Comments on: A Tale of Two Sauces – It’s A Traditional Ragu alla Bolognese Deathmatch.

By: We Are Never Full » Blog Archive » Spuma di Mortadella: Let’s Hear it for Preserved Meat Foam!

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:24:11 +0000

[...] was the deep-fried lamb chops I first ate there, and my wife has written extensively about both the outstanding ragu alla Bolognese and the equally scrumptious sausage ragu we tore through as our respective primi piatti that day, [...]

By: haris

haris — Thu, 21 May 2009 18:28:37 +0000

Instead of water you should use homemade beef stock in your ragu. It is one of those things they don’t tell you. It makes a big difference. Also, use a bit of muscata for flavor.

By: Graham

Graham — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 05:22:38 +0000

I have been experimenting with the Saveur recipes since that issue came out last year. We live in Nothern Italy and so have the advantage of getting very nice ingredients (and, living 2 hours from Bologna, we can go tasting).

Although I like all of the recipes in the magazine, I keep making a variation of Anna Nonni’s recipe. It works fine to use only olive oil (instead of half-and-half with butter). Shallots work just fine if you don’t have onions. I use a very lean pancetta affumicata and put in a little bit more than the recipe calls for. Additionally I usually use ground veal instead of beef and I put in less beef/veal and more ground pork. I use double concentrate tomato paste and polpa di pomodoro (crushed tomatoes) in bottle rather than pureeing a can of tomatoes. Finally, I use good red wine. Last batch had a Vino Nobile di Montepulciano that added some good flavor.

It is fun to get into discussions about this with my Italian friends. My friends from the Veneto think it is sacrilege to add pancetta and have offered to have their nonna come over and help us make it the RIGHT way. But they are just describing the sauce they know.

Cool article.

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:02:40 +0000

Thanks for posting this Bolognese blog. I made the Ragu Di Fagato di Pollo and couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. I made it for some friends who were still raving about it two days later.
I used substituted veal instead of ground chuck. I also used those gelatin veal demi glaze substituted for beef stock. I used one packet and mixed it with four cups of water. It was a very rich and complex dish. I made a double batch the other day to bing up to an up coming ski trip (it’s in the freezer).
It’s all about fagato di pollo!

By: Eggs Cooked in Ragú and Our New Bête Noire | We Are Never Full

Eggs Cooked in Ragú and Our New Bête Noire | We Are Never Full — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:45:47 +0000

[...] to be confused with the well-known Tex-Mex breakfast staple of eggs in hell, this is essentially a Bolognese sauce version of the Tuscan classic Uova e Spinaci Cotti alla Fiorentina which we posted during aforementioned [...]

By: Ragù alla Bolognese (Bolognese Sauce) from Mike's Table

Ragù alla Bolognese (Bolognese Sauce) from Mike's Table — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 05:02:25 +0000

[...] was inspired by the insights into the history and approaches to this sauce, and couldn’t resist throwing my hat into the ring as well. Given how hearty this sauce is, [...]

By: Polenta Three Root Ragu « 30 Bucks a Week

Polenta Three Root Ragu « 30 Bucks a Week — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:32:26 +0000

[...] eat the same leftovers over and over. Anyway, I decided to try an autumn vegetable variation on the traditional meat-based ragu. In fact there’s very little traditional about this dish, but it turned out delicious [...]

By: LickMySpoon

LickMySpoon — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 22:25:12 +0000

I spent a year living in BO and this post brings back so many wonderful memories! Tamburini was a staple lunch spot — just cannot top their tortellini! Next time you find yourself there you must try Trattoria Anna Maria for the best lasagna you’ve ever tasted….oh and do not get me started on the gelato

By: admin

admin — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:58:59 +0000

Hi, Nancy. I’m so curious which ragu you made? with or w/o livers. and growing up in an italian-american household, we definitely understand that pasta ALWAYS tastes better the next day! I think all the flavors really have a chance to mellow all together. thanks for the recommendation of Teodora. Jonny works in midtown and, unfortunately, we usually want to stay away from the area when we’re not at work, but this may help us go there on a weekend! I just checked out the menu and it does look delish and got great reviews. Thank you so much for trying the recipe and offering your opinion! stop by again, please!

By: Nancy

Nancy — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:12:12 +0000

I tried the first recipe last night. I was fearful at first that there weren’t enough herbs in the recipe, but it came out terrific. I tried some of the left-over sauce today, and it tastes even better the next day (actually, quite a bit better the next day). I admit to adding a dash of Worster sauce — not sure if it made much difference. Thanks for posting the recipe. If you ever find yourself in mid-town Manhattan and want to try the BEST bolognese sauce ever, check out Teodora. I swear, I can’t get it off my mind since I ate there a few weeks ago. The other dishes are amazing and authentic too and relatively reasonably priced.