Bolognese is a meat sauce made from beef, dried pancetta, carrot, celery and tomato sauce. The inclusion of milk, white wine and pepper is also done. Instead of beef, a delicious sauce can be made with pork, rabbit, goose or chicken. The timing of cooking Bolognese varies persistently with the type of meat used. The original recipe needs to be cooked for around six hours to get the best taste. In Italian it is known as ragu alla Bolognese and sauce bolognaise in French. Though only a little of tomatoes are used in Bolognese yet it is often considered a tomato sauce. There are countless variations for the preparation of the dish and thus the classic Ragu recipe was registered in 1982. The Bolognese recipe is an essential sauce used to make a variety of spaghetti, pastas or lasagna. It may be served fresh or persevered for a few days. Some readymade Bolognese sauces are available in the market which normally does not contain any added color or preservatives.
Origin of Bolognese Recipe
Bolognese has its origin back to the Middle Ages around 16th century of an Italian region, Bologna and was made without tomatoes or garlic. Originally no herbs were used for seasoning. The authentic Bolognese recipe was registered by the Bologna Chamber of Commerce on 17th October, 1982. The meat sauce cooked with spaghetti is renowned in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. The recipe is also common in the Chinese cuisine which is quite distinct from their traditional noodles. Sometimes it is used in the cuisines of U.K. and U.S. too.
Ingredients and Method of Preparing Bolognese
Bolognese is a popular Italian sauce with wide variations and thus, a recipe of this unique sauce was registered. The ingredients for Bolognese recipe are beef, dried pancetta, carrot, celery, onion, tomato sauce, milk and red wine. The pancetta is cut to cubes and melted to which the chopped vegetables are cooked till they softens. Then, after mixing in the ground beef the sauce is kept to boil. Later, wine and tomato puree are mixed. Slowly milk is stirred in and the sauce is left to simmer. Seasoning is done with salt and pepper. It is mentioned in some famous Italian cookbooks that longer is the time for cooking Bolognese the better will be its taste. The cooking time may even extend to 5-6 hours. There are innumerable procedures of making the meat sauce with various combinations of ingredients. Some popular Bolognese recipe may also include onion and garlic. The flavors of the sauce can be enriched with honey, paprika, oregano, black pepper and hot chili paste. The prepared sauce can be poured on the cooked pasta especially green pasta or on spaghetti to make some awesome dishes.
Variations in Bolognese Dishes
The beef in Bolognese can be altered with some other meat which may be chopped pork, goose liver, beef and flesh of chicken or rabbit. The cooking time differs with the choice of meat. Sometimes use of both butter and olive oil or any one of them may be done in the dish. Fresh deseeded tomatoes or any type of tomato sauce may be used. Addition of mushroom in Bolognese is also getting popular these days. Seasoning may vary from region to region. Traditionally the inclusion of garlic and herbs was not done but the modern recipes in addition to garlic include a variety of seasonings. Some hot Bolognese recipe variations include chili. For a richer taste, cream may also be complemented. The wine can sometimes be replaced with little chicken stock or Balsamic Vinegar.
Serving Bolognese
Bolognese is used in varied forms to form some authentic Italian dishes. The sauce may be served hot or may be refrigerated for a few days to reserve the original flavors. Being a fatty food it is usually a part of dinner or get-together parties and not a part of the daily food. Traditionally, it was served with ribbon egg noodles but today it is served with a variety of pasta and spaghetti. Hot sauce poured on Spaghetti and topped with grated Parmigiano cheese is very popular among the Italian food lovers. The combinations of Bolognese and béchamel sauce make the really delicious Lasagne.
Some Health Facts to Bolognese Recipe
Bolognese is a highly caloric and a popular sauce from the Italian cuisine. Though it forms the base of numerous Italian recipes, it is a very rich and fatty food which should not be consumed on daily basis. The beef or any other meat used makes it a fattier food. It contains high proportion of fat and cholesterol. Substantial amount of sodium, magnesium and potassium is present in a Bolognese recipe. In some sauces, dietary fiber and vitamins may be present.