Every week --often with your help-- Food52's Senior EditorKristen Migloreis unearthing recipes that are nothing short of genius.
Today: A ragù that works around your schedule -- and might even be better than Nonna's, thanks to a secret ingredient or four.
It you're looking to make a correct bolognese or a definitive bolognese -- and you're looking to do so while avoiding scolding -- this is not the recipe for you.
There are times to make Bologna's saucy gift to the world -- a proper version, in all its delicate, slow-cooked glory. Let us appreciate it, and cook it sometimes -- but (please) let us also then play around with it, and make it new, ours, and, in our various ways, better.
Nigel Slater's version in The Kitchen Diaries is humbly named: "A really good spaghetti bolognese" doesn't begin to cover it. But it's not correct. In just about every way, it does the opposite of Marcella Hazan's bolognese, by many accounts the Platonic ideal.
More: Tomato sauce with onion and butter, another Platonic ideal from Marcella Hazan.
Hazan speaks to her sauce quietly, over long stretches. Plain ingredients -- ground beef, onion, celery, carrot -- melt. She doesn't brown a thing; she doesn't raise the knob above medium. "No less than 3 hours is necessary, more is better," she says. And that's after you've already watched tides of milk, then white wine, then tomatoes ebb away at a very, very slow simmer.
When you have a Sunday to loll near the stove, do this. If you want to really understand a classic bolognese, stand by, tasting here and there to see how the sauce mellows and sweetens and swells with time. To be fair, Hazan notes that you can stop at any point, then resume. But that doesn't get you to dinner in time for tonight.
In Slater's blasphemous, really good recipe, every step is brilliantly layered within the others, so that while your onions are softening, you're chopping carrots and celery; once they're in, it's onto the next.
The recipe is a model of kitchen efficiency and focus. If you're a compulsive mise-en-placer, that's okay (see ingredient shot above) -- you can still follow along.
Unlike in Hazan's standard of patience and virtue, heat gets cranked, and bits are left to color. On top of workaday soffrito, Slater pulls from the large-and-in-charge ingredient roster: there's pancetta, red wine, bay leaves. If you're feeling really hungry and feisty, there's even a ground lamb option, and it is outstanding. Perhaps most genius of all: there are portobello mushrooms.
Not only do the mushrooms plump up the earthy notes and umami, they also go all buttery and soft. Any textural subtlety you've lost in cooking your sauce a bit more aggressively is returned with the swollen swish of portobello. In about an hour and a half, you have an exceptionally supple, meaty ragù, one you'll consider eating without the interruption of pasta, or anything else on the plate.
But about that pasta. Slater calls for spaghetti. Counterpoint, Hazan: "Meat sauce in Bologna is never served over spaghetti." Fresh tagliatelle, yes. Lasagne, classic. Fresh tortellini, good. Twirly dry shapes like rigatoni, conchiglie, fusilli, irreproachable. We used linguine. Not irreproachable. But really good.
"I made it during the week," Food52er JadeTree told me when she sent it my way, "since I had a rare hour of freedom to chop (and chop you will), but we all agreed that this is company food, hands down. Just because you want a bigger crowd to marvel over it."
Nigel Slater's Really Good Spaghetti Bolognese
Adapted slightly from The Kitchen Diaries (Gotham Books, 2006)
Serves 4
For the bolognese:
4 tablespoons butter
3 ounces cubed pancetta
1 medium onion
2 fat cloves garlic
1 carrot
2 stalks celery
2 large, flat mushrooms such as portobello, about 4 ounces
2 bay leaves
1 pound ground beef or lamb
1 cup crushed tomatoes or passata
1/4 cupred wine
3/4 cupstock
A nutmeg
3/4 cuphalf-and-half or cream
To serve:
Spaghetti or tagliatelle for 4
Grated Parmesan
See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.
Got a genius recipe to share -- from a classic cookbook, an online source, or anywhere, really? Please send it my way (and tell me what's so smart about it) at[emailprotected].Thanks to Food52er JadeTree for this one!
Photos by James Ransom
FAQs
The best tip for intensifying the flavour of your sauce is just to cook it slowly on a low heat for a long time. This reduces the sauce and intensifies the flavours – four hours is not uncommon for my bolognese.
How to make your spaghetti bolognese better? ›
1. Swap the minced beef for hand-chopped beef as per the traditional ragu of Bologna, and cook it long and slow. 2. Instead of 1kg minced beef, use a mix of minced beef and minced pork, veal or chicken for extra sweetness.
What does adding milk to spaghetti bolognese do? ›
It sounds unconventional to use milk in a meaty red sauce, but upon further investigation, it makes total sense why Italians swear by it. According to our Food Director Amira, not only does milk add a rich flavour to the bolognese, but it also “helps cut through the acidity of the tomatoes and red wine”.
What is the difference between spaghetti bolognese and spag bol? ›
Spaghetti bolognese, or shortened to "spag bol" in the UK, is a popular pasta dish outside Italy, although not part of Italian cuisine. The dish is generally perceived as inauthentic by Italians.
What is the missing ingredient in bolognese sauce? ›
Add the secret ingredient, the anchovy fillets, and let it simmer for around two minutes. Despite being an unusual ingredient, you will not be able to taste the anchovy in the sauce and they should dissolve quickly. Place the bay leaves and thyme sprigs into the sauce and now it is time to let the bolognese sauce cook.
How do you add depth of flavor to bolognese? ›
Unlike standard meat sauces, which heavily rely on tomatoes, Bolognese sauce achieves its depth of flavor and richness through the addition of pancetta, lots of veggies, broth, wine, and a touch of milk.
Does bolognese taste better the longer you cook it? ›
Like most recipes the longer you leave it to slowly cook the better the flavour will be but this can also be knocked up with in an hour.
Why add vinegar to bolognese? ›
Undeniably one of the best known Italian dishes, Ragù is a Mazzetti family favourite. Our Balsamic Vinegar adds depth and flavour to this delicious Ragù recipe.
Do you simmer bolognese with the lid on or off? ›
Leave on low to simmer for 15-20 minutes minimum, lid off if you prefer a thicker sauce. This can be left for 60-90 minutes or longer but place a lid on to avoid reducing too much. If you're using dark chocolate or chilli, stir in 5 minutes before serving.
Do Italians use milk in bolognese? ›
Yes, milk is an essential ingredient in ragù. It must be added a little at a time, at the end. The quantity varies according to the quantity of meat used.
Ragu sometimes includes vegetable chunks, properly prepared Bolognese does not. Ragu typically uses red wine, while Bolognese calls for white. Bolognese uses very little tomato, while ragu sauces often feature tomatoes for most of the sauce's bulk.
Why do you put sugar in Bolognese sauce? ›
The reason for sprinkling a pinch of sugar into a simmering saucepan of tomatoes is simple: sugar cuts the acidity of the tomatoes and creates an overall more balanced sauce. The exact acid levels in tomatoes can vary quite a bit depending on whether they're fresh or canned, the tomato variety, and the time of year.
Do Italians put carrots in bolognese? ›
I think you're quite mistaken. Every Italian soffritto contains finely chopped carrots. If they're chopped properly, they will disappear into the sauce along with the chopped onions, chopped celery, and chopped garlic. If you see carrots in the sauce, like a boeuf-carrottes in France, there's something wrong.
What cut of meat is best for bolognese? ›
Marcella Hazan wrote that any cook can achieve a great ragù by being careful about a few basic points. First, the meat should not be from too lean a cut; the more marbled it is, the richer the ragù it makes. The most desirable cut of beef is the neck portion of the chuck.
What is the American version of spaghetti bolognese? ›
American Bolognese: A Fusion of Flavors
Beef broth or even a pinch of Worcestershire sauce can be used instead of wine in specific recipes. More herbs and spices are used, giving it a more robust, more nuanced flavour. This rich sauce is often served with linguine or spaghetti.
What can I add to bolognese to get more flavor? ›
For example, you could also… Add more herbs: Some fresh basil, sage or oregano would also be absolutely delicious simmered in this sauce or sprinkled on top. Make it spicy: Feel free to also add in more crushed red pepper flakes if you would like the sauce to have more of a kick.
Why does my bolognese taste bland? ›
Your spaghetti sauce may taste bland due to insufficient seasoning. Try adding more salt, herbs (like basil, oregano, or thyme), and other flavor enhancers like garlic, onion, or red pepper flakes. Also, a dash of sugar can balance flavors and bring out the natural sweetness of tomatoes.
How do you add richness to spaghetti sauce? ›
And if you're feeling really spunky, add some meaty richness to that sauce: crisp some bacon or brown sliced sausages or ground meat. For some veggie richness, sauté mushrooms or caramelize fennel in plenty of olive oil. If you're drinking wine, you can pour in a bit to deglaze the pan as you cook them.
How do you make sauce taste richer? ›
To make your sauce rich and luxurious, finish it with a pat of butter, a splash of cream or coconut cream, or a spoonful of yogurt, crème fraîche, or sour cream. 13. Swirl in some high-quality olive oil Adding a glug to the sauce just before serving gives it a similar richness and shine to butter without adding dairy.
