Tagliatelle alla Bolognese is the ultimate dish when you are craving traditional Italian comfort food. Go rustic with checked country tablecloths and perhaps a table wine, or dress it up with fancy cutlery, sophisticated wine and the works. Either way you go, Tagliatelle alla Bolognese is a warm invitation to sit down and enjoy a highly satisfying meal.
What you Need to Make a Great Tagliatelle alla Bolognese
A really good Ragù alla Bolognese recipe is the start. Fresh tagliatelle noodles make the perfect pairing. And a snowstorm of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is the finishing touch — a cheese not incidentally from the same Italian region of Emilia Romagna as Bologna.
Use the good stuff, even if that means eating this dish occasionally. It really will take the satisfaction of your meal to another level.
Tagliatelle Pasta
A good pasta makes all the difference. Ragù alla Bolognese loves a fresh egg tagliatelle, and it’s a favorite in and around Bologna for good reason. It’s all about the texture. The tender texture of a good fresh ribbon pasta goes so well with the ragu sauce. The shape is also ideal — easy to eat, and rather elegant as well. You may have had it with spaghetti, but eat a good ragù alla Bolognese pasta sauce with fresh tagliatelle once, and it’s hard to go back.
tagliatelle pronunciation: tah-lyee-ah-TEH-leh
Where to Get Good Tagliatelle
Having an artisan pasta shop near by is an ideal scenario. Specialty markets would be the next best place. Some grocery stores carry fresh egg pasta, however, it can be touch and go. You may have to test a few brands before finding one with a texture you like. I am seeing more and more of the popular Italian brand Rana, found in many grocery stores in Italy, also in the refrigerated section of U.S. grocery shelves these days.
Can I use another pasta?
Fresh tagliatelle is tradition around Bologna, and it’s a favorite because the texture and shape are absolutely perfect with ragu. However, others go well too. Below are some good substitutes for tagliatelle.
Fresh Pasta Alternatives
- Most fresh flat pasta noodles tend to go very well with ragù. You could turn this dish into Linguine Bolognese, or Fettucine alla Bolognese, both which are very close to tagliatelle.
linguine pronunciation: leen-GWEE-neh
fettucine pronunciation: fet-too-CHEE-neh
- Wider ribbon noodles like pappardelle also go very well. Pappardelle alla Bolognese is a visually inviting dish.
- Tagliatelle vs Pappardelle? They are very similar. While the wide pappardelle noodles may be my visual preference, the thinner width of the tagliatelle wins when it comes to ease of eating.
- Pro Tip: You can always cut fresh pappardelle into tagliatelle. Roll it up first to make it easier, if you like.
- Another thing you can do with fresh pappardelle noodles is to cut them into smaller maltagliati. Just cut the pappardelle into 1 to 2-inch sized diamonds or triangles. Or really however you like. The name maltagliati refers to pasta pieces that weren’t cut very well — often the leftovers after cutting tagliatelle or pappardelle — so have fun being imprecise!
pappardelle pronunciation: pah-par-DEL-leh
maltagliati: mahl-tah-LYEE-AH-tee
And then, of course, there are fresh or dried lasagna noodles for Lasagna al Forno alla Bolognese.
Substituting Dried Pasta
Ragù Bolognese with dried pasta just isn’t the same. Once eaten with fresh tagliatelle or pappardelle, it’s hard to eat it with anything else. That said…
- If you don’t have fresh pasta, the second best choice is dried packaged egg pastas, which you can get as tagliatelle or pappardelle. With ragù alla Bolognese, these are preferable over the boxed dried durum pastas (which are otherwise great for other sauces).
- If using dried boxed pasta (dried durum wheat pasta without egg), look for a tube pasta that will hold some of the sauce: conchiglie (pasta shells), mezze maniche (pasta with short-sleeves — cute, huh), ziti… Or huge paccheri noodles. Paccheri Bolognese can be a fun dish — the huge tubes can even be stuffed like cannelloni.
Pro Tip: If using dried pasta, the addition of a little heavy cream to the ragù, goes well with dried pasta’s denser texture.
mezze maniche pronunciation: MEHTZ-zeh MAH-nee-keh,
conchiglie pronunciation: kohn-KEE-lyee-eh
paccheri pronunciation: PAHK-keh-ree
Ragù for Tagliatelle alla Bolognese
I have a favorite Ragù alla Bolognese recipe to make Tagliatelle Bolognese with. Using that same recipe, you can make a creamy Bolognese sauce (ragù bianco) or one with more tomato.
What I love to do is make extra ragu to freeze in portions that are always ready to warm up and toss with fresh tagliatelle.
Cheese
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Aged. Get the good stuff and freshly grate it. You are worth it! (Freshly grated Grana Padano is good too.)
Expert Pasta Cooking Tips
- Add the salt to the pasta water when you first put it on to boil, instead of later. Adding salt causes a drop in temperature of the water, but it will take the same amount of time to come to a boil. So, better to drop the temperature of the water at first, than right before you throw in the pasta!
- Make sure not to overcook the pasta! It’s easy with fresh pasta, since it cooks very quickly. For the best texture, you want to take it out of the water when it is al dente, tender yet still firm to the bite.
- Use a pasta fork or tongs to transfer the pasta, so some of the starchy pasta water can hitch a ride. The starch, a natural thickener we know from puddings and gravies, helps create creaminess and cohesion while you toss, silkening and unifying the sauce with the pasta. (If using short pasta, a slotted spoon or spider works great.)
- Enjoy your Tagliatelle alla Bolognese immensely.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter, softened to room temperature
- 1½ cups, 10oz Ragù alla Bolognese
- 10 oz fresh tagliatelle pasta (See notes for other pasta options)
- 2 Tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
- Take about a tablespoon of butter out of the refrigerator, and let it come to room temperature in a heatproof bowl big enough to toss the pasta.
- Put a large covered pot of salted water on to boil.
- Warm up the ragù and have ready. For extra richness, add a dollop of butter to the ragù.
- Cook the pasta in the boiling salted water until al dente, tender yet firm. (Take care not to overcook it, since fresh pasta can take just a few minutes.)
- Transfer the cooked pasta to the mixing bowl with a pasta fork to quickly toss:1) First, toss the pasta in the butter with wooden salad forks (so as not to damage the delicate fresh pasta), reaching your forks under the pasta and pulling it up a few times.2) Then, add the grated Parmigiano cheese and toss a little more. 3) Finally, add the ragù and toss, adding a spoon or so of the hot pasta water if needed to facilitate your tossing.
- Serve with more freshly grated Parmigiano cheese at the table. Buon Appetito!
- Adjust the amount of pasta to 8oz (230g)
- When using dried pasta, adding a little heavy cream to thicken the ragù sauce goes well with the dried pasta’s denser texture.
- Dried pasta recommendations: short tubes that will hold the sauce well, such as conchiglie (pasta shells), rigatoni, ziti, paccheri, mezze maniche
