Osteria Dell’Orsa, Bologna, Italy

After four glorious days in Venice, we took an early morning drive towards Modena, famous for its Ferrari factory and balsamic vinegar let alone the city where the 2016 best restaurant in the world resides.

On the way, we made a point to have lunch in Bologna, the spaghetti bolognese capital of the world.

Osteria dell’Orsa, Bologna

Dining room of Osteria dell’Orsa

Mysaucepan did some online research and found an osteria renown for serving Bologna’s most famous dish.

Located close to a local university, the restaurant is well-worn and looks every bit the institution it is reputed to be. The dining room upstairs is split into two small areas though there is another dining room downstairs.

Prices are extremely friendly to the wallet and it’s no surprise for being a favourite hangout among students from the university nearby.

Chef churning out the most popular dish at the restaurant

It is lunch time and the chef is running off his feet with non-stop orders streaming in.

It is a good thing to see spag bol or in this case, tagliatelle al ragu as it is so called in Bologna being the most popular dish on the menu.

Pecorino ravioli

Cheese ravioli €6.50 / A$9

Mysaucepan‘s pecorino ravioli is firm and al dente with a creamy cheese oozing out with each bite.

Tagliatelle al ragu

Tagliatelle al ragu €6.50 / A$9

After a few days without meat in Venice and having driven about 2 hours, I am peckish and the thought of their signature tagliatelle al ragu seems irresistable.

It is often said that spaghetti bolognese, being one of the all-time favourite around the world, is also one of the most barstardized of Italian dishes.

Unlike most of the ones I have seen and even the ones I cook at home, this al ragu is not heavy on the pomodoro sauce and the pasta tossed with it rather than being poured onto the pasta like so many do.

Tagliatelle al ragu

I resist the small bowl of parmesan and black pepper on the table as I want to savour these first few spoonful on its own.

This pasta ticks all the right boxes – fresh and al dente with a succulent mix of pork and beef mince without an overpowering taste of tomato.

A most satisfying and good value meal

Two bowls of scrumptious pasta, a drink and a glass of its house chianti all for under €20 is one of the best value meals during our holiday thus far.