Speaking of bolognese, I tried ATK’s ‘Weeknight Bolognese’ recipe last week. Something went wrong. The roomate said it was “tasty”. I wouldn’t agree. Since I’m the cook around here, I won’t be making that one again. I suspect the baking soda soak in the beginning of the recipe may be to blame. Or the fact that one can’t find pancetta around here and I used 2 three ounce packages of sliced (it was expensive!) for the 6 oz. required.
Interesting… what is the purpose of the baking soda?
With the power of suggestion, I too made bolognese on Sunday. I was able to dash to the neighborhood butchers and get some fresh sliced pancetta. I could really tell that made a big difference in the outcome.
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I know in other recipes ATK uses baking soda to help brown meat. It is also used to tenderize meat which might be the purpose in the Bolognese.
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One of Marcella Hazan’s key beliefs, and more generally of the Italian cuisine, is that ingredient quality is paramount. Do you also find the sauce bland when using tomatoes you really like?
And this goes further than just using San Marzano tomatoes. They have become so hyped that a lot of San Marzano tomatoes (canned) are not flavourful at all. I believe you’re in Europe: try and find Mutti canned (regular) tomatoes, they are very good (even the chopped ones!).
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I’m not in Europe yet, but will be in two weeks for a couple of months. I can get very good tomato products at the Italian market we shop at a lot (including Mutti in all iterations), but I wouldn’t ruin any tomato sauce by adding a slick of butter to it. It ruins it for me.
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I mean, people can have their own personal preferences for everything, of course.
But some opinions can be based on flavor familiarity / memory, others on mistaken beliefs of “authenticity” (eg: olive oil is italian, how could butter possibly go in tomato sauce?" – without considering the many ingredient and cuisine differences between north and south, east and west, within the same country).
Re opinions, I can’t stand herbs in my tomato sauce. Except for ny-style pizza – if they’re missing there, then it just tastes “wrong” 
I liked some of the background in this article (and the simplicity of the recipe too, as they’re using already cooked-down tomatoes).
This one about soffritto is interesting as well - unrelated to tomato sauce, but I was mulling over celery when I made the bolognese (I dislike celery, but I wouldn’t leave it out because of the base flavor contribution.)
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I can assure you my opinion is solely based on my personal taste preferences, as in I find butter to ruin a good tomato sauce, and I don’t really give much of AF about authenticity. I’d rather my sauce tastes like tomatoes than butter
I’m also quite aware of the manifold local cuisines of Italy, as I’ve been lucky to have enjoyed many of them (Roman, Ligurian, Tuscan, Sardinian, Puglian, etc etc) inside and outside of the country.
It’s wonderful to try all the different regional styles, dishes & ingredients.
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I think ATK overworks everything, although every now and then I find a keeper.
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I’m wanting to make fresh pasta, fettuccine.
After it’s in a nest on counter, how long do you let it dry before a quick boil?
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For sure. ATK LOVES baking soda. Kenji too. There’s just no need for it most of the time. (And it’s a disaster if your palate can detect it – obviously theirs can’t.)
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From Essentials:
For all cut pasta, fettuccine, tagliolini, pappardelle, and so on, allow the strips spread on the towels to dry for 10 minutes or more, depending on the temperature and ventilation of your kitchen. From time to time, turn the strips over. The pasta is ready for cutting when it is still pliant enough that it won’t crack when cut, but not so soft and moist that the strands will stick to each other. Pasta requires no additional drying except for the purpose of storing it.
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I hate it in chickpea/bean soak. Maybe some of this has to do with the very soft water we have here in NY - the quantities of baking soda suggested may be overkill, I dont know but it is awful.
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I agree. I wonder if I would detect it if I didn’t know it was there ,but I know, so I do.
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I can detect it.
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I’ve made Ina Garten’s weeknight bolognese a few times. Easy, quick and tasty. My kind of midweek supper.
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I looked it up and it contains ingredients that ATK left out; like tomatoes, basil and other seasoning. No wonder ATK’s was a fail!
