In search of ragù Bolognese
April 3, 2021
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Osteria dell Orsa, Bologna
On my first night in one of Bologna s cheap osterias, I realized that ragù Bolognese is about meat, not dairy.
My journey to uncover the authentic ragù Bolognese started at Osteria dell Orsa in a narrow alley in Bologna. The small eatery had been recommended by Matt Goulding, my guide and author of
Pasta, Pane, Vino, as a cheap spot that does a respectable job with local classics.
Seated at a common wooden table in the front dining room off the kitchen, I ordered the tagliatelle with ragù Bolognese (the other mainstay is tortellini in brodo), greens that turned out to be a bowl of iceberg-like lettuce, and a quartino of potable house wine.
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I
Italian culture is inseparable from its food. When you think if Italy, you think of its cuisine, of pizza, gelato and most of all, pasta. Especially pasta with ragù.
The
ragù bolognese, a thick, rich, meaty sauce made from beef and tomatoes, is probably Italy’s single most important cultural signifier. Ragù represents the very essence of the country’s food, and of its culture, and yet try to find one definitive recipe for ragù. You can’t. There are as many conflicting recipes for ragù as there are families in Italy, although every Italian will tell you that theirs is the real way to cook it.