Spaghettis bolognaise

This recipe produces a sauce that is similar to the original, ragù alla bolognese, which takes its name from the city of Bologna, Italy’s renowned center of great cuisine. Pancetta (Italian bacon) is sautéed in olive oil with a soffritto (finely diced onion, carrots and celery). Ground beef is added along with garlic, tomatoes, seasonings and a little red wine. The sauce is left to simmer, then served over spaghetti and topped with grated Parmesan.

In this French version, I’ve used herbes de Provence (dried rosemary, savory, oregano and thyme) instead of oregano — up to you to choose, or you can omit the dried herbs altogether. As for the pancetta, if it is not available you can substitute bacon, which however lends a smokier flavor, or use a little ground pork instead.

The sauce may of course be served over other forms of pasta than spaghetti. A big favorite in our household is fusilli, aka rotini, which holds the sauce well due it its spiral shape. In terms of how much to make, I count about 3 ounces (85 grams) dried pasta per person for medium eaters, and about 3-1/2 ounces (100 grams) per person for hearty eaters.

Before beginning the recipe, do yourself a favor and sharpen your knives — as there is a lot of chopping. The quantities below will serve 4 people.

4 slices pancetta
1 medium onion
1/2 carrot
1 small stalk celery
2 cloves garlic
1 small can whole tomatoes (14.5 ounces/200 g)
2 tbsp. olive oil
12 ounces (330 g) ground beef
1/2 tsp salt, or more to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. herbes de Provence or oregano
2 tbsp. red wine
1 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tbsp. water
1/4 tsp. sugar
3 ounces (85 g) spaghetti per person (multiply by the number of people you’re serving)
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Slice the pancetta crosswise and then lengthwise to create small squares. Set aside.

Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel the carrot and and dice half of it finely (you can set aside the other half for another use). Dice the celery finely. Combine and set aside.

Peel and finely mince the garlic. Set aside separately.

Transfer the tinned tomatoes to a blender and pulse briefly. Set aside.

Heat the oil to sizzling in a skillet. Add the pancetta and stir-fry briefly. Add the mixed chopped veggies, turn down the heat to medium and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion is wilted and the carrot and celery are tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spatula as it cooks. Add the minced garlic, salt, pepper and dried herbs. When the beef has lost its rosy color and there are no more lumps, add the red wine. Cook for a couple of minutes until the wine has evaporated. Add the tomatoes. Turn the heat down to low.

In a small bowl, combine the tomato paste with 1 tbsp. water. Stir to blend. Add the rest of the water, sitr and add to the skillet. Add the sugar.

Allow the sauce to simmer on the stovetop for about half an hour. Taste and adjust the seasonings as necessary. You can pause the recipe here if you like.

About 15 minutes before you’re ready to serve, heat a large pot of salted water to boiling. While the water is heating, reheat the meat sauce over low heat. Grate the Parmesan.

When the water boils, cook the pasta for the time indicated on the packet, usually 9 minutes for al dente spaghetti. With other types of pasta, the time may be less, or more.

If the sauce looks too thick, add a couple of tablespoons of the pasta water to it.

Drain the cooked pasta through a colander. Then add the pasta to the sauce pot. Stir to coat the pasta well and heat through gently.

Serve piping hot, with grated Parmesan on top. Serves 3-4.

Note: If you like, you can top the pasta with a small pat of butter and/or a teaspoon of chopped parsley before adding the Parmesan. Both are popular in our household.