Ultimate Spaghetti Bolognese – the only recipe you need!

This is just the ultimate Spaghetti Bolognese. In fact it has been a part of my cooking repertoire in some shape or form for as long as I can remember. One of my ‘Founding Recipes’, if you like.

Without doubt, ‘Spag Bol’ was my first ever taste of Italy. And it is in some part responsible for spawning a love affair with Italian food, a life long passion that is stronger today than it has ever been.

I am sure if I were to eat one of my earliest incarnations today, I would be appalled. I have tried many versions, but as with all good things, I have evolved and refined my recipe. and I come back to this one time and time again. Is it nostalgia? Or is it just a fantastic recipe? Probably a bit of both!

And yet the humble Bolognese has a mixed reputation. It certainly isn’t unique to Bologna – several regions of Italy have their own ragu equivalents.

And most bachelors and students can rustle up a concoction of onions, mince and tomatoes and call it spaghetti bolognese. Indeed it would certainly be be a contender for the most likely dish on a romantic first date dinner menu.

Or it is found on all sorts of pub menus the world over as the safe option for those with reticent taste buds. For the record, I never eat spaghetti bolognese or lasagne in a restaurant out of principle. You need to cook it at home, where it tastes best!

I think it is a bit of both, underscored by that taste of Italy that won’t go away. But it also has a secret ingredient, which always surprises people. Milk! I’m not sure why it works, but I suspect the milk helps tenderise the meat, and helps add a subtle texture to the sauce.

There are hundreds of recipes on the Internet for spaghetti bolognese, and you should try as many as you can until you find one that speaks to you. This recipe speaks to me, and I would love you to give it a go …

Buon appetito! 🇮🇹

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Spaghetti Bolognese

An Italian classic meat sauce from Bologna.

Ingredients

• 50 grams unsalted butter
• 100 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium onions (finely chopped)
• 3 cloves of garlic (crushed)
• 2 sticks of celery (finely chopped)
• 2 carrots (finely chopped)
• 400 grams minced beef
• 400 grams minced pork
• 300 ml red wine
• 250 ml milk (preferably full fat)
• 800 grams tinned tomatoes
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp thyme leaves
• sea salt
• black pepper (freshly ground)

Instructions 

• Put the butter and oil in a large heavy bottomed pan and heat over medium heat until the butter has almost melted.
• Add the onions and sauté for 10 minutes.
• Add the garlic, celery and carrots and cook for further 5 minutes or until the carrots and celery have softened.
• Add the minced beef and pork to the pan, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon and stirring until all the meat has browned.
• Season with sea salt and black pepper
• Add the wine and cook until it has mostly reduced.
• Add the milk, and cook until it has mostly reduced.
• Add the tinned tomatoes, bay leaves and thyme.
• Cook for on a low heat until the meat has become very tender (about 2 hours) gently stirring every 20 minutes. Do not let it boil – the heat should be just low enough to allow very gentle bubbles to rise to the surface.
• Serve with spaghetti or your favourite pasta, and plenty of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian