How does Gordon Ramsay make the best spaghetti bolognese?

Recipe For Gordon Ramsay's Spaghetti Bolognese Meat. • 1/2 lb Ground beef. Produce. • 1 Carrot. • 2 cloves Garlic. • 1 Onion. ... Canned Goods. • 2 tbsp Tomato puree. Baking & Spices. • 1 tsp Black pepper. • 1 tsp Salt. Oils & Vinegars. • 2 tbsp Oil. Dairy. • 1/2 cup Whole milk. Beer, Wine & Liquor. • 2 tbsp Red wine.

What is the difference between spaghetti bolognese and spag bol?

Spaghetti bolognese, sometimes called spaghetti alla bolognese, or shortened to "spag bol" in the UK, is a pasta dish that is popular outside Italy . This dish, that combines spaghetti and the ragout sauce made with meat, is generally perceived as inauthentic by Italians.

Why put milk in spaghetti bolognese?

Milk is a magical ingredient when it comes to bolognese. First, the lactic acid and calcium in milk help to tenderize the meat . More than that, though, milk balances the wine and tomato, creates a creamier texture and adds richness (similar to how butter or yogurt add more richness and flavor to dishes).

How do you deepen the flavor of bolognese?

The best tip for intensifying the flavour of your sauce is just to cook it slowly on a low heat for a long time . This reduces the sauce and intensifies the flavours – four hours is not uncommon for my bolognese.

What can I add to bolognese to get more flavor?

Possible Bolognese Recipe Variations: Add more herbs: Some fresh basil, sage or oregano would also be absolutely delicious simmered in this sauce or sprinkled on top. Make it spicy: Feel free to also add in more crushed red pepper flakes if you would like the sauce to have more of a kick. More items... Jan 18, 2021

Nigel Slater's Really Good Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Make Ahead

by: Genius Recipes

March4,2014

19 Ratings

Nigel Slater's Really Good Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe on Food52 (1)

Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 2 hours 30 minutes
Serves 4

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

A bolognese that works around your schedule—and might even be better than Nonna's, thanks to a secret ingredient or four. Adapted slightly from The Kitchen Diaries (Gotham Books, 2006). —Genius Recipes

Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients

For the bolognese
4 tablespoonsbutter
3 ouncescubed pancetta
1 medium onion
2 fat cloves garlic
1 carrot
2 stalks celery
2 large, flat mushrooms such as portobello, about 4 ounces
2 bay leaves
1 poundground beef or lamb
1 cupcrushed tomatoes or passata
¹/₄ cupred wine
³/₄ cupstock
1 nutmeg
³/₄ cuphalf-and-half or cream

For serving
8 ouncesSpaghetti or tagliatelle
1 handfulGrated Parmesan, to taste

Directions

Melt the butter in a large, heavy-based pot -- then stir in the pancetta and let it cook for five minutes or so, without coloring much. Meanwhile peel and finely chop the onion and garlic and stir them into the pancetta. Peel and finely chop the carrot and celery and stir them in, too. Lastly, finely chop the mushrooms and add to the pan, then tuck in the bay leaves and leave to cook for ten minutes over a moderate heat, stirring frequently.
Turn up the heat and tip in the meat, breaking it up well with a fork.
Now leave to cook without stirring for a good three or four minutes, then, as the meat on the bottom is starting to brown, stir again, breaking up the meat where necessary, and leave to color.
Mix in the tomatoes, red wine, stock, a grating of nutmeg and some salt and black pepper, letting it come to the boil. Turn the heat down so that everything barely bubbles. There should be movement, but one that is gentle, not quite a simmer. Partially cover the pan with a lid and leave to putter away for an hour to an hour and a half, stirring from time to time and checking the liquid levels. You don't want it to be dry.
Pour in the half-and-half or cream a bit at a time, stir and continue cooking for twenty minutes. Check the seasoning, then serve with the pasta and grated Parmesan.

Tags:

Pasta
Italian
Celery
Beef
Milk/Cream
Carrot
Red Wine
Nutmeg
Make Ahead
Serves a Crowd
Slow Cooker
One-Pot Wonders

See what other Food52ers are saying.

FrugalCat
Melissa S
Barbara Annemarie
stefanie
Fran McGinty

Recipe by: Genius Recipes

Popular on Food52

103 Reviews

Kay February 22, 2024

I really liked this. I used about a teaspoon of miso paste for sodium and flavor, just one bay leaf, no pancetta. Seems forgiving for a novice cook and I'm looking forward to playing around with it

FrugalCat January 17, 2024

Please don't call this one pot - another pot must be utilized to cook the pasta!

Jody January 15, 2024

This recipe is FABULOUS. The last time I made it, I used leftover milk from a potato-celeriac puree, so it wouldn't go to waste. That added a lot of flavor. It also freezes beautifully. Five stars, for sure!

Victoria C. January 15, 2024

I really love this recipe. I make it with 1/2 pound ground pork so it is more saucy (which is what I was aiming for), and I use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base for the stock, which add a lot of umami. I serve. it the English way - over spaghetti, which would make an Italian cry.

sabrinafair84 September 17, 2022

I’ve made this many times over the years and always come back to this recipe. I put in more vegetables and mushrooms than the recipe states and it’s always delicious. Great to freeze for a rainy day.

Paddy February 15, 2021

I think veal is the better choice for most sauces.

brandyk August 21, 2020

Just made this. Delicious!! Only tweak was to use less cream. I used 1/4 cup and felt that achieved a silky result. Loved the flavor the mushrooms bring to the dish.

Melissa S. May 12, 2020

This is amazing! It improves in the fridge for leftovers. I make a whole batch of the sauce and cook the pasta as I need it. If the pancetta is really fatty, I skip the butter. The veggies bring a beautiful depth, especially the mushrooms.

See Also

25 Best Bell Pepper Recipes

Melissa S. May 12, 2020

Don M. February 12, 2020

This recipe is a "go to" comfort food recipe for me. I use passata and diced tomatoes to bulk it up, and serve it with No35 rigatoni.
I've served it to friends who love the aromas and simplicity, then ask for recipe. Versatile, simple and delicious!!

Barbara A. October 28, 2019

lovely recipe, split up the work over 2 days and it came out great. flavor improved over a couple of days in the fridge too.

halfdani October 19, 2019

Followed the recipe and came out super tasty.
Worth noting that it didn't come out as saucy or tomatoey as I thought it would.

Ethel B. May 12, 2020

It wouldn't. That's the difference between Bolognese ragù and ragù from other regions. Bolognese is more meat than tomatoes. And in Piemonte, they have a rage with identical ingredients except for the tomatoes. I couldn't wrap my head around that.

stefanie September 30, 2019

Swapped in chopped up rehydrated dried porcini and porcini stock (had some from a colleague that I've been trying to use up for ages) for the mushroom and stock in the recipe. Also added a tablespoon or so of tomato paste with the aromatics. Came out great - umami was through the roof. Will make again.

Katie B. October 3, 2018

Tested this recipe last night- good but not wowed. And I am hoping to wow my bookclub with this recipe.
It did not taste layered as described. Maybe more cooking between layers?
Served over rigatoni’s e and sauce got lost. Not thick enough?
Used contadina crushed tomatoes, homemade chicken stock and light cream. Tasted saltier than preferred, not sure why. What does tipping the ground beep into the pan mean?
Want to get this right!

Kristen M. October 5, 2018

Hi Katie! I'm so bummed this wasn't a hit on the first try. My first thoughts on how to amp up the flavor: It should keep improving and melding after a day or so in the fridge, so it could be worth making ahead and reheating. Be sure to salt enough to taste to bring out all the flavors, but not enough to drown them out. Let plenty of browning happen on the bottom of the pan in step 3 (but not burning!). And make sure that the vegetables are at least softened and cooked through, no longer raw, before moving onto the next stage (you could let them even brown a little, if you want). I fit still seems too thin, let it keep reducing down and it will concentrate the flavors. I think by "tip in", he just means "add to the pan" in his lyrical way. By the way, if you're looking for less of a ground meat texture and more of a shredded, falling apart one, this recipe is very easy and delicious (some people like to add more tomatoes): https://food52.com/recipes/39733-andy-ward-jenny-rosenstrach-s-pork-shoulder-ragu

Fran M. September 8, 2018

My significant other informed me he was no longer eating beef or pork, I used lean ground chicken left out the pork and this dish still shines. It was wonderful. He thought I forgot and used beef.

Louise A. June 23, 2018

I love this recipe. I go to it again and again. I have even used it in lasagne and everyone I've made it for love it.

Fran M. March 22, 2018

I have been waiting for a request to make this again. It just arrived, I knew it would eventually. I didn’t think it would take this long.

riverdwell November 25, 2017

I plan to make this, but without the spaghetti because I'm on the Keto Diet.