Outrage over 'completely wrong' bolognese recipe as Italians slam Brits

Daily Mirror

27-04-2025

Food writer Adam James Pollock has been slammed after sharing his 'easy' recipe for a Bolognese - with many Italians fuming that the dish is 'completely wrong'
A food writer has been hit with a wave of criticism after sharing his 'simple' Bolognese recipe. Spaghetti Bolognese is undoubtedly one of the UK's favourite dishes, but if you're expecting to find it on your Italian holiday menu - think again. That's because Italians know the meaty tomato sauce we all adore as Ragu, and each variation depends on the region.
So, Ragu alla Bolognese translates to sauce from the city of Bologna. It's often suggested that what we commonly call Spaghetti Bolognese was adapted and renamed after Italian immigrants established restaurants in the UK post-war - but it remains a hot topic, as food writer Adam James Pollock discovered.
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Taking to X (previously known as Twitter), the chef shared a recipe describing 'Bolognese' as the 'most iconic Italian pasta dish'. In a post that has racked up an impressive 1.4 million views, Pollock revealed his ingredients list, which included 1kg minced beef, 100g pancetta, two large carrots, two celery stalks, a brown onion, three garlic cloves, a tin of plum tomatoes, tomato paste, parmesan, bay leaves, pasta, wine, beef stock, olive oil and salt and pepper.
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Wanting to whip up a classic dish, he methodically chopped and peeled his veggies before frying the pancetta and browning the beef on medium heat.
Next came the wine, a brief simmer for ten minutes, then the rest of the veg and spices were thrown into the mix.
To round it off, Pollock poured in the stock and let that sauce thicken over several hours before marrying it with some starchy pasta water and perfectly al dente pasta. But not everyone was impressed with his epicurean efforts.
Yet after sharing his recipe online, the foodie found himself under fire as culinary purists pounced, critiquing its authenticity with fiery abandon. "Please do not say this is an Italian dish. It is probably tasty, but Bolognese sauce does not exist in Italy and Ragu differs from your recipe," wrote one incensed commenter.
Another chimed in to condemn: "Sweet Jesus, again, [this] is not Bolognese, in Italy. If you ask for Bolognese you might end with a Mortadella slice."
A third lamented the technique: "Noo my friend, nooo, you got the order completely wrong, and the pancetta, I mean, wow that takes guts. I like you content my friend but this is not how you do it."
While a fourth said: "This is not an authentic Bolognese. No milk, no pancetta and no parmesan crust."