Authentic Spaghetti Bolognese - definitely NOT ragu!

spaghetti bolognese - the original kind - definitely NOT ragu!

I love watching Rick Stein (his not-so-private life and personal history is nothing to do with his food, no haters please!) and in his long weekend to Bologna, he visited a tortellini 'factory' - more home run business, really, run by two sisters.

They invited him home for the 'proper' spaghetti bolognese - dried spaghetti, tinned tuna, tinned tomatoes and onions, fried in olive oil and served simply with a delicious glass of red.

Ideal for Friday - Fish nights and any time you want a filling and flavoursome pasta meal.

This may not be the ragu that one serves in Bologna (indeed, ALL of Italy) traditionally with fresh tagliatelle or in lasagna BUT traditional to Bologna all the same, just under the guise of the name we in the States and UK know, but paired with the actual dish that in reality does not in Italy exist - ragu on spaghetti!

Like Nigella's 'Slut's Spaghetti' or as it's originally termed, 'Puttanesca' (the idea being you're using what is in your store cupboards rather than going to buy fresh produce from the market), this dish uses tinned foods rather than fresh, but in my recipe below, there are changes because it so happens that I used foods that are in my kitchen.

N.B. This is a quick meal to prepare - fry your ingredients whilst pasta is cooking. This will take no more than 15 minutes all in.

Ingredients

for roughly 2 people - serve with a side of hearty salad and delicious crusty bread to mop up the juices!

• 200g dried spaghetti - portion per person is roughly 90g

• 1 tin of tuna

• 2 fresh tomatoes per person, diced OR 1/2 can tomatoes

• 1/4 onion (red or white) finely sliced into half moons

• 1 tbsp tomato paste - if you're using tinned tomatoes, you may not need this

• salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. cook pasta per box instructions - I bring a large kettle of water to the boil, add to my largest lidded saucepan and then bring to the boil again. Once boiling, HEAVILY salt

2. in a wide frying pan on medium heat, add oil and sauté the onion.

3. add chopped tomatoes including their seeds (their juice adds to the sauce) and stir

4. stir in the tomato paste and add the tin of tuna, breaking the fish up as necessary - keep the oil or water the tuna is in - it adds to the sauce!

5. once pasta is done, reserve a cup to marry your sauce to the pasta in the frying pan and drain through a sieve or colander.

6. stir spaghetti into frying pan and stir to combine

7. salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil to stir through at the end and serve piping hot