Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What makes bolognese different than spaghetti sauce? ›

Spaghetti sauce often uses canned tomatoes as opposed to fresh ones, so the taste isn't quite as bright and fresh as bolognese, which makes use of chopped up fresh vegetables rather than sauces from a jar or tin.

The best tip for intensifying the flavour of your sauce is just to cook it slowly on a low heat for a long time. This reduces the sauce and intensifies the flavours – four hours is not uncommon for my bolognese.

"A splash of whole milk sounds odd but is authentic, and actually does make it taste better." "Brown sugar, tomato ketchup, porcini." "I have a friend who has been adding a cup of freshly-brewed coffee to a big batch of Bolognese sauce and she swears by it!" "I add a teaspoon of Marmite to mine."

Even though both are considered meat sauces and are thusly chunky, ragù is more like a thick tomato sauce with recognizable bits of ground beef within it. Bolognese, though, is creamier and thicker because it is made with milk. It is not considered to be a tomato sauce.

Q1: What is the distinction between traditional and American Bolognese? A1: While some of the ingredients in bolognese are similar to those in American-style spaghetti meat sauce, authentic bolognese is thicker, has milk added (which is delicious), and uses far less tomato.

For Meat Sauces

Known as Bolognese in Italy, these classic slow-simmered sauces are often a Sunday treat at Nonna's house. If you want to best capture these hearty sauces, serve them with traditional tube-shaped pasta—like Rigatoni and Tortiglioni—or deep scoopable shapes like Shells and Orecchiette.

No, we put sugar in sweets, not in savory dishes. If you happened to buy tomatoes that are acidic you may try to correct that with a pinch of sugar or, better, with some milk. But acidic tomatoes are not common nowadays.

"A pinch of sugar is a Southern Italian trick that was used when the sauce was made with end-of-season tomatoes that did not get ripe, or the tomatoes were so tart they needed to be balanced," Chiarello explained to Epicurious.

Should you put sugar in spaghetti bolognese? ›

If you've ever whipped up a homemade tomato sauce only to find it's searingly acidic, you're not alone. Thankfully, there's an easy fix. Sugar in spaghetti sauce is the secret ingredient that will transform a classic dish like spaghetti and meatballs into absolute perfection.

Just add seasoning and the flavour will be completely different from what you're used to. You can add various herbs, too. Try a teaspoon of dried Italian mixed herbs (added at the start) or a tablespoon of fresh, chopped oregano (added towards the end) in the meat sauce.

Tossing in strips of basil, a sprig of thyme or some oregano can take your sauce to the next level. Although fresh herbs might pop a bit more, dried herbs and spices can work just as well. Sprinkling in some red pepper flakes, a pinch of parsley and a dash of salt and pepper can liven up your jarred pasta sauce.

According to our Food Director Amira, not only does milk add a rich flavour to the bolognese, but it also “helps cut through the acidity of the tomatoes and red wine”. She adds: “It also makes the mince meat nice and tender, creating that melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness.”