Nigel Slater's Spaghetti Bolognese - Genius Recipe (2024)

Every week --often with your help-- Food52's Senior EditorKristen Migloreis unearthing recipes that are nothing short of genius.

Today: A ragù that works around your schedule -- and might even be better than Nonna's, thanks to a secret ingredient or four.

Nigel Slater's Spaghetti Bolognese - Genius Recipe (1)

It you're looking to make a correct bolognese or a definitive bolognese -- and you're looking to do so while avoiding scolding -- this is not the recipe for you.

There are times to make Bologna's saucy gift to the world -- a proper version, in all its delicate, slow-cooked glory. Let us appreciate it, and cook it sometimes -- but (please) let us also then play around with it, and make it new, ours, and, in our various ways, better.

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Nigel Slater's Spaghetti Bolognese - Genius Recipe (2) Nigel Slater's Spaghetti Bolognese - Genius Recipe (3)

Nigel Slater's version in The Kitchen Diaries is humbly named: "A really good spaghetti bolognese" doesn't begin to cover it. But it's not correct. In just about every way, it does the opposite of Marcella Hazan's bolognese, by many accounts the Platonic ideal.

More: Tomato sauce with onion and butter, another Platonic ideal from Marcella Hazan.

Hazan speaks to her sauce quietly, over long stretches. Plain ingredients -- ground beef, onion, celery, carrot -- melt. She doesn't brown a thing; she doesn't raise the knob above medium. "No less than 3 hours is necessary, more is better," she says. And that's after you've already watched tides of milk, then white wine, then tomatoes ebb away at a very, very slow simmer.

Nigel Slater's Spaghetti Bolognese - Genius Recipe (4)

When you have a Sunday to loll near the stove, do this. If you want to really understand a classic bolognese, stand by, tasting here and there to see how the sauce mellows and sweetens and swells with time. To be fair, Hazan notes that you can stop at any point, then resume. But that doesn't get you to dinner in time for tonight.

Nigel Slater's Spaghetti Bolognese - Genius Recipe (5) Nigel Slater's Spaghetti Bolognese - Genius Recipe (6)

In Slater's blasphemous, really good recipe, every step is brilliantly layered within the others, so that while your onions are softening, you're chopping carrots and celery; once they're in, it's onto the next.

Nigel Slater's Spaghetti Bolognese - Genius Recipe (7) Nigel Slater's Spaghetti Bolognese - Genius Recipe (8)

Nigel Slater's Spaghetti Bolognese - Genius Recipe (9)

The recipe is a model of kitchen efficiency and focus. If you're a compulsive mise-en-placer, that's okay (see ingredient shot above) -- you can still follow along.

Nigel Slater's Spaghetti Bolognese - Genius Recipe (10) Nigel Slater's Spaghetti Bolognese - Genius Recipe (11)

Unlike in Hazan's standard of patience and virtue, heat gets cranked, and bits are left to color. On top of workaday soffrito, Slater pulls from the large-and-in-charge ingredient roster: there's pancetta, red wine, bay leaves. If you're feeling really hungry and feisty, there's even a ground lamb option, and it is outstanding. Perhaps most genius of all: there are portobello mushrooms.

Nigel Slater's Spaghetti Bolognese - Genius Recipe (12)

Not only do the mushrooms plump up the earthy notes and umami, they also go all buttery and soft. Any textural subtlety you've lost in cooking your sauce a bit more aggressively is returned with the swollen swish of portobello. In about an hour and a half, you have an exceptionally supple, meaty ragù, one you'll consider eating without the interruption of pasta, or anything else on the plate.

Nigel Slater's Spaghetti Bolognese - Genius Recipe (13)

But about that pasta. Slater calls for spaghetti. Counterpoint, Hazan: "Meat sauce in Bologna is never served over spaghetti." Fresh tagliatelle, yes. Lasagne, classic. Fresh tortellini, good. Twirly dry shapes like rigatoni, conchiglie, fusilli, irreproachable. We used linguine. Not irreproachable. But really good.

"I made it during the week," Food52er JadeTree told me when she sent it my way, "since I had a rare hour of freedom to chop (and chop you will), but we all agreed that this is company food, hands down. Just because you want a bigger crowd to marvel over it."

Nigel Slater's Spaghetti Bolognese - Genius Recipe (14)

Nigel Slater's Really Good Spaghetti Bolognese

Adapted slightly from The Kitchen Diaries (Gotham Books, 2006)

Serves 4

For the bolognese:

4 tablespoons butter
3 ounces cubed pancetta
1 medium onion
2 fat cloves garlic
1 carrot
2 stalks celery
2 large, flat mushrooms such as portobello, about 4 ounces
2 bay leaves
1 pound ground beef or lamb
1 cup crushed tomatoes or passata
1/4 cupred wine
3/4 cupstock
A nutmeg
3/4 cuphalf-and-half or cream

To serve:

Spaghetti or tagliatelle for 4
Grated Parmesan

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

Got a genius recipe to share -- from a classic cookbook, an online source, or anywhere, really? Please send it my way (and tell me what's so smart about it) at[emailprotected].Thanks to Food52er JadeTree for this one!

Photos by James Ransom

Nigel Slater's Spaghetti Bolognese - Genius Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How does Gordon Ramsay make the best Spaghetti Bolognese? ›

Recipe For Gordon Ramsay's Spaghetti Bolognese
  1. Meat. • 1/2 lb Ground beef.
  2. Produce. • 1 Carrot. • 2 cloves Garlic. • 1 Onion. ...
  3. Canned goods. • 2 tbsp Tomato puree.
  4. Baking & spices. • 1 tsp Black pepper. • 1 tsp Salt.
  5. Oils & vinegars. • 2 tbsp Oil.
  6. Dairy. • 1/2 cup Whole milk.
  7. Beer, wine & spirits. • 2 tbsp Red wine.

What is the difference between Spaghetti Bolognese and spag bol? ›

Spaghetti bolognese, or shortened to "spag bol" in the UK, is a popular pasta dish outside Italy, although not part of Italian cuisine. The dish is generally perceived as inauthentic by Italians.

Why does my bolognese taste bland? ›

Your spaghetti sauce may taste bland due to insufficient seasoning. Try adding more salt, herbs (like basil, oregano, or thyme), and other flavor enhancers like garlic, onion, or red pepper flakes. Also, a dash of sugar can balance flavors and bring out the natural sweetness of tomatoes.

Do Italians put sugar in Bolognese sauce? ›

Usually no. But putting (a very small bit) of sugar or even a tiny pinch of baking soda in the tomato sauce can help if it is too acidic, but this is only done if the person cooking it is really in a rush.

What gives bolognese a rich Flavour? ›

Bolognese sauce ingredients
  1. soffritto, AKA the Italian holy trinity – a trusty mixture of carrots, celery, & onion.
  2. meat: I like to use a 50/50 blend of ground beef & ground pork, plus some pancetta (cured, unsmoked Italian bacon) for extra flavor.
  3. aromatics, of course!: garlic, bay leaves, fresh rosemary, & fresh thyme.
Feb 3, 2020

What does adding milk to spaghetti bolognese do? ›

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.”

Does bolognese get better the longer you cook it? ›

Take your time with the Bolognese sauce. Allow it to simmer slowly, at a low temperature, to allow the flavors to fully develop and intensify. This slow-cooking process is essential for achieving the rich, complex taste that makes Bolognese sauce so distinctive.

How to make spaghetti bolognese more interesting? ›

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.

Do Italians put carrots in bolognese? ›

Bolognese sauce comes from the Bologna region of Italy and is made with ground beef and ground pork, although other ground meats can be used. Bolognese is slow-cooked with tomatoes a soffrito (made of onions, carrots, and celery), and milk. Finished with heavy cream and grated romano cheese to give it a creamy texture.

Which meat is best for bolognese? ›

A combination of beef, lamb, pork, pancetta, and chicken livers add flavor and richness, and gelatin creates a silky sauce with body. Finishing with heavy cream and Parmesan emulsifies the sauce.

What do Italians eat with bolognese? ›

Take bolognese; you might be used to eating it with spaghetti, but no self-respecting Italian would ever serve a meaty ragú like this with such a thin pasta shape. Substantial sauces call for substantial pasta shapes, so a wider, flatter shape like tagliatelle or pappardelle is more appropriate.

How do you deepen the flavor of bolognese? ›

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.

What kind of onion for bolognese? ›

Yellow Onions

The relatively high starch content of these workhorse onions means they are able to withstand high and long cooking times without falling apart. Yellow onions are ideal for flavorful dishes that have to cook for a while, such as bolognese.

Should I put beef stock in bolognese? ›

beef stock/broth instead of stock cubes – to add extra flavour into the sauce and make it watery at the start so we can “boil” the pasta. In classic Bolognese, we use stock cubes and add no water (unless doing a slow cook).

What is the difference between Italian Bolognese and American bolognese? ›

American Bolognese: The American version of Bolognese sauce offers more variety in terms of ingredients. While ground beef remains essential, additional proteins like ground turkey or sausage are often included. The vegetable medley expands to include bell peppers and mushrooms, adding more texture and flavor.

What cut of meat is best for bolognese? ›

Marcella Hazan wrote that any cook can achieve a great ragù by being careful about a few basic points. First, the meat should not be from too lean a cut; the more marbled it is, the richer the ragù it makes. The most desirable cut of beef is the neck portion of the chuck.

How to make spaghetti sauce Gordon Ramsay? ›

Yields 2 Quarts
  1. 2 28 Oz Cans of Peeled San Marazano Tomatoes.
  2. 1 Large Yellow Onion, Julienned.
  3. 6 Garlic Gloves, Sliced Thin.
  4. 6 Basil Leafs, Torn.
  5. 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste.
  6. 1 Cup Red Wine.
  7. 1/8 Cup Olive Oil.
  8. Salt & Pepper to Taste.

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