Sofrito is heavily emphasized as the third critical component in a "sofregit" base along with tomatoes and onions. Garlic is optional, as it is not considered an integral part of the standard "sofregit" recipe. Some "sofregit" recipes do not contain tomatoes at all, but are made more complex with the addition of diced vegetables such as leeks or bell peppers. In Italian cuisine, chopped onions, carrots and celery is battuto, and then, slowly cooked in olive oil, becomes "soffritto". It is used as the base for most pasta sauces, such as arrabbiata sauce, but occasionally it can be used as the
Bolognese sauce called "spaghetti alla bolognese", or colloquially "spag bol" or just "spaghetti") is a pasta dish that is commonly served outside Italy. It consists of spaghetti served with a sauce made from tomatoes, minced beef, garlic, wine and herbs; sometimes minced beef can be replaced by other minced meats. In this sense it is actually more similar to Neapolitan ragù from the south of Italy than the northern Bolognese version of Ragu. Often accused of 'inauthenticity' when encountered by Italians abroad, it may be served with a larger proportion of sauce to spaghetti than is common in some Italian spaghetti dishes,