Any free time? If yes maybe today is the best day to try out this legendary recipe. It does take a couple of hours but the results will be worth every second. This article will showcase the recipe for Bolognese sauce, one of the most famous Italian recipes around the world.
Bolognese ragù, from the French term ‘ragout’, which used to indicate a Provencal meat soup, has grown until becoming one of the foundations of the Italian kitchen. That term in France was used to indicate soups made of finely cut pieces of meat which were slowly cooked on the fire. Nowadays, It has become a sauce for, tagliatelle, lasagne, or other kinds of fresh pasta, that is made of principally minced meat and tomato paste. Even though it is a long preparation, every step is pretty straightforward and does not necessitate expert skills. Moreover, the ingredients are very easy to find all around the world, and this contributed to its fame outside Italy, in particular in America where the Spaghetti alla Bolognese became one of the most representative dishes of the Italian-American culture.
In fact, as with most traditional recipes there exist more recent versions of it with slight variations, but the main cornerstones remain mostly unaltered: the mix of celery, carrot and onion which gets thrown in the pan first, the minced meat of both pig and cow, to which it gets added a fatter cut such as pancetta or sausage. This gets deglazed with wine and cooked with tomato paste. Lastly, as the tradition says, milk is added.
These are the traditional steps cited on the document deposited at the Chamber of Commerce of Bologna on the 17th of October of 1982. This made the Bolognese sauce recipe official and protected so that it will maintain its traditional ingredients throughout the years against the winds of digitalisation.
Before starting there are a few things to know: The cooking process of the ragù has to be a slow one, and the salt is better to add at the end of the cooking process to regulate better the taste and not exceed saltiness, as other ingredients are naturally salty, like the pancetta. If the sauce gets too dry during the preparation, a scoop of stock can be added. The addition of milk does contrast with the acidity of the tomato. Lastly, the preferable pan, as it is a long cooking process needs a thick lower part, which can be cast iron or terracotta. In case you do not have it, you can purchase one through the link below!
But other deep pans are good too, in fact, I will be using another type that will be shown later. Said this, now that the important points have been encompassed, it is time to dive into the preparation.
Ragù alla Bolognese Preparation
Ingredients:
- 600 g tomato paste;
- 250 g minced meat (pig);
- 400 g minced meat (cow);
- 125 g pancetta;
- 1 Stalk of celery;
- 1 Carrot;
- 1 Onion;
- 125 ml white wine;
- Olive Oil;
- 25 g butter;
- Salt;
- Pepper.
Preparation
- The first thing to think about is the fry made of celery, carrot and onion that anticipates the meat. Peer the carrot and the onion. Chop the vegetables very finely. This step can also be made using a mixer if a very fine fry is preferred. These can be found in the link below.
- Turn on the hob and place on it a pan with a drizzle of olive oil on it. Add the butter as well and, if having one, a bay leaf or a rosemary stalk, which will increase the aromas of the dish. Successively, add the vegetables and make them fry for a couple of minutes until they become soft.
- While the vegetables are cooking, cut the pancetta into strips, and then small cubes, if not already bought in this version. Once the vegetables have softened add the pancetta and stir well to combine the flavours.
- After the pancetta is time to pour the minced meat, both the bovine and the pork. Stir everything really well until the minced meat loses its red colour. Proceed to pour the wine and make it evaporate.
- Once the smell of alcohol goes away is when the wine completely evaporated. After this, add the tomato paste to the mixture and stir everything once again. This phase needs the hob at low heat as the cooking process needs to be slow. Moreover, the lid needs to stay on the pan and it takes around two hours and a half to cook properly. If during the cooking time, the sauce gets too dry, a scoop of stock can be added.
- Once the two hours and a half have passed, it is time to add the salt, the pepper and the milk. Stir everything very well until the milk is absorbed.
- Your Bolognese Ragù is ready to be served! Add this to lasagnas or fresh pasta dishes and you will understand why this recipe is so fiercely protected.
What an incredible dish, and what a fun activity to do during a boring afternoon or morning on a weekend! Even though it takes some time to make it, every step is pretty easy to make and incredibly rewarding. It is even possible to make it and store it in glass jars and placed it in the refrigerator to use it another time!
To do this recipe like a real Bolognese chef we used a sharp knife to cut the vegetables finely, a chopping board, and a deep steel pan which can all be purchased through the links below
This recipe was made by Dr Cooker, if you enjoyed it, like it, share it, or even comment, as we would love to hear what you think about it! If searching for other great recipes or kitchenware reviews, go to Dr Cooker’s homepage, here you will find loads of interesting articles which will help you navigate the dangerous kitchen realms. Instead, if wanting to stay updated about new blog posts and articles follow us on our social media channels through the links below!
Thank you very much and that is all, from Dr Cooker!
