Bolognese sauce
Bolognese sauce (Italian: ragù alla bolognese) is a meat-based sauce for pasta originating from Bologna, Italy. It is customarily used to dress tagliatelle and may also be used used to prepare "lasagne alla Bolognese". In Bologna ragù all Bolognese is known simply as ragù.
Outside of Italy Bolognese sauce often refers to a tomato sauce with meat (beef or pork) added, and typically bears little resemblance to Ragù alla Bolognese.
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[edit] Origin and History
Ragù alla Bolognese, as a sauce for pasta, follows the origin of ragùs in Italian cuisine. The first known reference to ragù as a pasta sauce dates to the very late 18th century, and originated in Imola, very near to the city of Bologna.[1] The first recipe for a meat sauce characterized as being Bolognese came from Pellegrino Artusi and was included in his cookbook published in 1891. [2] Artusi's recipe, Maccheroni alla Bolognese, is believed to have originated from the middle 19th century when he spent considerable time in Bologna. In Artusi's era maccheroni was a generic term for pasta, both dried and fresh.[3]
Artusi's sauce called for predominantly lean veal filet along with pancetta, butter, onion, and carrot. The meats and vegetables were to be finely minced, cooked with butter until the meats browned, then covered and cooked with broth. Artusi added that the sauce could be made even tastier adding small pieces of dried mushroom, a few truffle slices, or a chicken liver cooked with the meat and cut into tiny chunks. He further added that when the sauce was completely done you could add as a final touch half a glass of cream to make an even more delicate dish. For service Artusi recommended a medium size pasta made from durum wheat. The pasta was to be made fresh, cooked, drained, and then flavored with the sauce and Parmigiano cheese.
[edit] Evolution and Variations
In the century-plus since Artusi recorded and subsequently published his recipe for Maccheroni alla Bolognese, what is now ragù alla Bolognese has evolved with the cuisine of the region. Most notable is the preferred choice of pasta, which today is widely recognized as fresh tagliatelle . Another reflection of the evolution of the cuisine over the past 150 years is the addition of tomato, either as a puree or as a concentrated paste, to the common mix of ingredients. Similarly, both wine and milk appear today in the list of ingredients in many of the contemporary recipes, and beef has mostly displaced veal as the dominant meat.
In 1982 an organization dedicated to preserving the culinary heritage of Italy, Accademia Italiana della Cucina (Italian Academy of Cuisine), documented a recipe for “Ragù classico Bolognese” (classic Bolognese sauce), and subsequently recorded and deposited it with the Bologna Chamber of Commerce (formally, La Camera di Commercio di Bologna). [4] [5] [6] A version of the academy’s recipe developed for American kitchens was also developed and published. [1]
The academy’s recipe confines the ingredients to beef from the plate section (cartella di manzo), fresh bacon (pancetta di maiale distesa), onions, carrot, celery, tomato sauce or tomato paste, meat broth, dry wine (red or white, not bubbling), milk, salt and pepper. Optional but recommended is addition of a small amount of cream at the end of the preparation.
Today there are many variations and recipes among even Italian chefs.[7] [8] [9] [10] When popular American chefs known for their expertise in Italian cuisine are included, the range of variations expands even further. [11] [12]
Ragù alla Bolognese is a complex dish that involves a mix of cooking techniques, including sweating, sauté and braising, and as such lends itself well to interpretation and adaptation by professional chefs and home cooks alike. Common sources of differences include which meats to use (beef, pork or veal) and their relative quantities, the possible inclusion of either cured meats or offal, which fats are used in the saute phases (rendered pork fat, butter, olive or vegetable oil), what form of tomato is employed (fresh, canned or paste), the makeup of the cooking liquids (wine, milk, tomato juices, or broth) and their specific sequence of addition.
The numerous variations among recipes for ragù alla Bolognese have led many to search for the definitive, authentic recipe. [13] Some have suggested the recipe registered by the Accademia Italiana della Cucina in 1982 as the “most authentic”. [14] But this would be inconsistent with the academy’s own beliefs and statements about either its mission or its standard of “faithful to tradition” in documenting and preserving Italy’s culinary heritage. [15] [16] Prominent Italian chef Mario Caramella stated, "In Italy, there are several traditional recipes of Tagliatelle al ragù alla Bolognese with more or less slight variations". [9] As stated by noted chef, culinary teacher, food writer, and authority on the cuisine of Bologna, “There are as many versions of Ragù Bolognese as there are versions of tomato sauce and pizza! “ [10] U.K. cookbook author and food writer Felicity Cloake concluded, "The fact is that there is no definitive recipe for a bolognese meat sauce, but to be worthy of the name, it should respect the traditions of the area",[13] a view consistent with that expressed often by l'Accademia Italiana della Cucina.
While the number of variations are significant, there are characteristic commonalities. Garlic is absent from all of the recipes referenced above, as are herbs other than the limited use of Bay leaves by some. Seasoning is limited to salt, pepper and the occaisonal pinch of nutmeg. In all of the recipes meats dominate as the principle ingredient, and while tomatoes in some form are included their use is restrained relative to the meat components.
[edit] Traditional Service and Use
In Bologna ragù alla Bolognese is customarily paired and served with tagliatelle, made with eggs and northern Italy’s soft wheat flour. Acceptable alternatives to fresh tagliatelle include other broad flat pasta shapes, such as pappardelle or fettucine , and tube shapes, such as rigatoni and penne. [17] “Serving spaghetti with Bolognese sauce is actually a sign of mediocrity in the understanding of Italian cuisine.”[9]
Ragù alla Bolognese along with béchamel is also used by many Italian chefs to prepare traditional baked lasagna in the Bolognese style. [7]
[edit] International Day of Italian Cuisines (IDIC) 2010
Gruppo Virtuale Cucohi Italiani (GVCI), an international organization and network of culinary professionals dedicated to authentic Italian cuisine, annually organizes and promotes an “International Day of Italian Cuisines” (IDIC). In 2010 tagliatelle al ragu alla Bolognese was the official dish for IDIC.[18] The event, held on January 17, 2010, included participation by 450 professional chefs in 50 countries who prepared the signature dish according to “an authentic” recipe provided by chef Mario Caramella.[9] Media coverage was broad internationally,[19] but reports often incorrectly identified the recipe followed as that of l’Accademia Italiana della Cucina, and some included stock photographs of spaghetti Bolognese.[13] [20]
[edit] Spaghetti Bolognese
Spaghetti alla bolognese, spaghetti bolognese, esparguete à bolonhesa or spaghetti bolognaise in a form popular outside of Italy consists of a meat sauce served on a bed of spaghetti, often with a good sprinkling of grated Parmigiano cheese. It consists of ground beef, tomato, onion, spices, possibly cream and additional vegetables such as carrots, celery, or parsnip. Although spaghetti alla bolognese is very popular outside of Italy, it never existed in Bologna.
In recent decades, the dish has become very popular in Australia, Germany, Hungary, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway, especially among children. It is called spagetti med köttfärssås, in Swedish, spagetti ja jauhelihakastike, in Finnish, spaghetti med kødsovs in Danish, bolognai spagetti in Hungarian, and spaghetti og kjøttdeig in Norwegian, or simply bolognese. A version is popular in the United Kingdom, referred to colloquially as spag bol. In the United States, the term 'bolognese' is sometimes applied to a tomato-and-ground-beef sauce that bears little resemblance to the ragù served in Bologna.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Kasper, Lynne Rossetto, The Spendid Table, Morrow, ISBN 0-688-08963-1
- ^ Artusi, Pellegrino, Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well (English translation), recipe 87, University of Toronto Press, ISBN 0-8020-8704-3
- ^ Zanini De Vita, Oretta, Encyclopedia of Pasta, University of California Press, ISBN 978-0-520-2522-7
- ^ Original in Italian: http://www.gvci.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=572&Itemid=975 ;retrieved March 2, 2012
- ^ English translation: http://www.itchefs-gvci.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=587&Itemid=976 ;retrieved March 2, 2012
- ^ Video demonstration in Italian: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWr_4nOmmyg&feature=fvsr
- ^ a b Hazan, Marcella Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, Knopf, ISBN 0-394-58404-X
- ^ http://www.itchefs-gvci.com/?option=com_content&view=article&id=457&Itemid=900, retrieved March 2, 2012
- ^ a b c d http://www.itchefs-gvci.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=585&Itemid=975, retrieved March 2, 2012
- ^ a b http://www.internationalcookingschool.com/recipes-la-cucina-ragu-bolognese.php, retrieved March 2, 2012
- ^ Bertolli, Paul, Cooking by Hand, Potter, ISBN 0-609-60893-2
- ^ http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mario-batali/tagliatelle-al-ragu-recipe/index.html , retrieved March 2, 2012
- ^ a b c http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/nov/25/how-to-make-perfect-bolognese ; retrieved March 2, 2012
- ^ http://www.itchefs-gvci.com/?option=com_content&view=article&id=461&Itemid=904 ; retrieved March 2, 2012
- ^ http://www.accademiaitalianacucina.it/en_index.php ; retrieved March 2, 2012
- ^ Accademia Italian dell Cucina, La Cucina – The Regional Cooking of Italy, Rizzoli, 2009, ISBN 978—0-8478-3147-0 (English Translation of La Cucina del Bel Paese)
- ^ Hazan, Giuliano, The Classic Pasta Cookbook, Dorling Kindersley, ISBN 978-1564582928
- ^ http://www.itchefs-gvci.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=142&Itemid=1130, retrieved March 2, 2012
- ^ http://www.itchefs-gvci.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=150&Itemid=951, retrieved March 2, 2012
- ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/7017565/Italian-chefs-tell-world-how-to-make-correct-bolognese.html, retrieved March 2, 2012
[edit] Further reading
- Hazen, Marcella The Classic Italian Cookbook Knopf. ISBN 0-394-40510-2
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Pasta Bolognese |
- Accademia Italiana della Cucina (Italian Academy of Cuisine)
- Ragu Bolognese recipe from Mario Batali and Gourmet Magazine
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Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on |
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