Rigatoni Bolognese Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is rigatoni bolognese made of? ›

Ingredients for Rigatoni Bolognese: Ground beef, carrot, onion, celery, rigatoni, beef broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and oil.

It all comes down to the meat and tomatoes. While both are pasta sauces, Bolognese places more emphasis on the meat.

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”.

Next, add the staples that no good Bolognese is without

"Finely chopped carrots, celery and onions. I know it doesn't sound like it, but these are the things that give proper depth of flavour." "Crisp up some bacon or pancetta first. If you want a bit of a spiciness then chorizo also works well.

Italian ragù alla bolognese is a slowly cooked meat-based sauce, and its preparation involves several techniques, including sweating, sautéing and braising.

You'll find bolognese much more complex in flavor than spaghetti sauce because it contains several ingredients that have been simmered together long enough to meld their flavors.

Tossing in strips of basil, a sprig of thyme or some oregano can take your sauce to the next level. Although fresh herbs might pop a bit more, dried herbs and spices can work just as well. Sprinkling in some red pepper flakes, a pinch of parsley and a dash of salt and pepper can liven up your jarred pasta sauce.

As far as its taste, it will have a meaty heartiness from the browned meats, a sweet tang from the rich tomatoes, as well as an herbal kick from the various Italian spices used. If you've ever enjoyed a pasta dish with meat and tomato-based sauce, it was likely a variation of a bolognese recipe.

For Meat Sauces

Known as Bolognese in Italy, these classic slow-simmered sauces are often a Sunday treat at Nonna's house. If you want to best capture these hearty sauces, serve them with traditional tube-shaped pasta—like Rigatoni and Tortiglioni—or deep scoopable shapes like Shells and Orecchiette.

There are some classic Italian versions and some more westernised ones. My preference leans towards one of the Italian classics. Ragu Bolognese is of the region of Bologna as the name implies. This version of the sauce uses fresh vegetables, such as the sweetness of carrots instead of using sugar.

Why is there no garlic in bolognese? ›

Unfortunately for garlic lovers, it has no place in a traditional bolognese as the dish doesn't usually involve aromatics - it rarely even involves a bayleaf.

Here's a fun fact: the original pasta Bolognese isn't made with spaghetti at all. Actually, the name comes from an early recipe from Bologna, involving tagliatelle and a rich ragù (Italian for meat sauce).

For the most part, bolognese is not a tomato based sauce. It has a base of carrots, celery, and onions that are sweated, sautéed, and simmered along with pancetta and whatever ground meat is being used. Beef, veal, or pork are popular options.

Spaghetti is the noodle, not the noodle and sauce. Bolognese sauce is a meat-based tomato sauce used on cooked pasta. There is a lot of variety depending on who is making it. For some people this is what they mean when they say “spaghetti sauce).

The Italians traditionally eat the Bolognese with tagliatelle, a flat strand egg pasta similar to fettuccine. You can use other flat ribbon pasta like papardelle or tripoline. I personally use this sauce with any and all pastas though. And I love mixing it with tube pastas like rigatoni or penne.