march-2011

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THE BUZZ | TASTE BUDS
PRIMI
Tortellini & tagliatelle
Pride of place on the Bologna dinner table goes to deep, yellow pasta. While the
commonplace tagliatelle al ragù (ribbon pasta with meaty sauce) was the inspiration behind
spaghetti Bolognese, tortellini in brodo (meat-fi lled pasta in broth) is generally reserved for
special occasions. Both varieties have been around for more than fi ve centuries and have
curious origins: a sensual contemplation of the female navel supposedly resulted in the
delicate shape of tortellini, while tagliatelle was invented in the 15th century for society lady
Lucrezia Borgia’s wedding feast, inspired by her luscious hair.
The role of sfoglino – skilled pasta maker – is much sought after and there’s a waiting list
for the professional courses run by TV chef Alessandra Spisni at her Vecchia Scuola
Bolognese cookery school (49 Via Malvasia, tel: +39 051 649 1576, lavecchiascuola.com).
The half-day introduction to pasta courses can still be booked at the last minute though.
SECONDI
Carrello dei bolliti con salsa verde
When it comes to the main course there’s not quite such a consensus of opinion, but
old-school votes go to the carrello dei bolliti (trolley of mixed, boiled meats). In traditional
trattorias like the family-run Da Bertino (55 Via Lame, tel: +39 051 522 230) an old-fashioned
stainless-steel serving trolley containing steaming cuts of meat cooked in broth is wheeled
to your table and sliced in front of you. All sorts of sauces are off ered too, the most popular
being salsa verde, made to a time-honoured recipe with parsley, capers, anchovy and garlic.
Another tasty main course that’s also a registered recipe is cotoletta alla Bolognese: a slab of
veal topped with ham and Parmesan, coated in breadcrumbs then fried in butter.
MARCH 11 | TRAVELLER | 41