Bolognese pasta

Spaghetti is the familiar British choice, but in Bologna ragù is traditionally served with tagliatelle. The wide ribbons catch the thick sauce well; rigatoni is another good option if you want sauce inside the pasta too.

Boil it in salted water until just shy of the packet’s al dente time, then toss it with the sauce for the final minute. A splash of pasta water helps the sauce cling without leaving the pasta sitting in a pool of liquid.

Cool it quickly and put it in the fridge within 1–2 hours. Eat it within 48 hours, and reheat it only once, until it is steaming hot all the way through.

Yes. Freeze it in individual portions once cooled; the pasta may be softer after thawing. Defrost it in the fridge and reheat until steaming hot throughout, or freeze the sauce separately and cook fresh pasta when you need it.

A crisp green salad balances the rich sauce, while garlic bread is a familiar British side. If you are serving it as a main meal, a little grated Parmesan or mature cheddar is often added at the table.

Use green or brown lentils, finely chopped mushrooms, or a mixture of both in place of mince. Simmer them in the tomato sauce until tender and thick, then serve with pasta; lentils give the sauce a particularly hearty texture.

No: Bolognese sauce is the meat-based ragù, while Bolognese pasta is the combined dish of sauce and cooked pasta. In Britain, “spaghetti Bolognese” usually means the familiar version served with spaghetti.