🍝 Spaghetti Bolognese

Spaghetti bolognese is the dish most people think of when they think of Italian pasta: long strands of spaghetti under a rich, slow-cooked beef and tomato sauce. The key is patience — a proper ragù simmers for at least an hour until the meat is tender and the sauce is thick.

Ingredients

• 400 g Spaghetti
• 500 g Beef Mince
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Carrot, finely chopped
• 1 Celery stalk, finely chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 400 g Chopped Tomatoes
• 150 ml Red Wine (optional)
• 150 ml Milk
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Dried Oregano
• 1 Bay Leaf
• Salt and Black Pepper
• Parmesan, to serve

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and gently fry the onion, carrot, and celery for about 8 minutes until soft.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the beef mince and brown it, breaking it up as it cooks.
3. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Pour in the wine, if using, and let it bubble away for 2–3 minutes.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes, milk, oregano, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Simmer gently for 45–60 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick.
6. Cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water 1 minute less than the packet says. Drain, keeping a splash of pasta water.
7. Toss the spaghetti through the sauce with a little pasta water until coated.
8. Serve with grated Parmesan.

History

The real sauce is ragù alla bolognese, from Bologna, and its official recipe was deposited with the Bologna Chamber of Commerce by the Italian Academy of Cuisine in 1982. In Bologna the ragù is traditionally served with fresh tagliatelle, not spaghetti — spaghetti bolognese as the world knows it is an adaptation that took off in Britain, America, and beyond during the 20th century. The classic ragù also contains a little milk and wine, which many quick versions skip but which give the sauce its soft, rounded character.

The science

Bolognese is built on a soffritto — onion, carrot, and celery finely chopped and fried slowly in olive oil. Gentle heat draws out their sweetness without browning them harshly. The beef mince is then browned, which triggers the Maillard reaction and creates the savoury base of the sauce. A splash of milk tenderises the meat by helping break down its proteins, while the long simmer converts the connective tissue in the mince into softness and thickens the tomatoes into a rich ragù. Cooking the spaghetti just short of al dente and finishing it in the sauce lets the pasta absorb the flavour.

Substitutions

Beef mince is traditional but a beef-and-pork mix is closer to the Bolognese original and stays juicier. For a lighter version, use turkey mince or half beef and half finely chopped mushrooms. The wine can be replaced with an extra splash of stock, and the milk with a splash of cream or a dairy-free alternative. Any long pasta works — tagliatelle and fettuccine are the more traditional choices — and a handful of grated Parmesan at the end is non-negotiable.

Chef's tip

The long, gentle simmer is the whole point — the sauce should be thick and the meat soft, not watery.

Drink pairing

Chianti or a medium-bodied Sangiovese. The wine’s acidity cuts through the richness of the ragù, and its cherry notes match the tomato sauce.