If you are wondering what the difference between a Bolognese sauce or Italian meat sauce (spaghetti sauce), we will explain it all. From where they originated, what the difference are between them and how they are served.
I get lots of questions about what the difference is between a Bolognese sauce and an Italian meat sauce so I thought I would write it out to help clarify it a bit.
Here they are broken down.
Bolognese Sauce
Bolognese sauce, also called ragu alla Bolognese is meat sauce from Bologna, Italy that is traditionally served with tagliatelle pasta.
This type of Italian sauce is also generally referred to a ragu (which just means a slow cooked meat sauce) but when you are in Bologna, they will mean a Bolognese.
A Bolognese is also made with fewer tomatoes than an Italian meat sauce and a Bolognese is made with a combination of beef and pork (sometimes veal) and with aromatics called an Italian soffritto. The soffritto is carrots, celery and onion.
A Bolognese sauce is slowly simmered for hours to allow the flavors from all of these ingredients to come together.
You can sometimes find Italian restaurants outside of Italy using the term spaghetti Bolognese or Bolognese but they are often referring to a meat sauce.
Italian Meat Sauce
Now, an Italian meat sauce is not a sauce that is made in Italy. When you hear this term, it usually refers to an adapted version of Bolognese that many Italian Americans (Or Italians outside of Italy) make. I make an Italian American version of meat sauce because I am an Italian American 🙂
An Italian meat sauce is made up of either just beef or pork (sometimes a combination) and has lots of tomatoes added. Usually canned tomatoes.
You will often find garlic added along with herbs like Italian oregano and basil. These herbs are not traditional in Bolognese, nor is the garlic.
You may find the term meat sauce used in Italian restaurants outside of Italy. You will never see "meat sauce" in Italy. Well if you do, don't eat there 🙂
How to use these different Italian Sauces?
I have seen both of these sauce names widely used in many places but believe it or not, there are some unspoken rules about how to use them.
Bolognese sauce
In Bologna, Italy they only serve Bolognese sauce with fresh tagliatelle pasta. They do not even think about using spaghetti. In fact, if you say this to them you will see their faces scrunch up 🙂
Sometimes, you will see Bolognese sauce served with rigatoni or tortellini as well like with a creamy tortellini Bolognese.
Meat Sauce
This adapted version of a Bolognese sauce is served in so many ways. The most classic is spaghetti with meat sauce. It can be served with any pasta shape and there are really no rules with this style of sauce.
How to tell the difference between the two?
If you are ever out at a restaurant and you want to know if that is in fact a real bolognese or Italian meat sauce they are serving, then you can:
- Ask what is in the Bolognese sauce. A Bolognese sauce will have that combination of meat and the Italian soffritto.
- Look at what they are serving the Bolognese with. If I see tagliatelle on the menu then I feel comfortable that it is authentic Bolognese sauce. If I see spaghetti then I know it is probably an Italian meat sauce.
To recap, both traditional Bolognese sauce and Italian meat sauce are wonderfully delicious in their own way but are different from one another.
Depending on how much time you have or the ingredients available to you, each one is great to make.
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