Dairy Free Bolognese

This dairy free bolognese is the perfect comforting weeknight meal. It has all the heartiness and flavor of traditional bolognese without the dairy. While authentic bolognese doesn’t have garlic, I added it into this recipe because I’m a huge fan of garlic and think it adds another layer of flavor. The sauce is slow cooked to perfection. Serve it with the pasta of your choice and fresh basil for a meal the whole family will love.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Perfect cozy meal.
• Hearty & delicious.
• Packed with flavor.
• Dairy free.
• Easy to make.
• Made with wholesome ingredients.
• Great when cooking for a crowd.
• Family favorite.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Extra virgin olive oil. This is used to sauté the garlic and onion.
• Ground beef. 1 lb of 85% lean ground beef.
• Ground pork. 1 lb of ground pork. You can sub with 2 lbs of ground beef but the pork adds incredible flavor.
• Carrots. 2 large carrots, peeled and finely diced.
• Celery. 2 stalks of celery, finely diced.
• Yellow onion. Medium yellow onion, finely diced. You can use a sweet or red onion as well.
• Garlic. 1 clove of garlic, minced. Authentic bolognese doesn’t use garlic but I think it adds great flavor.
• Tomato puree/passata. 2 1/4 cups of tomato puree/passata. You can also easily make it homemade using 2 lbs of plum tomatoes.
• Coconut milk. This will give the creaminess of milk but without the dairy. Use 1 13.5 oz can of full fat coconut milk.
• Red wine. A medium-bodied red wine with a moderate tannins, like a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Pinot Noir is the best to use for this dairy free bolognese. You can use a dry white wine if needed. If you don’t have wine you can use beef broth.
• Tomato paste. 2 tbsp of tomato paste.
• Seasonings. Salt, pepper, and bay leaves.

How to Make Dairy Free Bolognese

Step 1

Sauté the veggies. In a large heavy pot, add olive oil then carrots, onion, celery and garlic. Cook covered on a long heat for about 3-5 minutes or until onion is translucent and aromatic.

Step 2

Cook the meat. Add the pork and beef into the pot and increase heat to medium. Cook meat, breaking apart until browned, about 5 minutes.

Step 3

Add the wine. Once the meat is browned, add in wine and turn the heat to high. Cook for about 1 minute, allowing the the alcohol to evaporate.

Step 4

Add tomato paste, puree, and seasonings. Add the tomato paste, puree, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Simmer for three hours (the mixture should not boil). Stir occasionally.

Step 5

Add coconut milk. After the 3 hours of simmering, remove bay leaf and add in the can of coconut milk. Stir to combine and cook for another 3-5 minutes. For a thicker sauce, stick in an immersion blender and blend the meat sauce. This will finally mince everything.

Step 6

Serve & enjoy! Serve the dairy free bolognese with pasta of choice, fresh basil and fresh cracked pepper.

Expert Tips

• In traditional bolognese there is also pancetta, feel free to add this in if you want even more flavor.
• Make sure the beef you are using is more on the fatty side. I would use 85% lean.
• For the best dairy free bolognese, use an immersion blender at the end to finely mince and thicken the sauce.
• Typically the thicker the sauce, the thicker the noodle you would eat it with. This dairy free bolognese is best served with pappardelle or fettuccine noodles.
• A medium-bodied dry red wine with a moderate tannins, like a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Pinot Noir is the best to use. You can use a dry white wine if needed. If you don’t have wine you can use beef broth.
• When sauce is simmering, make sure you don’t let it boil. The lower the heat and the slower the simmer, the better it will be.

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