This traditional white bolognese sauce — known in Italy as bolognese bianco or ragu bianco — is a rich, hearty sauce made without a single drop of tomato! Whether you're making it for a cozy weeknight dinner or showing off at a dinner party, this is the kind of recipe that earns you a reputation. Deeply savory, incredibly luscious, and comes together in one pan! This is the pasta dish your dinner table didn't know it was missing...
If you enjoy simple pasta recipes, don’t miss my Marry Me Chicken Pasta Recipe, Creamy Shrimp Linguine & Creamier Carbonara!
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Ingredients
- Garlic
- Carrot
- Celery stalks
- Yellow onion
- Sweet balsamic glaze
- Dry white wine or chicken stock
- Guanciale
- Lean ground beef
- Heavy cream
- Worcestershire sauce
- Fresh parsley
- Rigatoni
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Sauté the diced veggies & add sweet balsamic glaze!
Add in the bacon bits & the lean ground beef along with the heavy cream!
Once the sauce has thickened, add in the al dente rigatoni pasta!
Mix well & serve with freshly grated parmesan!
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic, carrot, celery stalks, and onion. Sauté 5 minutes until soft.
- Add balsamic glaze and a pinch of kosher salt. Cook on medium-high heat 2–3 minutes until golden and caramelized.
- Pour in dry white wine or chicken stock. Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Reduce 5 minutes.
- Add guanciale and ground beef. Brown the ground meat fully on medium-high heat, about 8–10 minutes.
- Stir in heavy cream and Worcestershire. Simmer on low heat until the creamy sauce thickens. Cook rigatoni al dente in a large pot of salted water — save a cup of pasta water before draining.
- Add parsley, garlic powder, black pepper, and kosher salt to taste.
- Toss in the rigatoni and cook 5 minutes until the sauce clings to every ridge. Loosen with a splash of pasta water or cream if needed.
- Plate and top with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Enjoy!
Scroll all the way down for the recipe card!
Substitutions
- Guanciale → bacon or pancetta (much easier to find, works just as well)
- White wine → chicken broth (use low-sodium; Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio are best if using wine)
- Ground beef → ground pork, ground veal, or mild Italian sausage
- Heavy cream → whole milk (add a cornstarch slurry to help it thicken)
- Rigatoni → pappardelle pasta or penne
- Dutch oven → large skillet or heavy-bottomed pot
Equipment
- Cutting Board (MY FAV IS FROM THE BOARDMAN!)
- Dutch oven or large wide pan
- Large pot (for boiling pasta)
- Fine grater or microplane
Storage
- Fridge: Up to 4 days. Store sauce separately from pasta — tastes even better the next day.
- Freezer: Up to 3 months in a freezer container. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat: Low heat on the stove with a splash of cream or water to loosen.
Top tips for Success!
- Don't skip the browned bits. When the bottom of the pan goes dark — that's flavor. The wine deglaze lifts all of it straight into the sauce.
- Pull pasta 2 minutes early. It finishes cooking in the sauce. This is the difference between al dente and mush.
- Grate your own Parmigiano Reggiano. Pre-shredded cheese won't melt properly. A block and a microplane make a world of difference.
FAQ
Yes — and it's even better the next day. Store the sauce (without pasta) in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Great for a dinner party or large group. Cook fresh pasta when ready to serve.
Let it simmer on low heat longer — heavy cream thickens naturally as it reduces. Still too thin? Add a cornstarch slurry (1 teaspoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon cold water) and cook 2 more minutes. A splash of pasta water also helps the sauce cling to the rigatoni.
Classic bolognese uses crushed tomatoes for a deep, acidic base. This white sauce skips tomatoes entirely and uses dry white wine and heavy cream instead — silkier, lighter, and just as hearty. It also works beautifully as a base for lasagna bolognese next time you want something new.
Related
Looking for other pasta recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite desserts to serve with this white bolognese:
Creamy White Bolognese Sauce Recipe (with Rigatoni)
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Build the soffritto: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, wide pan over medium heat. Add 8 minced garlic cloves, 1 carrot (peeled and finely diced), 2 finely diced celery stalks, and half a yellow onion, finely diced. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften and turn fragrant.
- Caramelize and season: Add 1 teaspoon of sweet balsamic glaze and 1 teaspoon of salt to the pan. Stir well — the balsamic glaze works like a secret weapon here, speeding up caramelization and pulling out incredible depth of flavor. Sauté for another 2–3 minutes until the vegetables are golden and starting to catch on the bottom.
- Deglaze with wine: Pour in ¾ cup of dry white wine (or chicken stock) to deglaze, scraping up all those gorgeous caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the alcohol cook off for about 5 minutes until the liquid reduces slightly.
- Brown the meat: Add 1 cup of guanciale or bacon (cut into small pieces) and 1 pound of lean ground beef to the pan, breaking the beef up with a spoon. Cook for 8–10 minutes until fully browned. Don't stress if it looks a little underdone — it'll finish cooking in the cream sauce.
- Add the cream: Pour in 2 cups of heavy cream and 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. Stir everything together and reduce the heat to low. Let the sauce simmer gently for a few minutes — it will thicken beautifully on its own. If you want it extra thick, stir in a small cornstarch slurry (1 teaspoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon cold water). While the sauce simmers, cook your rigatoni to al dente according to package instructions.
- Season to perfection: Stir in ⅓ cup of freshly chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. This is your moment to make it your own.
- Finish with pasta: Add 8 ounces of al dente rigatoni directly into the sauce and toss to coat. Let it cook together for about 5 minutes so the pasta absorbs all that creamy goodness. Not serving right away? Take it off the heat and cover — it'll hold perfectly without overcooking.
- Serve: Plate it up and shower with ½ cup of freshly grated Parmesan. Serve immediately and prepare for compliments.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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