Spaghetti bolognese

Bolognese sauce

Bolognese sauce used for tagliatelle al ragù
Type	Sauce
Place of origin	Bologna, Italy
Main ingredients	Ground meat (beef or veal, sometimes pork), onions, celery, carrot, tomato paste, wine

Bolognese sauce /bɒləˈnjeɪz/, known in Italian as ragù alla bolognese [raˈɡu alla boloɲˈɲeːze; -eːse], ragù bolognese [raˈɡu boloɲˈɲeːze; -eːse], or simply ragù, is a meat-based sauce originating from Bologna, Italy, hence the name. In Italian cuisine, it is customarily used to dress "tagliatelle al ragù" and to prepare "lasagne alla bolognese". In the absence of tagliatelle, it can also be used with other broad, flat pasta shapes, such as pappardelle or fettuccine. Genuine ragù alla bolognese is a slowly cooked sauce, and its preparation involves several techniques, including sweating, sautéing and braising. Ingredients include a characteristic soffritto of onion, celery and carrot, different types of minced or finely chopped beef, often alongside small amounts of fatty pork. Red wine and a small amount of tomato concentrate or tomatoes are added, and the dish is then gently simmered at length to produce a thick sauce.