Legendary Italian-American culinary author, Marcella Hazan was famous for her authentic Italian recipes
Hailed as being the “best in the world”, one incredibly moreish Bolognese sauce is not only uber delicious but it’s also super easy to recreate at home in your own kitchen.
Carefully curated by the legendary Italian-American culinary author, Marcella Hazan, this sumptuous Bolognese sauce recipe has been ranked as one of the 50 most popular recipes of all time, according to the New York Times, with 24,000 five-star reviews.
While Marcella passed away in 2013 her recipes will undoubtedly live on forever, with this one having been described as ‘the gold standard’ by her fans.
Previously appearing in her “Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking” cookbook from 1992, this is a classic, fuss-free recipe that favours quality ingredients cooked slowly to create incredible flavours. It even includes a secret ingredient; the surprising addition of milk to help tenderise the meat and mellow out any acidic notes from the tomatoes.
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This celebrated meat sauce is characterised by a mellow, gentle, comfortable flavour that works so well with pasta. The ingredients you’ll need to whip up some seriously good Bolognese sauce are as follows:
Ingredients have been converted from US to UK measurements.
Not a quick-fix solution for a lazy dinner, part of the reason this recipe is so well loved is the rich flavours that can only be achieved with a long cooking time
Marcella Hazan’s Bolognese sauce, or ragù, requires a slow cooking process of at least three hours, ideally, four to six, to allow the flavours to intensify and the tomatoes to release flavour molecules, resulting in a rich, velvety texture.
Here’s how to cook the recipe at home:
- Put the oil, butter and chopped onion in the pot and turn the heat on to medium. Cook and stir the onion until it has softened, then add the chopped celery and carrot. Cook for about two minutes.
- Add the meat, a large pinch of salt and some pepper. Break up the meat with a fork or spoon and stir well until the beef has turned from pink to brown.
- Add milk and let it simmer gently, stirring frequently, until it has bubbled away completely. Add a tiny grating of nutmeg.
- Add the wine and let it simmer until it has evaporated. Then add the tomatoes and stir everything thoroughly. When the tomatoes begin to bubble, turn the heat down and cook uncovered for three hours or more, stirring occasionally. While the sauce is cooking, you might find that it begins to dry out and the fat separates from the meat. To keep it from sticking, add a little water. At the end, however, no water at all must be left and the fat must separate from the sauce. Stir to mix the fat into the sauce, taste and correct for salt.
- Toss with cooked drained pasta, adding the tablespoon of butter, and serve with freshly grated parmesan on the side.
A good spag’ bol’ is the ultimate comfort food, and this recipe has gathered many fans over the years. On the New York Times recipe page pasta lovers have given it an overall five-star review.
One reviewer called Annie said: “Marcella was the queen of Italian Cooking, I learned to cook from her when I was a bride and there is not one of her recipes that have failed me. This one is a regular around our house; occasionally instead of ground pork I will use Italian sausage removed form its casing for added flavor”
Guyvl added: “The BEST bolognese sauce ever. I have tried many restaurant versions and this one always beats them. Worth the time it takes to make and freezes beautifully, so make in multiple batches.”
Mary shared it with friends, saying: “I am now sunk. EVERYONE loves this sauce. So no more quick weeknight Bolognese for us. This recipe is time-consuming but so worth it. I thought my guests were going to lick the pot clean.”
While some home cooks were sceptical about cooking a ragu sauce without adding garlic, oregano or other traditional Italian style garnish, most found the finished product to be utter delicious and well worth the wait.
