Bolognese Sauce
Bolognese sauce (Ragu alla Bolognese) gets it’s name from the city of Bologna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, where the sauce originated. Many people think of Bolognese as being a tomato sauce, but it really should be more of a meat sauce with a little tomato (some even claim it should have no tomato at all). This recipe may have a little more tomato in it than some traditionalists would be comfortable with, but when it all cooks down, it is still very much a meat sauce. We do have another Variation in ourTagliatelle alla Bolognese recipe that excludes the canned tomatoes and uses only tomato paste. Why two versions? Because they are both excellent and choices are always a good thing.
Marinara Sauce
Marinara derives from the Italian word for sailor, marinaro. Due to these origins I have seen many people say that marinara sauce must contain something from the sea, usually anchovies. Actually this is not the case, the origins of marinara sauce are that it is the sauce that they made in Naples for the sailors when they returned from the sea. It is very important to master making a good marinara sauce. Not only is it delicious on it’s own over pasta, but as you will see by browsing this site it is a good starting point for many other recipes.
Vegetable Stock
This light vegetable stock from The Silver Spoon cookbook is perfect for use in a nice risotto with vegetables.