Spaghetti bolognese

The British national pasta: a richly tomato-sauced meat ragu over spaghetti, distinct from its Italian ancestor

Origin: Britain (adapted from Ragù alla Bolognese, Emilia-Romagna, Italy)

From the journey of Tomato.

Spaghetti bolognese as made in Britain is genuinely its own dish; not the same preparation as the Italian ragù alla bolognese, which uses very little tomato, is slow-cooked with milk and wine, and is served with tagliatelle or pappardelle, never spaghetti. The British version arrived in post-war Britain through Italian immigrants and returning travellers, and was transformed over decades of domestic cooking into something more abundant, more tomatoey, and more direct. By the 1970s, 'spag bol' had become the default weeknight dinner of a generation of British households: the first 'foreign' dish that millions of British children grew up cooking. It became a national institution: a Sunday supplement classic, a university student staple, a dish eaten by virtually every British family at least once a month. The tomato is its anchor; typically a long-simmered base of tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, onion and garlic that the British kitchen learned first from Italian restaurants and then made entirely its own.

Ingredients

Main

500 g beef mince
400 g tin chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
150 ml red wine
150 ml beef stock
2 tbsp olive oil

Seasoning

1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt

To serve

400 g spaghetti
50 g Parmesan or Cheddar, grated, to serve

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and fry for 8 minutes until soft and beginning to colour.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, then increase the heat and add the beef mince. Break it up well and cook until browned all over with no pink remaining.
Pour in the red wine and let it bubble hard for 2–3 minutes until mostly reduced.
Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute, then add the tinned tomatoes, beef stock, dried oregano, mixed herbs and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well and bring to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30–40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and rich. Season generously with salt.
Cook the spaghetti in a large pan of well-salted boiling water according to packet instructions until just al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.
Drain the spaghetti and toss with the bolognese sauce, loosening with a splash of pasta water if needed. Serve immediately with Parmesan or Cheddar grated over.

The Gastrographer

Name: Spaghetti bolognese
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Britain
Ingredients: 500 g beef mince; 400 g tin chopped tomatoes; 2 tbsp tomato purée; 1 onion, finely diced; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 carrot, finely diced; 1 celery stalk, finely diced; 150 ml red wine; 150 ml beef stock; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp dried mixed herbs; 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp salt; 400 g spaghetti; 50 g Parmesan or Cheddar, grated, to serve

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control