Bolognaise not bolognese

[Bubblyaero]

It’s all ragù to me, but I’ve noticed people starting to put lentils in their “bolognaise”, and it troubles me more than the recent potato lasagne. When did it change? 🫤

Bit harsh. Bolognaise (ie using the French version) was used in the UK before Bolognese became more common. I agree it is a bit odd to use the French word for an Italian dish in the UK, but I am guessing it comes from a time when French was the language for fancy menus, and pasta was exotic not every day.

I always thought it was “from Bologna”, and, being an Italian dish, bolognese would be correct in that context. Not sure why it would have been referred to by a French name in England first, but yes, maybe through the French fancy version. It might have bypassed my knowledge as my parents are both Italian! It looks wrong to me, but perhaps I’m just not used to seeing it written that way.

I just thought it was people spelling “Bolognese” wrongly. Usually the “naice ham” brigade.

What is potato lasagne?

We normally pronounce it bolognaise rather than bolognese anyway (unless shortening to spag bol obv).

If you’re putting lentils in, or really most of the variations of ‘meat and tomato pasta sauce’ which aren’t an authentic Italian ragu, then it’s ’spag Bol’ - it’s not really Bolognese, is it?

Guilty as charged. I lived in France (working as a chef) for a chunk of my 20s. - autocorrect gives me Bolognese, however, I always write Bolognaise (from the french) 🤷

Ha! Yeah, I’m not the one putting the lentils in. Should have quoted that differently. Variation of original dish aside, it’s the written name that intrigues me.

If we are going to be pedantic, the authentic name is ragù, with that accent, and would be more likely to be tagliatelle, depending on region. Is it officially “spag bol” now? I heard someone calling it “Sketty bol” the other day, which is quite cute!

😁 It’s funny how autocorrect pulls up the Italian. Online dictionary says both are used, but Bolognese is the authentic term from Bologna, Italy, while Bolognaise (French) is a common Anglicized/French variation, often seen in the UK and Australia.

Technically not incorrect!

“Soffrito” on the other hand…

I had a boyfriend who insisted it was ‘Spag Bowl’. He’s obviously ancient history.

Ive just realised that I write bolognese but say bolognaise...

There was a thread from someone who had started to make lasagne (that's the way I spell it not lasagna, I don't know which OP prefers) but didn't have any lasagne sheets. She did have boiled potatoes because she likes potatoes with lasagne (weird) and posters suggested she layer potatoes with the sauce. I don't think was intended to be lasagne but an alternative dish which imo would be absolutely acceptable albeit not lasagne. I left the thread at this point so I don't know what was said after this.

First incidence of "Bolognese" referring to the dish in English, predates "Bolognaise" by a long time.

Lasagne is the name of the pasta sheets I believe. So one sheet of pasta is a lasagna, more than one becomes the plural, lasagne.

As for bolognaise/bolognese I always thought the latter Italian spelling was correct. But in any case we call it ‘spag bollocks’ in our house!

It’s bolognese and lasagne, because they’re Italian. People don’t write bolognaise because it’s French, they write it because it rhymes with mayonnaise.

Spag bog drives me mad (slight overreaction maybe).

I write bolognese, my accent pronounces bolognaise 😭

DH says spadge bodge and I honestly want to patio him.

So do I now 🤣

I've called it slag bol for so long I don't remember why.

And I don't put meat or lentils in. I put grated carrots in.

@Bubblyaero people are putting lentils in it to plump it out as beef is becoming quite expensive.

The addition of lentils is probably a budget thing rather than a bastardisation of the recipe.

And as for the spelling. Both are used equally. Depends on how pure you want to be.

I much prefer to write Bolognaise. Can you imagine how all the 'choritzo' brigade would pronounce 'bolognese' (to rhyme with Chinese) and feeling all smug they are pronouncing it 'authentically'.

Pronouncing bolognese to rhyme with mayonnaise will have an Italian crying before you even serve them a British spag bol, with or withiut lentils in it.

It should rhyme with mayonnaise, but lots of people pronounce the latter with the stress on the first syllable, when it should be mayonnAISE because it's "sauce originating in Mahon", just as Bolognese is from Bologna.

I had a housemate at university who insisted that it should be abbreviated to spag bog instead of spag bol. We are no longer friends.

Straight from the WW2 cookery books?

I mentioned on another thread yesterday the abomination that is "panini's", so I'll leave that thought here as well