Slow Cooked Pork Bolognese (Dutch Oven Pasta Sauce)
An oh-so-comforting tomato sauce and slow-cooked pork bolognese is just what I’ve been feeling this past week! Serve up with cooked spaghetti topped with a smattering of parmesan and torn basil leaves, or use as a base for homemade lasagne.

Prefer beef bolognese? Check out my Dutch Oven Bolognese recipe.
Here’s why you are going to love this Dutch oven pork bolognese recipe
It’s comfort food with a capital C. A bowl of bolognese and a glass of wine can solve anything!
Don’t you just love it when a Dutch oven does all the hard work? Once you have sauteed off all the veggies and meat, it’s just a matter of adding the liquids, a bit of flavor, pop that pot in the oven, and bam! It’s time to put your feet up and let the cast iron casserole do its thing!
What you need to get started
- pantry essentials – extra virgin olive oil, tomato paste, chicken stock.
- vegetables – onions, carrots, celery garlic cloves.
- ground pork mince
- 700ml bottle of passata. Bonus points if it’s made with San Marzano tomatoes. I grow these every summer and they’re the best tomatoes for slow cooking.
- white wine – cooking wine doesn’t need to be the fanciest (or priciest) bottle from your wine stash. A chardonnay or pinot gris are my usual choices.
- pancetta. I like to do a fine dice (under 1/2cm) of my pancetta. I find you get a more rounded flavor as opposed to large chunks in my bolognese.
- fresh herbs – bay leaves, thyme sprigs.
- black garlic
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
Substitutions and Variations
This is one of those recipes where you can substitute quite a few ingredients…
Try ground beef or even veal mince instead of pork. Can you substitute the tomato passata with canned tomatoes? I tried and didn’t like the result, so it’s passata all the way for me!
Streaky bacon can be substituted for pancetta.
Red wine can be substituted for white wine. I have used white wine because I wanted a lighter version. For a richer sauce, use red wine instead.
While I tend to use more fresh herbs from our garden as opposed to dried herbs, you can most certainly use either. Just be aware that dried herbs are normally much more potent than fresh, so I tend to reduce the amount stated.
The details
- Preheat the oven to 150°c.
- Combine the olive oil and pork mince in a cast iron Dutch oven and lightly brown. Make sure to break up the cooked mince and not let it stick together in chunks. Remove from the pot and set aside.
- Saute the onion in the pot over medium-low heat. Cook on the stovetop for a couple of minutes until it starts to soften (about 5 minutes). Add the pancetta. Stir through and continue sauteing on low heat for a few more minutes to cook off the pancetta and release the flavors. Add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute and stir through to combine. Remove the onion mix from the pot and set aside.
- Return the cooked mince. Add the diced carrot and celery. Give it a quick mix through and gently saute for a minute or two.
- Add the chicken broth, white wine, tomato passata, tomato paste, black garlic, bay leaf, and thyme. Give a good stir to release any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pot from cooking the pork mince. Bring the tomato sauce to a simmer point over medium heat on top of the stove stirring occasionally, then pop in the oven (lid on) for 1.5 hours.
- Remove from oven and season with a pinch of salt flakes and a good grind of black pepper.
- Serve your pork bolognese sauce with your favorite pasta cooked to package instructions or al dente.
Equipment
Like all my slow-cook recipes, I always use an enamel cast iron Dutch oven (or French oven) to slow cook. For this recipe I use a 22cm or 24cm enamel cast iron pot. If you are doubling the recipe with a kilo or more meat, I always defer to my trusty 28cm Le Creuset casserole. It’s the bomb for big-batch Dutch oven recipes.
Aside from a large pot, you’ll also need a stirring spoon, cooks knife, and a cutting board.
Instead of a cast iron pot, you could also make this recipe in a pressure cooker, slow cooker, or crock pot. Please note that the recipe may need to be adjusted and cooking times will vary.
Cooks notes
Whenever you slow cook this type of Dutch oven recipe, I always recommend cooking this and then eating it the next day and this pasta sauce is no different.
Be sure to scrape down the sides of the pot and any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. This all contributes to adding a rich flavor. When you are cooking the pasta, don’t throw away all that beautiful pasta water. Reserve a little for the sauce – all added flavor!
If you have fussy eaters and want to smuggle the vegies in, feel free to grate them as opposed to dice.
How to serve this bolognese pasta recipe
Quite simply, with good quality cooked pasta. Spaghetti or papadelle pasta is my go-to’s for this recipe, however, I like to mix it up depending on what I have in the pantry. Capunti, bucatini, penne rigate and rigatoni pasta shapes are all great options. Finish with a shaving of good parmesan cheese and a smattering of finely chopped basil leaves. Possibly some garlic bread on the side? Oh, and a glass of wine – never forget the wine!
For a less carby option, try spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, or even a creamy polenta.
Storage
This bolognese pasta sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. It also freezes really well if you are the batch-cooking type like myself. To freeze simply portion the bolognese into freezable airtight containers once it has cooled. Pop on the lid and place in the freezer for up to three months.
To defrost and reheat this sauce recipe… Leave overnight in the fridge before popping all the contents in a French oven and warm on low heat. Add a little pasta water to reheat.
Love an easy pasta dish? Try these…
- Chicken and Bacon Boscaiola
- Chicken & Chorizo Orzo
- Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta
- Beef Ragu
- Tuna Mornay Bake
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Slow-Cooked Pork Bolognese
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hours 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 4 serves 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: slow cook
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
An oh-so-comforting tomato sauce and slow-cooked pork bolognese is just what I’ve been feeling this past week! Serve up with cooked spaghetti topped with a smattering of parmesan and torn basil leaves, or use as a base for homemade lasagne.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil + more if needed
- 500g pork mince
- 2 brown onions, sliced
- 80g pancetta, cut into a small dice.
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1 carrot
- 1 jar passata
- ½ c chicken stock
- ½ c white wine
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 20g black garlic
- 1 bay leaves
- ½ tsp oregano
- 2 sprigs thyme
- sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper to season
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 150°c.
- Combine the olive oil and pork mince in a cast iron Dutch oven and lightly brown. Make sure to break up the cooked mince and not let it stick together in chunks. Remove from the pot and set aside.
- Saute the onion in the pot over medium-low heat. Cook on the stove top for a couple of minutes until it starts to soften (about 5 minutes). Add the pancetta. Stir through and continue sauteing on low heat for a few more minutes to cook off the pancetta and release the flavors. Add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute and stir through to combine. Remove the onion mix from the pot and set aside.
- Return the cooked mince. Add the diced carrot and celery. Give it a quick mix through and gently saute for a minute or two.
- Add the chicken broth, white wine, tomato passata, tomato paste, black garlic, bay leaf, and thyme. Give a good stir to release any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pot from cooking the pork mince. Bring the tomato sauce to a simmer point over medium heat on top of the stove stirring occasionally, then pop in the oven (lid on) for 2.5 hours.
- Remove from oven and season with a pinch of salt flakes and a good grind of black pepper.
- Serve your pork bolognese sauce with your favorite pasta cooked to package instructions or al dente.
Notes
- Whenever you slow cook this type of Dutch oven recipe, I always recommend cooking this and then eating it the next day and this pasta sauce is no different.
- Be sure to scrape down the sides of the pot and any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. This all contributes to adding a rich flavor. When you are cooking the pasta, don’t throw away all that beautiful pasta water. Reserve a little for the sauce – all added flavor!
- If you have fussy eaters and want to smuggle the vegies in, feel free to grate them as opposed to dice.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 564
- Sugar: 9.5 g
- Sodium: 983.6 mg
- Fat: 38.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Protein: 27.6 g
- Cholesterol: 104.1 mg
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