Italian outrage! I don’t Bolognese it!

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November 18, 2012 by seriousbacon

You don’t a want Tony after you!

There was recent outrage in Italy as hundreds of chefs joined together to have a mass Bolognese cook off! The idea behind it was to teach people how to cook a real Bolognese.

Italians claimed the original recipe has become so corrupted that it was in need of urgent culinary rescue! The dish that has been adopted my many brits and renamed as ‘spag bowl’ has become a staple meal within the home, yet many don’t actually know how to make it! (and no a traditional Bolognese is not made my Dolmio, you should make it like your mama makes it!). So on sunday Italian chefs around the country, got together with around 450 people taking part, to make a real proper bolognese with a recipe that was set down in 1982 by the chamber of commerce in Bologna – the home of bolognese. So next time you see a disconcerning cook grab for that jar of bolognese sauce from the cupboard, Stop them in their tracks and give them this! It’s what the italians would have wanted!

RECIPE: The perfect bolognese

Serves four people

• Ingredients:
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 6 rashers of streaky ‘pancetta’ bacon, chopped
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 carrots, chopped
• Stick of celery
• 1kg/2¼lb lean minced beef
• 2 large glasses of red wine
• 2x400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 2 fresh or dried bay leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 800g-1kg/1¾-2¼lb dried tagliatelle
• freshly grated parmesan cheese, to serve

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan and fry the bacon until golden over a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, frying until softened. Increase the heat and add the minced beef. Fry it until it has browned. Pour in the wine and boil until it has reduced in volume by about a third. Reduce the temperature and stir in the tomatoes and celery.

2. Cover with a lid and simmer over a gentle heat for 1-1½ hours until it’s rich and thickened, stirring occasionally.

3. Cook the tagliatelle in plenty of boiling salted water. Drain and divide between plates. Sprinkle a little parmesan over the pasta before adding a good ladleful of the sauce. Finish with a further scattering of cheese and a twist of black pepper.