The Original Bolognese
As an American boy, I grew up eating the kind of spaghetti bolognese that featured beef simmered in tomato sauce (often jarred). There’s nothing wrong with it, in fact it was one of the only things that kid me would actually eat.
However, recently I found a recipe for what claims to be the original recipe for bolognese, this being the first ever recorded recipe by Pelligrino Artusi in his book, and is the way some people of Bologna make the dish today.
Unlike the dish that American palates are used to, the original bolognese featured tender ground veal simmered in beef stock, there were no tomatoes involved whatsoever. The best part? Since this dish is using veal instead of beef, it takes about half as much time to cook!
I say that it’s time that we take a bite of Italian history by making this original bolognese sauce.
The Original Bolognese
Serves 4
3 tablespoons of butter
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
1 cup of pancetta, cut into large cubes
2 cups of ground veal (or beef)
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons of flour
2 teaspoons of nutmeg
2 teaspoons of minced fresh rosemary
3 cups of low-sodium beef broth/stock
1 pound of fresh tagliatelle pasta
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Grated parmesan cheese, for garnish
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
Melt the butter in a wide sautee pan, then add the onion, carrot, celery, pancetta, and ground veal.
Season with salt and pepper, then cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the veal is mostly cooked.
Sprinkle on the flour, then cook for about 1 minute to get rid of any raw flour taste, then stir in the rosemary.
Add 3/4 cup of the beef broth, scraping up the bottom of the pan, then cook for about 3 minutes, or until the broth has almost evaporated, then repeat 3 times until the meat mixture breaks down into a thick sauce.
While the sauce is cooking, lower the pasta into the boiling water and cook until al dente, should take about 8 minutes. Immediately after adding the 4th addition of beef stock add the pasta and cook for another minute, stirring constantly, until the liquid thickens and coats the pasta.
Divide the pasta among 4 bowls, then top with the original bolognese, some basil leaves, and a dusting of parmesan.
I have to say, this original bolognese is so full of flavor that I’m not sure I can go back to the kind with tomatoes ever again!
That triple reduction of beef stock created a deep, rich foundation of flavor that the meat and the pasta only seem to be supporting players for. I cannot recommend making this dish enough!
