At culinary college, I absorbed a lot about the nature and origins of foods. And a lot of that has sunk so far into my bones, I sometimes assume everybody knows what I know… For instance, about the special nature of Bolognese Sauce…
I’ve given up pretending to be surprised when folks tell me they’re surprised to discover that genuine Bolognese pasta sauce is not just Marinara with ground beef thrown in…
Special provenance
To be true Bolognese, sauce, the stuff must be made according to the authen-tic recipe and method developed hund-reds of years ago in the Italian city of Bologna.
And make no mistake: It’s much more than just a ‘meat sauce’. It is, in fact, a specific variant of what the Italian cul-inary cognoscenti refer to as Ragù. Ori-ginally, that term referred to a specific dish that first appeared in the Bologna region in the late 17th Century.
Nowadays, ‘ragù’ is a general term that refers to any (traditionally) meat sauce that is cooked over low heat for a long period of time.
But ‘Ragù alla Bolognese’ remains a specific preparation distinguished from other ragùs by its ingred-ient roster. The list starts with onion, carrot and celery – which the French call Miropois – plus garlic, cream and red wine. Specifically, proper Bolognese sauce must contain a blend of ground beef and pork.
Take care with the tomatoes
Any real Italian cook will tell you there is no substitute for authentic proper Passata in a classic such as Bolognese. It’s nit just canned tomatoes or even a ‘refined’ tomato sauce. Passata is gently crush-ed Roma tomatoes, with the skins and seeds and any tough interior ribs sieved out.
And the real deal always comes in a glass bottle – not a metal can or plastic jar.
A little respect…
You can put together a simple Bolognese in under half an hour, start to finish, including all the veggie chopping and other prep. But you really should let it simmer low and slow, for two or three hours, to develop the amazing traditional flavour and consistency it’s famous for.
One way to distinguish a true, classic Bolognese from copycat ‘meat sauces’ is its thick, creamy, stick-to-the-past sauciness…
Speaking of which…
You can, of course, serve Bolognese sauce with any pasta you choose. But it’s classically served with long flat pasta. A specifically with nice, broad, plump Tagliatelle.
Marinara, as many non-Italians will know, often used as a dipping sauce for Calzones, Panzarotti and similar pastry-covered dishes. No real Italian will ever subject Bolognaise sauce to such a pedestrian come-down.
My take
Hillary Clinton popularized the ancient African tribal proberb, ‘It takes a village to raise a child’, in her 1966 book about her vision for the children of America.
The same might be said of a true, authentic Bolognese sauce. I takes an afternoon of careful prepar-ation, slow simmering, and loving, gentle stirring to make a worthy Bolognese. And ideally, the whole extended family should be in the house, sharing each other’s company…
I urge you to give real-deal Ragù alla Bolognese a try. Just remember: Everyone present must take a turn stirring the pot – to ensure prosperity, and good fortune for all!
~ Maggie J.