An Opinionated Bolognese
- Pamela Marasco
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Food is not meant to be debated but enjoyed. Variations and opinions can be found all over the internet and at every kitchen table since it was first set.
Let me enter into the discussion with opinions about an Italian fan favorite, Bolognese Ragù. My devotion to this dish evolved over 20+ years taste traveling in Italy on road trips with our Italian family and friends including time spent in Emilia Romagna, the province of Italy that takes credit for its creation.
Ragù alla bolognese originated in the city of Bologna with recipes dating back to the late 18th and 19th centuries. It is a traditional dish of the region with an “official recipe”registered by the Accademia Italiana della Cucina (Italian Academy of Cuisine) in 1982 that is kept at the Bologna Chamber of Commerce. It is a dish I learned to cook from our Nonna and perfected from time spent in Italy.
That is why I always seem to take it personal when someone fiddles around with the recipe even if they are a Michelin star chef with the expertise, reputation and sprezzatura of Gordon Ramsay. Don’t take me wrong I love Ramsay’s food, I love his hair, I love his clothes from his chef whites to his T-shirts and jeans. So when I saw he had a recipe for a “rushed” version of a Bolognese Ragù, one of the most sacrosanct dishes in Italian cooking, I was about to go over the edge. A Bolognese ragù is a dish that defines the food culture of Italy and is considered one of the legendary traditions of cooking in Bologna with cooks whose resumes date back to the Middle Ages. A classic Italian dish that every time I make it brings Italy home. Yet like a moth to a candle I was drawn to Ramsay’s recipe.
My disdain begins with the title of Ramsay’s recipe “Spaghetti Bolognese” or “Bolognese Sauce – Simple and Authentic”. In English the word authentic means of undisputed origin; genuine; true. Some would debate the inclusion of that word in the description of this recipe. In Italian the word Bolognese means of, relating to, or characteristic of Bologna. In Bologna, an authentic Bolognese Ragù (meat sauce) is intended to be served with tagliatelle. Tagliatelle is the pasta of choice because the long flat porous ribbons of pasta allow the Bolognese sauce to cling to it perfectly, ensuring that every bite has the full flavor of the sauce. Bolognese is often paired with spaghetti outside of Italy but the result tends to be a pale version of the original. Unless the spaghetti it is a toothsome pasta, commercial spaghetti tends to be over-processed with a smooth surface which makes for a slippery noodle so that the sauce cannot cling to it and pools in the bottom of the plate.
Ramsay does advise making a soffrito (a slow sweat of finely diced onion, carrots and celery sauté in olive oil and/or butter often used in Italian cooking) and a mince of meat and milk. The mince creates a fine textured sauce and milk is essential to a ragù, especially in the style of Bologna. Bolognese Ragù has its roots in medieval times when meat tended to be gamy. Milk (never cream) was added to mellow the flavor and soften the texture. Adding milk helped to tenderize the meat, making it more palatable and easier to cook. Today milk (whole) balances the acidity of the tomatoes and adds a creaminess that enriches the sauce.
As to seasoning, Ramsay adds oregano and garlic. Here is where I take strong exception. This is not a spaghetti, marinara or meatball sauce. No basil, no garlic, no oregano. Some use a sprinkling of nutmeg but these additions vary among different families. In a Bolognese Ragù seasoning is just salt and pepper. This is a sauce for a purist. A sauce for one who appreciates meat (beef, pork, veal). As to tomatoes, Ragù alla Bolognese is a meat sauce, the tomato is a supporting player and should be used judiciously. Then he adds wine for complexity. White wine was in the designated recipe however red is acceptable. Then there is the 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce? Maybe it’s because Ramsay was raised in England that he feels a splash of Worcestershire enhances the flavor of the sauce but this is definitely not authentic to the recipe.
Ramsay’s recipe caters to time obsessed cooks and allows for a cook time of 25 minutes. If you are committed to making a classic Bolognese Ragù you must be capable of cooking the ragù low and slow for a minimum of 2.5 to 4 hours. Bubbling like a cauldron, low heat and slow cooking is the secret to an authentic Bolognese so that the rich flavors have a chance to develop. Ragù alla Bolognese is very tasty when just cooked, but is even better the next day.
As I said, in the end food is not meant to be debated but enjoyed. You call find recipes and opinions all over the internet and variations on this iconic dish from Bologna. Everyone has days when there is barely time to put dinner on the table. Those days are not the days to make a Bolognese Ragù. Accept it and wait for a day when you can give this dish the attention and respect it deserves. You will not be disappointed.
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