spaghetti alla bolognese
/spaˈɡet.ti ˈal.la bo.loɲˈɲe.ze/word by wordmasculine, plural
Spaghetti bolognese is the English phrase for the Italian dish spaghetti alla bolognese. Wiktionary also lists spaghetti al ragù.
Meaning: dish of spaghetti with Bolognese sauce (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| spaghetti alla bolognese | /spaˈɡet.ti ˈal.la bo.loɲˈɲe.ze/ (word by word) | masculine, plural |
| spaghetti al ragù | /spaˈɡet.ti al raˈɡu/ (word by word) | masculine, plural |
The phrase refers to a dish of spaghetti with Bolognese sauce. In laid-back settings, people may refer to the dish as pasta al ragù to imply Bolognese sauce.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase al ragù literally means with the meat sauce.
Which one should you use?
While spaghetti alla bolognese is understood, spaghetti al ragù is the more authentic way to refer to the dish in Italy.
How does it change in a sentence?
The use of alla (a + la) indicates that the spaghetti is prepared in the style of Bologna.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /spaˈɡet.ti ˈal.la bo.loɲˈɲe.ze/. The word has 8 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
When do people say it?
In Italy, the sauce itself is called ragù alla bolognese and it is traditionally served with tagliatelle rather than spaghetti.
Did you know?
- The term ragù is not originally Italian, but was borrowed from the French word ragoût, which means 'something that awakens the appetite'.
- While English speakers use 'spaghetti' as a generic term for all pasta, in Italy using spaghetti to describe a dish made with other pasta shapes is considered incorrect.
- The phrase alla bolognese uses a specific grammar pattern that can be applied to any city to describe a local style of cooking, such as alla genovese for dishes from Genoa.
Examples in context
- Vorrei un piatto di spaghetti alla Bolognese, per favore.I would like a plate of spaghetti Bolognese, please.
- Mi piacerebbe ordinare gli spaghetti al ragù, se possibile.I would like to order spaghetti with meat sauce, if possible.
- Voglio spaghetti alla Bolognese!I want spaghetti Bolognese!
- Vorrei degli spaghetti alla bolognese, per favore.I would like some spaghetti bolognese, please.
- Hai ordinato gli spaghetti alla bolognese?Did you order the spaghetti bolognese?
- Gli spaghetti alla bolognese sono molto buoni qui.The spaghetti bolognese is very good here.
Example conversation
A couple is deciding what to order at a local trattoria.
- MartinaAlessandro, cosa prendi di buono?Alessandro, what good thing are you having?
- AlessandroIo prenderei gli spaghetti alla bolognese.I would have the spaghetti bolognese.
- MartinaAnche io amo gli spaghetti alla bolognese!I love spaghetti bolognese too!
- AlessandroAllora ordiniamo entrambi lo stesso piatto.Then let's both order the same dish.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “spaghetti bolognese” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (spaghetti, alla, bolognese, al, ragù) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bolognese, ragù, spaghetti, CC BY-SA 4.0.
