Tagliatelle Pasta Recipe

Boil pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tbsp salt. Add the fresh tagliatelle and cook according to package instructions (typically 2–4 minutes) until al dente. Reserve 1 cup (240 ml) of the starchy pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and toss immediately with 1 tsp olive oil to prevent sticking. Keep warm.

Prepare soffritto

Heat 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a large sauté pan or shallow heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. When the butter foams, add the finely diced onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 8–10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Add prosciutto and brown veal

Add the chopped prosciutto to the pan and sauté 2–3 minutes to render some fat and deepen flavor. Increase heat to medium-high and add the ground veal, breaking it up with a spoon. Cook until the meat is no longer pink and starts to brown in places, about 6–8 minutes.

Deglaze and reduce

Pour in 150 ml dry white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping any browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine simmer briskly until mostly evaporated, about 3–4 minutes.

Add milk and tomatoes

Stir in 200 ml whole milk and simmer gently for 4–5 minutes. Add 400 g crushed tomatoes and 1 tbsp tomato paste, stirring to combine. Add thyme, bay leaf, 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper.

Simmer gently

Reduce heat to low so the sauce barely bubbles. Cover partly with a lid and simmer gently for 40–60 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta cooking water or additional milk. Taste and adjust seasoning near the end; remove bay leaf before serving.

Combine pasta and sauce

Add the drained tagliatelle to the pan with the bolognese (or transfer sauce to the pot used for pasta). Toss gently over low heat to coat the pasta, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen and create a silky sauce, about 1–2 minutes.

Serve

Divide the tagliatelle among 4 warm plates. Top with a generous sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan (about 25 g per serving) and a little chopped parsley if using. Finish with a crack of fresh black pepper and an optional drizzle of olive oil.