Spaghetti alla Bolognese
Spaghetti, Bolognese Ragu
Serves 6
A great deal of controversy surrounds ragu alla bolognese. Some consider the red sauce version to be a bit of an insult to the cucina so a plethora of variations exist from family to family, city to city, country to country. Even the famous food writer Pellegrino Artusi had his own version using veal and pancetta. Regardless of which school you belong to, the notion of a bolognese has come to define a cuisine and indeed has helped us define our very own Melbourne style of Italian food. It has virtually become an Australian national dish. Our bolognese is the basis of our lasagne as well as a dish in its own right. In our version we use a combination of chicken, beef and pork mince for a variety of flavour and fat content, but you can simplify this if desired.
Ingredients
500 g good-quality spaghetti
200 g Parmigiano, grated
Bolognese
100 ml olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
800 g good-quality beef mince
100 g good-quality pork mince
100 g good-quality chicken mince
1 teaspoon chopped red chilli
1 teaspoon finely chopped sage
½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 bay leaf
Pinch of ground cloves
½ nutmeg, grated
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
300 g tomato paste
200 ml red wine
Method
To make the bolognese, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the onion and garlic and cook for 4–5 minutes or until softened. Add all the mince and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, breaking up any large lumps with the back of a wooden spoon. Mix in the chilli, herbs and spices and season with salt and pepper. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, then pour in the wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add 1 litre water and mix well. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 1 hour or until a rich sauce has formed.
Shortly before you are ready to serve, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the spaghetti and give it a gentle stir so the pasta doesn’t stick together. Cook for 5–6 minutes or until al dente.
Drain the spaghetti and mix it through the bolognese until well coated. Serve with a generous sprinkling of grated Parmigiano.
