Meat sauce is a popular American spaghetti sauce made by simmering ground beef with tomato sauce. Yes, bolognese (also known as Ragù alla bolognese in Italy) is made with tomatoes, but it has a deeper flavor profile, more body, and a heartier texture than meat sauce. The key difference is that the meat is added to the bolognese sauce at the end of the cooking process rather than cooking the sauce and meat together.