Spaghetti Time

I know it seems like I am always cooking different and exotic foods, but believe it or not, I actually make a lot of just plain, good comfort foods too. With the past week we’ve had, comfort food was exactly what we needed. It was time for just some good old plain spaghetti Bolognese with garlic herbed cheese bread. It just hit the spot.

The name Bolognese means something from Bologna. Bologna boasts some of the country’s best cuisine. Though not considered an authentic Bolognese dish, Spaghetti Bolognese has gained lots of popularity worldwide. This particular dish is craved for and equally appreciated by both locals and foreigners who believe they are eating a typical Italian recipe. That being said, Spaghetti Bolognese isn’t a native Italian dish as most people believe.

Spaghetti Bolognese is very popular all over the world, and not just with Italians. It is the second most popular dish in British (and probably American) homes, and it ranked third most popular with German ex-pats living in Italy.

Originally, what we now know and love as spaghetti Bolognese actually started off as Tagliatelle and a rich ragù. In Italy, ragù is a term used to describe a type of meat sauce that has been cooked for many hours over low heat. Each ragù boasts numerous ingredients, which varies from region to region. In fact, “alla bolognese” is only one of the many different ragùs prepared in Italy. The original recipe has both French and Italian roots dating back to the 18th century.

Larry and I both like our Bolognese sauce rich, thick and very meaty. I admit, I cheat and actually buy jarred pasta sauce, but I doctor it up with more tomatoes, garlic and herbs and a little red wine to make it just right. I load it up with lots of ground beef and hot Italian sausage, as well as lots of sliced mushrooms too. When it’s ready, I dish it up over some spaghetti. Larry adds Parmigiano cheese to his too. I almost always serve it with my garlic-herbed cheese bread. Sometimes I don’t know if Larry likes the bread or the spaghetti more. But they make the perfect paring.

And since this is a rich, hearty, red sauce with a lot of meat, I always serve it with red wine too. This time it was a fruit forward, full-bodied Malbec.

!Mangia! !Buon Appetito! Enjoy.

Sometimes we all need some comforting, and that includes our comfort foods too.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.