A good ol’ spaghetti bolognese is a staple in most kiwi kitchens… but 90% of the time we turn to beef as our hero ingredient. And fair enough… NZ does do damn good lean beef mince. But, spaghetti bolognese has a much pork-ier history.
Translated spaghetti bolognese just means ‘spaghetti from Bologna’ – a city of around 400,000 people in Northern Italy. Originally a rich farming district, the city has done well in the Industrial Age and it’s proximity to a big agriculture industry means it’s now home to some of Italy’s largest food producers, as well as a busy engineering industry and is often seen as a transport hub for the northern parts of Italia.
The meat-based sauce is what makes spaghetti bolognese awesome. It’s been around since the late 18th century – the first published recipe appeared in Pelligrino Artusi’s cookbook, “The Science of Cooking and the Art of Fine Dining“, in 1891.
Below is a kiwi-friendly version of that recipe with easy-to-find ingredients for an authentic Italian taste explosion at home!