Spaghetti Bolognese is one of the most popular pasta dishes worldwide and each country or region has its own take on the recipe. However the origins of Spaghetti Bolognese do not involve spaghetti at all, but come from an original recipe in Bologna, Italy involving a rich ragu and Tagliatelle.
The recipe of the Bolognese ragu begins with a sofrito, which is a mixture of onions, celery and carrots chopped and sautéed in a little butter and olive oil. Thick steaks of beef or large chunks are seared on a high heat to seal in juices and then added to the sofrito. White wine is added and brought to the boil; cooking out the alcohol content and allowing the flavour to seep into the meat. It is then cooked until the sauce begins to reduce, and beef stock is added along with a little tomato paste, butter, cream and salt.
The whole mixture is left to cook over a low heat until the meat begins to fall apart. These 'threads' of beef are soft and tender; much more succulent and tasty than the ground beef used in popular Spaghetti Bolognese recipes. In this original Spaghetti Bolognese, fresh tagliatelle pasta is usually chosen to accompany the Ragu. In Bologna it is not usually the custom to add Parmesan cheese but this has become a popular addition in other areas.
Visitors to Bologna who were treated to this delicious dish took the idea home with them and adapted the recipe to ingredients they could find at home. This generally meant using dried spaghetti instead of the fresh pasta – hence the common change. Presumably for ease and speed of preparation, chefs began to use ground or minced beef in their Spaghetti Bolognese sauce instead of the traditional cuts.
Spaghetti Bolognese is therefore now a popular dish which is served across the world in a very different form to its original. As one of the most popular dishes to cook at home, Spaghetti Bolognese is a great dish for families and can be extremely easy to make.
Nowadays a number of companies, such as Schwartz, will provide pre-packaged herbs and spices – something which helps individuals to reduce the time it takes them to cook their meals. Looking at the range of these available is a great way to continue to adapt your favourite recipes and can be used in a variety of different dishes.
Of course, savoury dishes such as Spaghetti Bolognese are not the only recipes which have undergone transformations. A number of popular Dessert Recipes have been changed or altered over the years and sweet foods continue to be an area of constant development and alteration.
Those interested in creating their own unique desserts can begin by changing simple ingredients. For example, with a cheesecake consider using a different fruit to normal or flavour the filling with ingredients such as cinnamon or almond essence. This is a great and easy way to create your own unique dessert and is a great way to experiment with your favourite dishes. Schwartz not only have traditional recipes, but also have some amazing ideas and superb Christmas Recipes.
