Spaghetti bolognese is one of the most popular homecooked meals, yet it isn't really an Italian dish. Andrew Adrian, of Slow Food Johannesburg, says one would be hard pressed to find it in Italy.
The authentic bolognese sauce, originating in the Emilia Romagna region and the city of Bologna, would be served on tagliatelle and not spaghetti. The website for the International Day of Italian Cuisines provides the background and instructions to make a traditional tagliatelle al ragu bolognese.
What comes across is that the success of the dish depends on the very best quality ingredients and long slow cooking. I opted to try two recipes rated authentic on the site, as well as a recipe by Heston Blumenthal who is renowned for investigating the origins of dishes in his TV show, In Search of Perfection.
Another point made by Andrew Adrian was that if home-made pasta is used, it has to be rolled on the very thinnest setting on the pasta machine. In Italy you can get special flour for making pasta, which is not available in our country. I made a batch of pasta using cake flour which, while not as good as bought Italian pasta, turned out really well and was fun to make.
In his instruction to his dish, chef Mario Caramella says: 'If you do not have the right flour, the know-how and the right environment, do not make your own pasta. You'd better use an Italian industrial product, which is actually good and will give you a good result and a consistent standard.'
MARIO CARAMELLA'S RECIPE
Serves 6
200g pancetta, diced (alternatively use bacon)
1 onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
3 stalks celery, finely diced
3 bay leaves
600g beef mince
400g pork mince
salt and pepper
300ml dry white wine
2189 x 400g cans of chopped tomatoes
500ml full cream milk
500g tagliatelle
Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, freshly grated
Put the pancetta in a large saucepan and cook over a low heat until it releases its fat. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add carrot, celery and bay leaves and cook until they start to soften.
Combine the meats, season well and mix thoroughly with your hands. Turn up the heat and add the meat. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the meat is browned.
Add the wine and cook until it has evaporated. Puree the tomatoes in a blender and add. Turn the heat down and simmer gently, adding the milk gradually, over 2 hours.
Cook the pasta until al dente and drain. Put the pasta in a pasta bowl and spoon the hot sauce over, serving with freshly grated cheese on the side. Provide a spoon and a fork so diners can mix their own pasta.
- As pancetta is not easily available, I used finely-diced smoked rashers. Streaky bacon would also be acceptable.
- Comment: The dish was reasonably simple to prepare and the long slow cooking resulted in a very rich tomato-based sauce mellowed by the addition of the milk
THE ITALIAN ACADEMY OF CUISINE'S RECIPE
Serves 4
150g pancetta
1 small carrot, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 small onion, peeled and diced
300g beef mince
125ml dry white wine
200g canned, chopped tomatoes
250ml full cream milk
salt and pepper
Dice the pancetta finely and place in a saucepan with the vegetables. Cook until vegetables are soft.
Add the beef and cook, stirring, until browned.
Add the wine and the tomatoes and simmer very gently, adding the milk little by little.
Season to taste and serve with tagliatelle and Parmesan cheese.
Comment: This was the easiest recipe to make. It did not have as much tomato as Chef Mario Caramella's recipe and was not as rich and creamy, although it was still very tasty.
HESTON BLUMENTHAL'S BOLOGNESE SAUCE
Serves 4
50ml peanut oil
50g unsalted butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 star anise
1 large carrot, peeled and finely diced
4 stalks celery, finely diced
300g best quality beef mince
salt and pepper
150ml full cream milk
nutmeg
150ml dry white wine
400g can of chopped tomatoes
500g dried tagliatelle, cooked
Parmesan cheese
Put oil and butter in an ovenproof saucepan, add the onion, garlic and star anise and cook over a low heat for 30 minutes.
Add the carrots and cook for 20 minutes. Add the celery and cook for a couple of minutes.
Add the mince and press into the vegetables, and then cook for 20 minutes. Season well, add the milk and a grating of fresh nutmeg. Cook until the milk has evaporated, about 30 minutes. Add the wine and tomatoes and stir through.
Place in the oven at 110°C with the lid of the saucepan slightly ajar. Cook for 6 hours. Remove from oven and check the seasoning.
Serve with the pasta and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Comment: The result was a sauce with a very rich flavour but I doubt that I will ever make it again. It was the most laborious recipe I have ever prepared - more than an hour and a half to prepare and then six hours in the oven.
The underlying flavour of star anise, while not unpleasant, seemed out of place. The one advantage was that, once in the oven, this recipe did not require as much attention as a stove-top version.