My best bolognese

Issue 53: Is this an authentic version? Who knows!? Who cares!

Why hello there! Welcome to on hand! If you’ve landed here and somehow aren’t subscribed, I got you:

Bolognese is one of those recipes that people — people meaning Italians — like to argue about. Are there tomatoes? Yes, according to Marcella Hazan. No, according to Bon Appétit. Is there garlic? Probably not, but I think garlic is awesome, so I use it. Is there pancetta, chicken livers, or prosciutto? Maybe, depending on who you ask and how authentic they believe they are. I even saw a few recipes that don’t use nutmeg or milk, two things that have always felt non-negotiable to me.

I took an informal survey of some friends and family on one of the more hotly debated ingredients in bolognese:

two separate conversation and no one has the same answer. who knows!

Since no one can actually agree on how bolognese is made, I present to you my favorite version. It uses tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and garlic because why the hell not! It’s perfect for a quiet day at home because it’s a recipe that’s like my ideal background TV show (SVU if you’re wondering): interesting enough to keep you engaged, but not something you have to pay a ton of attention to to still enjoy the outcome. Make it while you’re doing other things today and you’ll have an insanely good dinner tonight (and even better leftovers tomorrow).

There might be some nonnas out there that will tell me tomatoes or garlic are inauthentic, but che importa!

(*Google translate says that’s Italian for who cares!)

My Best Bolognese