Ah, the humble spag bol. So easy to make, so fun to eat, and always seems to taste even better as leftovers, right? And while we all probably have our go-to recipe, there are a few extra ingredients you can add to change, and upgrade a Bolognese’s flavour.
Ok, some of these aren’t strictly sticking to the traditional method, so our dear Italian friends, please look away now. But we promise you, give it a try and you’re going to be sold!
Side note: I probably wouldn’t recommend adding ALL these additional ingredients together as you might get a flavour overload. But surely, it’s an excuse to make batches of Bolognese ready for the freezer?
Milk
Adding milk to Bolognese is actually a part of the traditional method. Not only does dairy make sauces silkier and richer, but it also makes the meat more tender.
We add milk to our mixture a whole hour after simmering our Bolognese, and then allow it to simmer for a further 45 minutes. Trust us on this one, the wait is SO worth it.
Sundried Tomatoes
I can’t get enough of sundried toms, and I have been known to sneak a few straight from the jar (boujee snack alert). But they’re also fantastic to add a real depth of flavour to your Bolognese, especially if you don’t have time to simmer that bad boy for ages.
I just chop them up and chuck them in (without the oil), and let them work their magic.
Anchovies
Anchovies are 100% my go-to “secret” ingredient, WHENEVER I make a tomato sauce. They added an instant salty kick, and a whole other flavour layer.
To use anchovies, drain the oil from a small jar and add them into your sauce as it’s reducing down, and they should melt right in.
Wine
If you’re not making your spag bol with wine yet, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! This should be one of the main ingredients of your sauce, and don’t tell me otherwise. But before you go for that bottle of red, it’s actually white that you should be putting in.
The acidity of white wine works really nicely with the rest of the ingredients, and balances out the complex flavours within a Bolognese.
Porcini mushrooms
Adding mushrooms is sacrilege to some, but you can’t doubt the powerful flavours of dried porcini mushrooms. Soak them beforehand to rehydrate them, and add them to the pot for an earthy, rich flavour.
Sugar
I know this sounds strange, but savoury sauces sometimes (often) require a tiny amount of sugar. A great sauce is great because it has the gorgeous sweet flavours of tomatoes, but when those tomatoes aren’t sweet enough, they sometimes need a little helping hand.
Depending on how acidic your sauce is, a teaspoon of sugar should suffice. This should be plenty to help balance out the acidity, and enhance the sweet flavours of those toms.
So, next time you're whipping up an big bowl of the good stuff, give one of these ingredients a go (and don't scrimp on the Parmesan!)
Vicky is our Food & Drink Director, where she oversees strategy and content across all of Hearst's brands, from recipe development to fun video franchises and everything in between.
With almost a decade's experience, Vicky was previously Editor of Delish UK, and Digital Food Editor of Good Housekeeping and she lives and breathes food content creation.
Outside of work, Vicky loves learning about wine, eating her way around the world, and hanging out with her dog Pickle.
