Bolognese

Bolognese is a traditional meat sauce served with Italian pasta. The homeland of the sauce is Bologna, a city in northern Italy. The locals keep the authentic sauce recipe and cook it together with fresh tagliatelle and green lasagna. The recipe has spread all over the world. Incredibly simple, but tasty ingredient was liked not only by chefs, but also by ordinary residents. The recipe was improved, customized to local products, culinary techniques and preferences. There are many varieties of bolognese, but the most common versions are traditional and vegetable.

Historical information

Bolognese is considered one of the best examples of a poor menu. The entry of the recipe in almost every Italian home is associated with the decline of the country and poverty. The people, which since ancient times have got used to smart feasts and rich life, have found themselves in a difficult situation. Fortunately, the popular culinary spirit was not broken. On the contrary, hard times contributed to its formation and strengthening. Initially, the sauce appeared under the name “stew” and was always accompanied by a good portion of pasta. The combination of protein-vegetable sauce and highly carbohydrate paste helped the Italians to get enough and say goodbye to hunger for at least 4-6 hours.

The Italians claim that the principle of cooking bolognese was practically no different from dishes similar in meaning. Initially, the sauce did not even have any territorial coloring and was simply included in the list of typical (for Italian cuisine) dishes. Locals call such delicacies as simply as possible – stew. Their recipe is on the surface, and there are simply no specific flavor palettes. Everything changed after a slight deformation of the bolognese composition. Instead of red wine, they began to introduce white, most often – sauvignon and pinot grigio. A light alcoholic drink helped the dish to acquire an identity and a special taste that gourmets lacked so much. Since then, bolognese has been considered one of the most popular sauces not only in Italy, but throughout the world.

The main mistakes in the preparation of the sauce

Proportional errors

The most common mistake is too many tomatoes. Too many tomatoes easily interrupt the real taste of the sauce and place unnecessary accents. Bolognese should be dominated by a single component – meat. But there are exceptions to the rule – vegetable bolognese sauce. In it, you can vary the components as your soul desires and create your own unique combinations.

Combination Error

Italian cuisine is based on various combinations. Almost all of its components are interchangeable: different types of pasta and sauces for them can be rearranged in places as your heart desires. Most often, bolognese works in combination with bechamel. Their combination is one of the most successful for classic lasagna.

Both sauces work in a peculiar combination but serve opposite functions. Bechamel is used for topping and bolognese for filling. Bolognese should always be added more than other sauces. Why? Bolognese serves as a decoration for the dish and is always added at the end. It is the final chord of the gastronomic game, so the taste should be bright and rich. Moreover, if, after the sauce, the lasagne (or other product) is sent to the oven, then the bolognese will provide a golden brown crust and the required color.

Use of the ingredient in cooking

The classic recipe of the famous sauce has gone a long way of modernization. Accademia Italiana della Cucina defines a traditional bolognese recipe and limits the composition to such ingredients:

• beef;
• pork;
• pancetta (one of the varieties of bacon. It consists of a massive fatty piece of pork belly. Salt, Italian spices and herbs are added to the pancetta, most often they use sage and rosemary);
• fresh carrots;
• bow;
• celery;
• tomatoes;
• fatty meat broth;
• White wine;
• milk.

Italians traditionally combine sauce with pasta. The variety of pasta depends on the characteristics of the region and the preferences of the local population. As soon as the whole world learned about Bolognese, the list of its gastronomic combinations increased sharply. The sauce can be added not only to Italian pasta, but also ordinary buckwheat, wheat or barley groats. The list of combinations can be endless and depends entirely on the imagination of the cook.

Cooking the sauce takes a lot of time, so the chefs came up with a little life hacking. Freshly prepared bolognese must be quickly frozen in portions. Hermetically sealed product can be stored in the freezer for several months. It is important that the sauce does not lose any nutritional value, or surprising taste, if you responsibly approach the cooking process. Defrost the sauce is also not difficult. Just send the frozen sauce shybochku to the hot skillet and wait for 1-2 minutes.

Eggplant Bolognese Sauce Recipe

We need:

• onions – 70 gr;
• carrots – 60 gr;
• eggplant – 150 g;
• mushrooms – 50 gr;
• tomato – 250 g;
• durum wheat pasta – 450 gr;
• celery – 60 gr;
• Garlic – 2 cloves;
• tomato paste without flavor enhancers (it is recommended to kill the tomatoes yourself) – 40 gr;
• fresh rosemary – 10 gr;
• fresh basil – 10 gr;
• olive oil – 2 tablespoons;
• filtered water – 100 ml;
• salt / spices to taste.

Preparation

Grind onions, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, eggplant and celery. The ideal cube / slice size is 1,5-2 centimeters. Put a pot of water on the fire, it will be needed later for making pasta. Prepare a deep frying pan: heat vegetable oil for frying in it, stew onion and garlic (no more than 1 minute), then add carrots, celery, add eggplant and mushrooms in a minute. Each new portion of vegetables should be fried for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally so that the products do not burn. Introduce the tomatoes, tomato paste and pour in some filtered liquid. Cover the vegetable mixture and leave to simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

Send the pasta to boiling water and boil according to the instructions. Crush rosemary, basil, and leave a few sprigs of plants for decoration. Add herbs, favorite spices to vegetable frying pan, mix thoroughly and remove from heat. Pour the finished pasta into a colander, pour it back into the saucepan, add the sauce and mix thoroughly. Leave the pasta on the 5-7 minutes so that the spicy flavors penetrate the pasta and create a unique rich duet. Serve immediately after cooking, pre-decorated with leaves of basil and rosemary.

Secrets of cooking traditional sauce

2 Meat Varieties

An authentic recipe for no reason 2 has a variety of meat. It is the combination of beef and pork that harmonizes the dish, adds to it the necessary flavor and aromatic accents, nutritional value and delicate structure. If desired, the meat variety can be replaced, experimenting with different cuts and structures (more fibrous, fat, and so on). The taste of the finished dish depends solely on the chef, so show your imagination and place individual accents.

Quality and long lasting quenching

The better the products for the dish, the richer and richer the final taste will be. Italian chefs recommend using vegetables freshly picked from the garden and the freshest meat possible. Another trick that makes bolognese incredibly tasty is prolonged stewing. Italians leave the sauce to stew for at least 2 hours. During this time, all ingredients have time to absorb the taste of spices, spices and main ingredients. Rapid extinguishing also has the right to exist. In modern realities, it is almost impossible to allocate enough time for cooking, and as many as 4 hours to prepare the sauce seem to be something completely unthinkable. If you want to experience the unique taste of bolognese without wasting time and effort, go to a good Italian restaurant.

Alternate introduction of components

Milk and wine should be introduced gradually. Never add different liquids at the same time – this will spoil the taste of the dish and affect the consistency of the sauce. Foods must alternately soak in aromas and flavors, and such bright ingredients can simply blur the overall picture. Taste the sauce periodically to control flavor and texture at each step.

The subtleties of the correct submission

We should not forget the importance of serving as the final stage of the gastronomic cycle. The most important rule is not to mix sauce and pasta/any other side dish before serving. This process must be done by the consumer, immediately before the start of the meal. If you mix the sauce and garnish in advance, then at the output we get an unattractive slurry that you don’t want to taste or contemplate. The client must feel the tastes, evaluate the pasta and sauce separately.

Ready side dish must be prepared immediately before serving. Stale or reheated pasta is unacceptable – they will spoil the taste and structure of the dish. A side dish is placed on a plate, then carefully poured with the required amount of sauce.

All manipulations should be done on a plate – this is the only way to preserve the true taste of the dish.

Immediately after cooking pasta should go to the consumer. It is unacceptable to serve the dish hot, because the taste and structure will lose its appeal and the primary idea. From above it is allowed to decorate the sauce with spices / grated cheese / herbs that complement the dish. Watch for the number of additional ingredients, so as not to turn the exquisite delicacy into a hodgepodge.

Contraindications to the use of the product

Almost every Italian dish is an example of high-calorie, but extremely tasty food. All folk cuisine is based on basic flavor combinations that give a win-win result in terms of taste and nutrition. Bolognese sauce is no exception. It is best to refuse pasta with an alluring sauce for obesity, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and the cardiovascular system. In case of serious pathologies, the doctor draws up a special list of allowed products and there is definitely no place for bolognese sauce. But for ardent lovers of Italian cuisine there is a way out.

To reduce the total caloric content of the product will have to work hard. You can give up meat or replace it with lean, dietary varieties like chicken or turkey. At best, completely eliminate meat and focus on the vegetable components of the dish. Even beef broth can be replaced with vegetable broth. Eggplants, tomatoes and broccoli can provide a particularly rich taste. Avoid oil frying. Use a non-stick pan that’s great without oil, or try roasting vegetables. Any vegetables that have undergone heat treatment will give the necessary juice and rich flavor palette.

Within the boundaries of any medicinal diet, you can create a surprisingly delicious dish of the most simple and wholesome foods. Before introducing any new component into the menu, it is best to consult with your doctor, examine the possible risks and carefully monitor the body’s reaction. If there are no health problems, then you can afford the traditional pasta, not forgetting the boundaries of BZHU and daily calorie content.

The finished dish will differ from the authentic version, but the vegetable version of the Bolognese will save your figure and health, which is incomparable with temporary gastronomic pleasure.