CategoriesKitchen Stories Recipes

Bolognese ragù: history and original recipe

by 0

Bolognese Ragù, history and original recipe

What we are talking about today is a sauce that has made the history of Italian cuisine and that still represents a city all over the world. Bolognese Ragù is one of the tastiest, and certainly the most famous, sauces of the great Emilian culinary tradition. In addition to its incredible taste, well known to many, Bolognese Ragù has very ancient origins and its history is long and fascinating.

HISTORY OF BOLOGNESE RAGÙ

It seems incredible, but the Bolognese meat ragù, which, as already mentioned, is one of the most beloved and recognisable symbols of Italian gastronomy, was born in France! As early as the 12th century, the “ragoût” began to spread across the Alps, a term used to define meat and vegetable stews. The recipe began to establish itself throughout the country and soon the Ragoût became the quintessential dish of the French medieval tradition, popular and otherwise, cooked both by the less well-off classes and for the King’s court. At this point, you will be wondering how the French “Ragoût” became the “Ragù” that we all know.

The event that, according to historians, allowed this tasty sauce to cross the Alps and soon become a must of Italian cuisine was the arrival of the Angevins in Naples. In Italy, Ragù became more of a sauce rather than a single dish and soon began to spread here too, until, in the 1800s, the Bolognese variant was born. “Maccheroni al Ragù di carne alla Bolognese” appears for the first time in Pellegrino Artusi’s work “La scienza in cucina e l’arte di mangiare bene” (Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well). In the book, they are described as maccheroni seasoned with veal, pork bacon, meat broth, celery, carrot, onion and, unlike how the dish was served in the Bourbon courts, Bolognese Ragù was without tomato.

The definitive transformation of Bolognese ragù took place around the time of the First World War. In fact, following the crisis triggered by the conflict, maccheroni were replaced by the less expensive homemade egg tagliatelle and they began to use beef rather than veal.

So, the “Bolognese Ragù” as we know it today takes shape and begins its ascent to the Olympus of Italian and world cuisine!

BOLOGNESE RAGÙ, THE ORIGINAL RECIPE

Having narrated the history of the most beloved Ragù of all, it is now time to answer the great question that every Italian, especially on Sundays and around lunchtime, asks themselves: How to make Bolognese Ragù?

The official recipe for Bolognese meat ragù, deposited in 1982 by the Bologna delegation of the Italian Academy of Cuisine at the city’s Chamber of Commerce, requires the use of the following ingredients: Pancetta, Beef Mince, Tomato Sauce, Vegetable Broth, Celery, Carrot, Onion and Red or White Wine.

In addition to the ingredients you need for the original recipe, it may be useful to explain how Bolognese Ragù is prepared.

  • The first step is to prepare the sautéed base with Celery, Carrots, Onions and Vegetable Broth
  • Once ready, it is time to chop the Pancetta and place it in the pan where you have sautéed the Celery, Carrots and Onions.
  • Add the Beef Mince, let it stew for 5 minutes and add the wine.
  • Once the alcohol has evaporated, pour in the tomato purée and let everything cook for at least 2 hours.

After retracing the history of Ragù and also answering the question “How is Bolognese Ragù prepared?”, the time has come for our article to conclude and for you to finally run to the kitchen to prepare what is a true speciality of our cuisine, the fantastic Bolognese Ragù!