The Great Bolognese Debate

Have you had a chance to look at this week’s recipe and video yet? It’s for slow-cooked ragu, also known as bolognese in this country and is a recipe I gleaned when cooking with Giovanna in her outdoor kitchen near Parma. Little did we know, when the video went live, that there was already an argument raging in one of the daily newspapers. It seems that someone had shared their “perfect” bolognese recipe and it had caused uproar among many of the readers. The inclusion of a red onion as well as “lots” of red wine didn’t go down too well and eventually the chef Gino d’Acampo waded into the row. He described the definitive Italian ragu, and – thankfully/happily – it was just as I make it too! We differed slightly on the tomato though – he prefers concentrated paste where I prefer to use tinned tomatoes. Giovanna had used her own home-grown bottled tomatoes and took me into her garden to show me row after row of the many varieties she grew, each for a different purpose. So on that day, as well as the delicious ragu we made pasta – tagliatelle and ravioli which was filled with a ricotta, lemon and thyme mixture.Then we made pisarei – gnocchi made with stale bread and boiling water, thickened with flour…not something I’ve recreated to be honest, but the ultimate way be economical and waste nothing. So there we are , dear reader, ever at the forefront and totally topical!