Green tagliatelle with traditional bolognaise sauce

(Tagliatelle verdi alla bolognese)

Serves 6

In Bologna, meat sauces are almost exclusively served with fresh pasta made from egg, or spinach and egg. Sometimes, however, fresh egg pasta is dried and used for the same purpose. The texture is not quite as soft, but it is still beautiful with the sauce. Dried egg pasta has become more and more popular because it is a quick and convenient way to have an egg pasta dish when you are time-poor and can’t make your own pasta. Obviously, this sauce is wonderful with fresh spinach and egg pasta as well.

850 g (1 lb 14 oz) bolognaise sauce

fine sea salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

600 g (1 lb 5 oz) good-quality dried spinach and egg tagliatelle

freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, to serve

Heat the bolognaise sauce in a saucepan. Check seasoning and adjust with the sea salt and black pepper, to taste. Cook the pasta in abundant salted water until al dente. Drain the pasta, return to the pot and stir through the heated bolognaise sauce. Check seasoning again and finish with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.