and aroma of the whole dish. Because we reduce the wine until all the alcohol is fully evaporated, we are left only with beautiful savory fragrance.

I use red wine in a number of my recipes, like Red Wine Braised Short Ribs, Instant pot Lamb Shanks, Easy Shepherd’s Pie Recipe, Instant Pot Boneless Short Ribs, and others.

Table of contents

  • Why you will love the recipe
  • How to make it
  • Tips for best results
  • Stove top option
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • More Comfort Meals Ideas:
Bolognese sauce with a wooden spoon in Instant Pot.

Why you will love the recipe

Quick and Easy. While the classic Bolognese sauce usually takes hours to slowly simmer, a pressure cooker helps us to reduce the cooking time. So, you can make the whole recipe in just 1 hour from start to finish, and the pressure cooker will do most of the work.

Lots of Flavor! This is really one of the best sauces I’ve tried and it’s packed with flavors and aroma!

Great for Meal Prep. You can easily double the recipe and freeze. So, when you don’t feel like cooking, you can easily defrost it (instruction are below), cook fresh pasta, and serve!

Ingredients for Bolognese sauce.

How to make it

Press the Sauté button and set it to high setting. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 small diced onion. Cook for about 5-7 minutes or until its soft and translucent.

Process photos of adding and sauteing onion in a pressure cooker.

Then add 1 diced carrot and 1 diced celery rib. Cook for another 5 minutes until they are softened.

Process photos of sauteing carrots and celery in a pressure cooker.

Add 1 pound ground beef and the seasoning (1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, and ¼ tsp cinnamon) and cook until the meat is cooked through, about 7-10 minutes.

Process photos of Process photos of of adding ground beef, salt, and spices to a pot.

When done, add 2 tbsp tomato pasted and stir. Then add ½ cup red wine and cook for about 5-7 minutes or until the wine reduces in half.

Process photos of adding tomato paste and red wine to the sauce.

Add 28 oz crushed tomatoes and stir everything in.

Process photos of adding crushed tomatoes to a sauce.

Close the lid and make sure that the venting knob is sealed. Cook on manual high pressure for 20 minutes. When done, let it naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes.

After that, you can open the lid and press the sauté button again. Add ¼ cup heavy cream, stir and let simmer for about 5-10 minutes or until the sauce thickens to the desired consistency.

Process photos of adding heavy cream to the meat sauce.

Serve over your favorite pasta or spaghetti. Top with some grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley or fresh basil.

Tips for best results

  • Ground Beef. I prefer to use 85% lean meat as it has the best balance of fat and meat and provides great flavor. Also, you can use between 1 and 1 ½ pound of meat in this recipe.
  • Cinnamon. Don’t skip this ingredient! While many people think you can use cinnamon only in baking, it’s very popular in savory dishes, especially in tomato and meat sauces in Europe. It helps to highlight the flavors and brings out the warmth.
  • Red Wine. I prefer to use a cheap Cabernet Sauvignon, like Decoy (not sponsored) in this recipe. It has a rich deep flavor that balances very well with the red sauce. Also, you won’t taste any alcohol in the recipe. After the wine is reduced, you will be left only with the aroma and flavor, and all the alcohol will be evaporated.
  • Crushed tomatoes. Fire roasted crushed tomatoes are my favorite in any tomato sauce. They also add extra flavor and smoky aroma to the dish.
  • Heavy cream. After the sauce is cooked, it still has a little bit of acidity. Heavy cream helps to reduce the acidity from wine and the tomatoes and balance the flavors.
Bolognese sauce over pasta in a grey bowl.

Stove top option

If you don’t have an instant pot, you can make this Bolognese sauce on the stove top in your Dutch Oven or a deep skillet with a heavy bottom. Cook everything according to the instructions. The only difference will be the cooking time. It will need to slowly simmer covered with the lid for about 1 ½-2 hours.

Bolognese sauce with a wooden spoon in Instant Pot.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to store?

When the sauce is completely cooled off, you can transfer it to an air-tight container and refrigerate for 4-5 days.

Can I freeze it?

Yes! This recipe is perfect for meal prepping! You can freeze it in an air-tight container or a freezer-friendly bag for up to 3 months. To thaw, just leave it in the fridge overnight, then reheat when ready to serve.

How can I heat the leftovers in Instant Pot?

To reheat in a pressure cooker, just add the desired amount of sauce in the pot, press the Sauté button and reheat it like you would do it in a regular sauce pan on the stove top. Don’t forget to stir the sauce so it doesn’t burn.

Can I substitute meat in this recipe?

Yes. You can easily substitute ground beef with ground lamb or even ground turkey.

Can I skip the wine in this recipe?

Red wine just adds another layer of rich flavor to this dish. If you want to skip this ingredient, you can substitute it with 1 cup beef or chicken broth and 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce.

Bolognese sauce over pasta in a grey bowl.

More Comfort Meals Ideas:

  • Old Fashioned Goulash Recipe
  • Chicken Broccoli Ziti
  • Hawaiian Chicken Recipe
  • Turkey Zucchini Meatballs
  • Easy Spaghetti Bolognese
  • Tortellini in Tomato Sauce
  • Instant Pot Beef Stew Recipe
  • Oven Baked Meatballs
  • Baked Cheese Tortellini
  • Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
  • Creamy Vegetable Pasta
  • Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce
Bolognese sauce over pasta in a grey bowl.
Print Recipe
5 from 11 votes

Easy Instant Pot Bolognese Sauce

This rich and hearty Instant Pot Bolognese sauce is made with red wine and served over spaghetti or your favorite pasta. This is a great freezer-friendly recipe that is perfect for a meal prep and easily comes together in 1 hour in a pressure cooker.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time45 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 344kcal
Author: Veronika’s Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 1 large carrot diced
  • 1 celery rib diced
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ½ cup red wine
  • 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
  • ¼ cup heavy cream

Instructions

  • Press the Sauté button and set it to high setting. Add 2tbsp olive oil and 1 small diced onion. Cook for about 5-7 minutes or until it's soft and translucent.
  • Then add 1 diced carrot and 1 diced celery rib. Cook for another 5 minutes until they are softened.
  • Add 1 pound ground beef and the seasoning (1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, and ¼ tsp cinnamon) and cook until the meat is cooked through, about 7-10 minutes.
  • When done, add 2 tbsp tomato pasted and stir. Then add ½ cup red wine and cook for about 5-7 minutes or until the wine reduces in half.
  • Add 28 oz crushed tomatoes and stir everything in.
  • Close the lid and make sure that the venting knob is sealed. Cook on manual high pressure for 20 minutes. When done, let it naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes.
  • After that, you can open the lid and press the sauté button again. Add ¼ cup heavy cream, stir and let simmer for about 5-10 minutes or until the sauce thickens to the desired consistency.
  • Serve over your favorite pasta or spaghetti. Top with some grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley or fresh basil.

Video

Notes

  • Ground Beef. I prefer to use 85% lean meat as it has the best balance of fat and meat and provides great flavor. Also, you can use between 1 and 1 ½ pound of meat in this recipe.
  • Cinnamon. Don’t skip this ingredient! While many people think you can use cinnamon only in baking, it’s very popular in savory dishes, especially in tomato and meat sauces in Europe. It helps to highlight the flavors and brings out the warmth.
  • Red Wine. I prefer to use a cheap Cabernet Sauvignon, like Decoy (not sponsored) in this recipe. It has a rich deep flavor that balances very well with the red sauce. Also, you won’t taste any alcohol in the recipe. After the wine is reduced, you will be left only with the aroma and flavor, and all the alcohol will be evaporated.
  • Crushed tomatoes. Fire roasted crushed tomatoes are my favorite in any tomato sauce. They also add extra flavor and smoky aroma to the dish.
  • Heavy cream. After the sauce is cooked, it still has a little bit of acidity. Heavy cream helps to reduce the acidity from wine and the tomatoes and balance the flavors.
  • How to store. When the sauce is completely cooled off, you can transfer it to an air-tight container and refrigerate for 4-5 days.
  • How to freeze. This recipe is perfect for meal prepping! You can freeze it in an air-tight container or a freezer-friendly bag for up to 3 months. To thaw, just leave it in the fridge overnight, then reheat when ready to serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 344kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 669mg | Potassium: 747mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2245IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 4mg
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a review below. Or snap a photo and share it on Instagram; be sure to tag me @veronikaskitchen.

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Reader Interactions

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Mary Eidson says

    March 06, 2023 at 9:20 am

    I followed this recipe exactly as written. However, my instapot immediately registered it was burning and turned off. I had to finish on the stove. Has anyone else had this problem?

    Reply
    • Miriam says

      December 08, 2024 at 6:02 pm

      This happened to me too.

      Reply
  2. Matthew Zamora says

    December 29, 2021 at 11:53 pm

    5 stars
    I LOVE this recipe! Made it twice this week with remaindered prime rib, left over from the Christmas holiday. Instead of the ground beef portion of the recipe, I just used my immersion blender in a bowl of cubed up prime rib and made the meat ground up.

    Reply
    • Veronika's Kitchen says

      January 05, 2022 at 4:38 pm

      Thank you so much, Matthew! This is such a great idea to use prime rib! I’m sure it added amazing flavor!

      Reply
  3. Natalie says

    November 01, 2021 at 5:46 am

    5 stars
    Bolognese is such a classic dish that never fails and never disappoints. I never used a pressure cooker for bolognese, but now I definitely will. Your recipe sounds so easy. Effortless. I’m going to add this to my weekly menu. Thanks!

    Reply
  4. Elaine says

    October 31, 2021 at 6:55 pm

    5 stars
    My favorite time of sauce… ever. I mean, really, is there anything better than this? Fantastic instructions, too.

    Reply
  5. Megan Ellam says

    October 31, 2021 at 5:12 pm

    5 stars
    A great bolognese recipe is always a good find. Thanks so much for making my job easier.

    Reply
  6. Chandice Probst says

    October 31, 2021 at 10:20 am

    5 stars
    The best way to make homemade bolognese bc it doesn’t have to simmer on the stove all day but still tastes amazing!

    Reply
  7. Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says

    October 30, 2021 at 9:24 pm

    5 stars
    I love this sped-up version of a classic bolognese! I LOVE that this is made in the Instant Pot! You still get all of the amazing depth of flavor in such a quick time! Thank you SO MUCH for this recipe! It’s such a time saver!

    Reply
  8. Amy Liu Dong says

    October 30, 2021 at 10:16 am

    5 stars
    This looks really delicious, and I am so excited to make this for everyone.

    Reply
  9. Jacqueline Debono says

    October 30, 2021 at 5:03 am

    5 stars
    Classic Bolognese really does take a while to cook! Making it in the Instant Pot is a great idea!

    Reply
  10. Lauren Michael Harris says

    October 29, 2021 at 7:28 pm

    5 stars
    I love how quick and easy the Instant Pot makes this bolognese recipe! I’ll definitely be making it more often now!

    Reply
  11. Amanda Dixon says

    October 25, 2021 at 5:49 pm

    5 stars
    Love that this cooks in the Instant Pot — makes it so convenient! It’s wonderfully flavored, and the wine adds the perfect depth.

    Reply
  12. Gloria says

    October 25, 2021 at 11:22 am

    5 stars
    We all need some great pasta sauce recipes. This looks fantastic. Perfect for batch cooking.

    Reply

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