Michelin-starred chef reveals why she'd never serve spaghetti bolognese in her restaurant
Michelin-starred chef Angela Hartnett has previously shared her grievances about pasta on her podcast, and now she has suggested that the British public may be ordering spaghetti bolognese all wrong
by Christopher Sharp · The MirrorMichelin-starred chef Angela Hartnett has dropped a bombshell on pasta lovers, suggesting that Brits might be getting their spaghetti bolognese orders all wrong. Chatting with Capital's Jordan North on her podcast 'On The Dish', which she co-hosts with ex-Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw, the culinary maestro explained the faux pas.
Although Angela, aged 56, didn't criticise the dish itself when speaking to 34 year old Jordan, she pointed out that it's the name that's the issue. In Italy and many UK restaurants, the dish isn't called spaghetti bolognese but is named after the type of pasta used.
Angela clarified: "Well, I’ve got my own issues on a different level because traditionally, and I think William [Hanson] would back me up hopefully, it’s never spag bol in Italy, it’s always tagliatelle or pappardelle or fettuccine," reports the Express.
She continued, "We have you know, anglicised it by using spaghetti. I would never, we would never have spaghetti bolognese on the menu, we would have tagliatelle bolognese or fettuccine."
With her Michelin-starred restaurant under her belt, Angela's insights into the proper pasta protocol carry considerable weight. Her revelations and pet peeves about pasta have been causing quite a stir among her podcast listeners.
Last year, she shared a conversation with Nick and guest Stanley Tucci, stating: "Cream in carbonara is one."
Angela then recalled a shocking pasta-related incident from her college days involving pre-grated parmesan cheese. She said: "I remember when I was at college, someone having pre-grated parmesan in one of those plastic tubs and I was like such a snob. I was like ‘oh my God. And then people pre-cook pasta and refresh it in cold water."
Angela isn't the only culinary expert to share her thoughts on the right and wrong ways to prepare pasta. Last year, a diet expert revealed to the Sunday Times that reheating cooled down pasta could actually aid weight loss.
Diet guru Giulia Crouch told the paper: "One of my favourite meals is leftover pasta, which I reheat in a pan with oil until some of it goes deliciously crispy. It turns out that as well as being even tastier than the original dish, it’s also better for you."
"Cooking and then cooling pasta changes its structure, turning it into "resistant starch", which acts like fibre in the body according to a 2020 study. This feeds the good bacteria in our gut. When you reheat the cooled pasta, it becomes even more rich in resistant starch."