Bolognese

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌbɒləˈneɪz/

Definitions

1. A hearty sauce that comes from Bologna, featuring minced meat and tomatoes cooked together and commonly used with different pasta varieties
2. Originating in Bologna, this sauce consists of ground meat and tomatoes, providing a robust flavor when paired with pasta dishes
3. A traditional Italian sauce from Bologna made with minced meat and tomatoes, often served with pasta

Etymology: The name is simply Italian for "from Bologna," the northern Italian city whose cooking gave the sauce its identity. Italian places-to-adjective formation works like English "Parisian" or "Lisbon-born": add a suffix to the city name and the result describes whatever comes from there. So "bolognese" carries the city's name on its face, and the sauce is named for its place of origin rather than for an ingredient or a cook. The English usage is what makes the story unusual. In Bologna itself, the dish is called "ragù alla bolognese," and the meat sauce is traditionally served with tagliatelle rather than the spaghetti that foreigners often associate with it. The sauce took its name from the city, then travelled abroad and was adopted by English speakers as a generic noun, so the word now names the sauce in almost any kitchen, often without any reference to the city at all.

Synonyms: meat sauce, ragù, spaghetti sauce, Italian sauce, sugo