What is Bolognese?
Bolognese is a meat-based sauce. Traditional Bolognese sauce incorporates ground beef, onions, tomatoes, and a variety of herbs and spices. The sauce is usually slow-cooked for several hours to allow the flavours to develop and the meat to become tender. This creates a rich, savoury sauce often served with pasta, and is sometimes used as a filling for lasagne.
While Bolognese sauce is a popular dish around the world, there is no ‘official’ recipe, as chefs and families have their own variations. However, the basic ingredients and cooking process remain reasonably consistent.
In Italy, Bolognese sauce is traditionally served with tagliatelle, the wide, flat noodles of tagliatelle are perfect for catching and holding onto the rich sauce. However, Bolognese sauce can also be served with other types of pasta, such as spaghetti, rigatoni or pappardelle, and it can also be used as a sauce for gnocchi or polenta. Additionally, Bolognese sauce is used as a topping for pizza or as a filling for stuffed pasta like tortellini or ravioli.
Today, Bolognese sauce is enjoyed around the world and is a favourite topping for a variety of pasta types and dishes. While the Bolognese has evolved over time, the basic ingredients and cooking techniques have remained the same, allowing this classic Italian sauce to be enjoyed all over.
Who invented spaghetti Bolognese?
The inventor of Spaghetti Bolognese is unknown, and no single person has been credited for this tasty dish. It is believed to be an adaptation of the traditional Bolognese sauce, which has been served with various types of pasta in Italy for centuries.
History of spaghetti Bolognese
Ragù alla Bolognese, referred to as Bolognese sauce, is a meat-based sauce originating from the city of Bologna in northern Italy. Bolognese sauce was served as a topping for tagliatelle, a flat, ribbon-like pasta, enjoyed by many in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. The origins of Bolognese sauce are believed to date back to the late 18th century. The first recorded reference to a meat sauce served with pasta can be traced back to the Italian cookbook "Artusi." This sauce, made with minced meat, onions, and tomatoes, was served with tagliatelle, but did not include the celery, carrots, and red wine that are typically used in modern-day Bolognese sauce.
Over time, the sauce became popular and was adapted, being served with other types of pasta such as, spaghetti. Spaghetti Bolognese was created outside of Italy in the 20th century, it has particularly gained popularity in the United Kingdom and United States. It simply combines the Bolognese sauce with spaghetti, it is a prevalent dish in households and restaurants around the world.
Spaghetti Bolognese at Prezzo
Head down to Prezzo to try our mouth-watering spaghetti Bolognese, slowly braised beef and red wine ragu poured on perfectly cooked spaghetti. A delicious vegan option is available, spaghetti topped with meat-free Bolognese with a rich tomato and red wine sauce. The Bolognese dishes are topped off with grated Parmesan or vegan cheese for a chef's kiss. Order a tasty garlic bread or side salad to make it a meal to remember. Book your table now.