Last week the BBC had a segment about Italian chefs campaigning for better spaghetti
bolognese. It seems that the traditional ragu has changed into something that they no longer recognize as bolognese. There are a few rules that the classically trained Italian chefs cling to when making the sauce that others seem to ignore. I’ve made plenty of meat sauces, and even one or two authentic bologneses (bolognii, how is that conjugated?). I wasn’t always aware that bolognese referred to a specific recipe style and recipe, but just as a square is a specific type of rectangle, a bolognese is a specific type of meat sauce.
Bolognese with tagliatelle
There are a few key ingredients and methods that are overlooked by many when attempting a bolognese sauce. It’s not quite as simple as mixing ground beef and tomato suace together–that may make a good meat sauce, but it’s not a bolognese.
The two most often overlooked ingredients in a bolognese are white wine, and milk. Yes, white whine, and milk. Sounds odd to many people. The BBC segment even has reaction shots of people discovering their their beloved dish should be made with (gasp) milk!
A quick search online reveals many variations on the classic meat sauce recipe. Some recipes look nothing like the original with the additions of peppers, mushrooms, red wine, even cheeses directly into the sauce. I’ve attempted to keep my recipe basic without making any alarming changes. One difference I did adopt was instead of just beef and pancetta (or bacon), I use a mixture of beef, veal, and sausage to provide a complex base of meaty flavor.
Oh, and one thing the video points out is that is should be served with tagliatelle, not spaghetti. Italian chefs can be quick to point out that each shape and style of pasta is best suited for different kinds of sauce. The wide, semi-rough ribbons of tagliatelle make it ideal for thicker meatier sauces to cling to. Spaghetti can work, but it’s not ideal. The thin, round, slick strands make it difficult to hold the meat with the pasta. If you can’t find it in the store, go with fettuccine.
Pasta Bolognese
This recipe is time consuming, but most of the cooking time is passive. You just let it simmer away on the stove. To make the time spent more worthwhile, this recipe makes a very large batch, about 12 cups. I normally make the large batch and freeze it in about 3 cup quantities that are ideal for a pound of pasta. I also needed about 6 cups for something else… stay tuned next week to find out.
It’s adapted from many different sources, but looking at it now, it seems heavily influenced by Cooks Illustrated and Epicurious. But traditional is traditional and shouldn’t change much anyway. You can also put in a pinch of nutmeg when adding the milk. I just as often remember to add it as forget it. Either way, keep it to a small pinch.
Classic Bolognese
Makes 10-12 cups, recipe can be halved. 3 cups is good for 1 lb of pasta.
1 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions (1lb), minced fine
2 medium carrots (1/2 lb), minced fine
2 medium celery stalks (1/2 lb), minced find
4 cloves garlic, minced or mashed
1 lb beef, ground
1 lb veal, ground
1 lb pork, ground
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp pepper (1 1/2 tsp)
1 1/2 c milk
pinch freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
1 1/2 c white wine
2 28-oz cans crusted tomatoes
Directions
1. Heat a large pot over medium heat with a tablespoon of olive oil. When hot, add the vegetables and garlic. Cook for about 12 minutes, until the vegetables are tender, but not browned. Reduce the heat if necessary.
2. Add the meats, salt and sugar and mix thoroughly. Cool just until it looses the raw color, but not yet fully cooked.
3. Add the milk and bring to a slow simmer until most of the liquid evaporates, about 25 minutes. If using nutmeg, add a pinch now.
4. Add the wine and continue the slow simmer until most of that liquid evaporates, another 25 minutes.
5. Add the tomatoes with the juices from the cans. Continue the slow simmer for about three hours. (I leave it uncovered, but put a spatter screen over the top to catch any spatter.)
1 comment
[...] Bolognese [...]