Brit’s ‘easy’ Bolognese recipe sparks backlash as Italians say it’s ‘completely wrong’

Adam James Pollock shared his ‘easy’ Bolognese recipe online – but the dish left many Italians less than impressed, with one person saying it was “completely wrong”Spaghetti bolognese [stock image](Image: Getty Images/Westend61)

A food writer has been hit with a wave of criticism after sharing his ‘simple’ Bolognese recipe.

Spaghetti bolognese is undeniably one of the UK’s favourite dishes, but if you’re expecting to find it on your Italian holiday menu – think again. This is because Italians know the beloved meaty-tomato sauce as Ragu, and its variations depend on the region.

So, Ragu alla Bolognese translates to sauce from the town of Bologna. It’s widely believed that the dish we commonly call Spaghetti Bolognese was adapted and renamed by Italian immigrants who opened restaurants in the UK post-war – but this remains a hot topic, as food writer Adam James Pollock recently discovered.

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On X (previously known as Twitter), the chef shared a recipe describing ‘Bolognese’ as the ‘most iconic Italian pasta dish’. In a post that racked up an impressive 1.4 million views, Pollock revealed his ingredients list, which included 1kg ground beef, 100g pancetta, two large carrots, two celery stalks, a brown onion, three garlic cloves, a can of plum tomatoes, tomato paste, parmesan, bay leaves, pasta, wine, beef stock, olive oil and salt and pepper.

He meticulously chopped and peeled his veggies, then browned the pancetta before introducing the beef to a sizzle over medium heat. A splash of wine went in next, letting the meat stew for a magic ten before a medley of veggies and an array of seasonings joined the fray.

Pollock capped off his culinary creation with stock, giving the sauce hours to simmer to perfection before folding in the al dente pasta along with a cup of the starchy water. Keen to sidestep life’s less cheery tales?

Yet no sooner had he presented his version of the dish than critics swarmed him online, casting doubt over its Italian authenticity. “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,” scorched one critic.

Another chimed in with equal disdain: “Sweet Jesus, again, [this] is not Bolognese, in Italy. If you ask for Bolognese you might end with a Mortadella slice.” A third expressed disbelief: “Noo my friend, nooo, you got the order completely wrong, and the pancetta, I mean, wow that takes guts. I like your content my friend but this is not how you do it.”

And a fourth blasted, “This is not an authentic Bolognese. No milk, no pancetta and no parmesan crust.”