15-Minute Bolognese Recipe | Marion's Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

Is bolognese better the longer you cook it? ›

Never rush a bolognese, good things take time. Cooking it for anything less than an hour is seen as rushed. We recommend 1.5 – 2 hours cooking time, or as much time you can spare the better.

Ragù alla bolognese is made with a mixture of ground pork and veal, relatively little tomato paste, butter and some milk and is cooked for 2–3 hours. The original recipe is kept at th Bologna Chamber of Commerce and only preparations made according to it should be called Ragù alla Bolognese.

Take your time with the Bolognese sauce. Allow it to simmer slowly, at a low temperature, to allow the flavors to fully develop and intensify. This slow-cooking process is essential for achieving the rich, complex taste that makes Bolognese sauce so distinctive.

Simmer. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium high heat then reduce to low and simmer uncovered for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir more often towards the end of cooking so the Bolognese sauce doesn't burn.

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.

It sounds unconventional to use milk in a meaty red sauce, but upon further investigation, it makes total sense why Italians swear by it. According to our Food Director Amira, not only does milk add a rich flavour to the bolognese, but it also “helps cut through the acidity of the tomatoes and red wine”.

Ragu sometimes includes vegetable chunks, properly prepared Bolognese does not. Ragu typically uses red wine, while Bolognese calls for white. Bolognese uses very little tomato, while ragu sauces often feature tomatoes for most of the sauce's bulk.

Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until mixture cooks down into a thick sauce, at least 3 hours but preferably 4 to 6 hours. Skim fat from the top of sauce if desired. Add more water if sauce is too thick. Taste and adjust seasonings before serving.

Usually no. But putting (a very small bit) of sugar or even a tiny pinch of baking soda in the tomato sauce can help if it is too acidic, but this is only done if the person cooking it is really in a rush.

What is the difference between Italian bolognese and American bolognese? ›

The American bolognese is essentially a southern-Italy style ragù with minced meat instead of meat in pieces, which means that it's very rich in tomato, and it has a too short cooking time. Besides, it tends to include a huge number of pointless ingredients and often the wine is used in the wrong way.

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).

6. Not adding milk. Yes, milk is an essential ingredient in ragù. It must be added a little at a time, at the end.

Cook the sauce in a wide skillet instead of a Dutch oven.

The wider surface area of the skillet allows the vegetables to cook faster and speeds up evaporation, allowing the remaining ingredients to reduce and concentrate their flavors in less time.

She said: “Once you have put cooked food, including meat dishes such as curry or lasagne, on the table, this should be consumed within two hours and as soon as it is cool, covered and put back in the fridge. And remember to always cover food and store meat and fish on a separate shelf.

Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until mixture cooks down into a thick sauce, at least 3 hours but preferably 4 to 6 hours. Skim fat from the top of sauce if desired. Add more water if sauce is too thick. Taste and adjust seasonings before serving.

It's almost impossible to overcook the ragu unless you are using very lean meat.

Cooking sauces for a long time don't inherently make them better, but it does intensify the flavor.

5. Around the two hour mark, the sauce should be thickened considerably, the meat melting into the tomatoes, everything tasting slightly sweet a little tangy, deeply meaty. If it still looks soupy or like the meat is not fully melted/incorporated into the sauce, it needs more time.