Bolognese Pizza

Name: Bolognese Pizza
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients: 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 1/2 cups diced onion, approx. 1 med-large onion; 3/4 cup diced celery, approx. 2 stalks; 3/4 cup diced carrots, approx. 2 sticks; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 1 cup red wine; 1 lb ground beef; 1 lb Italian sausage, spicy, mild, or sweet; 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained; 1 28 ounc can tomato puree or 24 ounce jar of passata; 1/4 cup tomato paste; 1 bay leaf; 3/4 cup milk; salt and pepper to taste; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional); 2 12-16" pizza bases; 6 ounces mozzarella, shredded off the block PER pizza; fresh basil, optional; red pepper flakes, optional

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Bolognese pizza is bound to be your new favorite. First, the sauce is an Italian classic! It's a minced meat combination simply seasoned and finished with just a bit of milk for a creamy consistency. This iconic sauce simmers on the stove for hours to get a deep, savory flavor that has folks fighting to prove their Nonna's is the best. Now, this is the kind of traditional food I can get behind!

Closeup of bolognese pizza with a napkin.

Making the sauce from scratch takes time. And long-simmering sauces are always made in large batches for convenience. Why go through all that work for one meal, right?! Typically, Bolognese (click to learn how to pronounce bolognese)sauce is tossed with pasta. But then there are the leftovers to contend with.

Putting this sauce on a homemade pizza gives it a whole new life! This bolognese pizza recipe below won't yield as much sauce as grandma might have, but there will be plenty leftovers to throw on some pasta to see what all the fuss is about! Trust me, you're gonna like the fuss! Especially if you're the kind of person that orders meat sauce pizza.

There is not a lot of prep time needed for the homemade bolognese sauce, and I also shortened the simmering time to something a little more manageable for everyday cooking. Additionally, I've modified the traditional bolognese ingredients just slightly to support the shorter simmering time.

Read on for all the loving details to make Pizza Bolognese, or skip down to the recipe card!

Featured Ingredients

Read below about some of the ingredients used to make Bolognese Pizza. Please read the YIELD DISCLAIMER in the preparation details before starting the recipe.

All the ingredients needed to make bolognese pizza.

Ground meat - AKA minced meat. A traditional bolognese sauce will have a mixture of ground beef, ground pork, and sometimes ground veal and/or pancetta. I simplified it a little by requiring only beef and seasoned Italian sausage. And while the sausage is preseasoned and not really an authentic ingredient, I think it's a nice addition, considering it is for a pizza topping!

Tomatoes - You'll need three different kinds of tomatoes for this recipe.
Tomato paste - I like to recommend the stuff in the tube for convenience, so you don't have to figure out what to do with the leftover paste. But if you do use a can of paste, you can freeze any remaining tomato paste in 1 tablespoon chunks to use in future recipes.

Tomato puree - Here, the authentic option is tomato passata (see picture above). You can often find it in the grocery store in a glass jar where they stock other Italian products alongside pasta and marinara sauces. Canned tomato puree works fine, too.

Diced tomatoes - For a long simmer sauce, the best option is whole stewed tomatoes. But since we want to get this sauce going and finished much quicker, use diced tomatoes that are already partially broken down.

Red wine - When I make a meaty Italian sauce, I like to use a bold red like Merlot or go Italian and use a chianti. This is not an ingredient you want to omit. However, in one of the oldest known Bolognese sauce recipes, white wine is used!

Dairy - The final step of a bolognese sauce is a hearty splash of whole milk. As the milk breaks down in the sauce, the sugars help balance the acidity of the tomato and also create a much creamier texture in the sauce.

As for the cheese topping, the recipe lists shredded mozzarella. Some tips on that:

Buy the block and shred it by hand. The bagged stuff uses an anti-caking agent that hinders its melting abilities.
Use fresh mozzarella instead! Wow, such a treat. The fresh milk flavor really compliments the rich, salty meat sauce and pizza crust, and it's just so creamy!
Try breaking balls of burrata cheese all over the pizza with meat sauce or use spoonfuls of ricotta.
Go light and use a handful of parmesan cheese instead. Top the pizza after baking.

Dough/Crust - For the pizza base, you can buy a premade & cooked crust, raw premade dough, make your own (here's a great one!), or use an alternative option like cauliflower crust or English muffin halves!

Whatever you choose, keep in mind that the bolognese sauce will be heavy and saucy! So, a good solid base is important.

Tools for the job

Cutting board and sharp knife
Measuring spoons and cups
Large pot or tall-sided pot - get out your tallest pot to make this bolognese pizza sauce. It may be too big for the ingredients, but you will be okay with that as soon as you start cooking the tomatoes! This sauce bubbles, pops, and splatters all through the simmer time. A tall pot will help with clean up as this is not a sauce you cover.
I used a 7-quart Dutch oven-style pot topped with a splatter screen.
splatter screen (optional)
Pizza stone, pizza pan, or sheetpan
Utensils: Wooden spoon, pizza cutter(optional), immersion blender or potato masher (optional)

How to make Bolognese Pizza

Yield Disclaimer

As previously stated, Bolognese sauce is typically prepared in large quantities. I did my best to make a recipe that yields a smaller amount since you'll only need about 1 cup per pizza. However, this recipe still makes almost 2 quarts of sauce which is good for 7-8 pizzas. If you choose to halve the recipe, you may end up with excess ingredients due to the standard packaging sizes. I felt it was more practical to have leftover sauce that can be repurposed or frozen for a later use rather than leftover ingredients that may go to waste.

The Sauce

To start the sauce, warm 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large pot on the stove over medium to medium-high heat. When the oil moves easily in the pot, add the diced onions, carrots, and celery, along with a few pinches of salt and pepper, and stir to combine.
You may recognize that combination of vegetables as mirepoix (French). Italians use it the same way and call it sofrito.
After 5 minutes, stir it again and drop in the minced garlic, letting it sit on top of the vegetables for a bit.

A grid of four pictures showing the vegetables cooking and the liquid around the meat reducing for the bolognese sauce.

By adding the minced garlic to the already cooking mirepoix/sofrito, you've got a lot of liquid steaming away, creating a barrier against the heat and preventing the garlic from burning.

Continue to cook and stir the vegetables until they start to soften, and the onions look clearish, then with your hands, crumble the beef and Italian sausage into the pot.
Cook the meat, stirring and using the wooden spoon to break the meat into small bits as it browns.
Keep cooking the meat and vegetables until the meat is browned and most of the moisture has evaporated, about 20 minutes.
Pour the wine into the pot and turn the heat up to medium-high. Reduce the wine for 3-5 minutes, using your wooden spoon to scrape up anything stuck to the bottom of the pot.
Next, add the tomato paste and stir to combine it with the meat and vegetables. I like to let this cook a bit so it starts to darken, creating yet another layer of amazing flavor! Follow with the drained diced tomatoes, tomato puree or passata, bay leaf, and 1 ½ cups of water.
Stir everything together and bring the pot up to a boil, then lower it to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook uncovered and stir occasionally for an hour. If you notice the food sticking to the bottom of the sauce or looking dry, add more water ½ cup at a time.
After an hour, the meat should be much more tender, and the gravy should get thick. Add the milk and stir to combine. Then, taste for salt and pepper, adjusting as you like.

HINT: To further get the texture of a long simmer, a trick I use is to hit the sauce with an immersion blender to mince the meat and vegetables just a bit more. Don't blend the whole pot, but just hit 4 or 5 spots for a second or two.
The difference is subtle, but it's there!

A 3 part photo showing the bolognese sauce when you first add the tomatoes, after cooking for an hour, and after using an immersion blender on the sauce.

The bolognese pizza

Preheat the oven to 450° to 475°F if you are using raw dough. If you are using a precooked crust, heat it according to the package directions.
Prepare your raw pizza dough and set on a greased pizza pan or sheet pan. To keep the crust from getting soggy, you can brush it with olive oil before adding any toppings.
Whichever type of crust you're using, when it's ready to top, add 1-2 cups of sauce on top of the crust. Then, sprinkle 1-2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese over the bolognese sauce, spreading both out evenly, leaving a 1" edge.
Depending on size and thickness, a raw crust will take 12-20 minutes to bake up. Follow the package instruction times for any precooked crust.

Raw pizza crust with bolognese sauce spread over it.

Cheese added on top of the bolognese sauce on the raw pizza dough.

A fully cooked bolognese pizza on a pizza pan with a napkin.

How to serve bolognese pizza

Let the pizza sit for a few minutes before cutting it into slices. A pizza cutter is the best option, but a sharp knife or even kitchen shears work as well.
If you want to have a side to go with bolognese pizza, then consider making a simple house salad with lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, and shredded carrots.

Storage of bolognese pizza

Tightly wrap pizza leftovers in foil, a zip-top bag, or in covered plasticware and store in the refrigerator. It will be good for 2-3 days. I do not recommend freezing the assembled pizza.
Leftover bolognese sauce will be good for 5 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen. The best way to do this is in a freezer zip-top bag. Lay the bag flat in the freezer to reserve space.
Leftover bolognese ideas include using it for a lasagna filling or eating it the traditional way with pasta. Try it with pappardelle or penne.
The best way to reheat pizza is in a skillet with a lid on the stove. It will heat faster than the oven, crisp the bottom, and the lid will ensure the cheese gets melty again. Set it on medium heat for 5-7 minutes.
Alternatively, you can reheat it in a 375°F oven on a sheet pan for 10-15 minutes, or enjoy cold (my favorite).

A hand lifting a slice of bolognese pizza off the pizza pan.

FAQ's

What exactly is bolognese sauce?

This sauce is a thick and hearty traditional Italian ragù or gravy. The main ingredient is the meat, as opposed to marinara sauce in which the main ingredient is tomato. Bolognese is simple, using only onions, celery, carrots, and garlic for seasoning (besides salt and pepper). However, its long simmer time, minced meat combination, and cream finish make this sauce entirely different from other classic tomato-based Italian pasta sauces.

What toppings go on bolognese pizza?

Bolognese pizza toppings consist of only the bolognese sauce (which is the meat and the pizza sauce) and cheese. This recipe only uses mozzarella cheese, but parmesan cheese would also be an excellent addition, as well as fresh basil leaves after the pizza is cooked.

Can I make this pizza bolognese recipe ahead of time?

Stored properly, you can make the sauce up to 5 days in advance. You can freeze the sauce, preferably in a zip-top bag, for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator.