A Food Lover's Guide to Bologna: Essential Dishes and Hidden Gems

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Bologna's culinary delights! Oh my... Simply irresistible. Whenever we visit Bologna, we surrender to the mouthwatering local cuisine. It's absolutely our top Italian gastronomic destination. Imagine savouring a hearty plate of tagliatelle al ragù, enjoying a steaming bowl of tortellini al brodo, or indulging in a luscious lasagne verde.

We're constantly on the hunt for extraordinary Bolognese specialties and the perfect spots to experience them. Stay tuned as we share our delectable discoveries. Take one of Bologna food tours to taste amazing food!

Tagliatelle (al Ragù) Bolognese are the most popular dish from Emilia-Romagna in Italy!

Tagliatelle al ragù, what other knows as Bolognese. This amazing pasta plate from Bologna is so popular and every Italian restaurant has its own recipe, but in general for the meat sauce, you use a mix of ground beef and pork, some veggies (carrots, onions, celery) and sometimes tomato paste, and plenty of spices.

Another similar dish is gramigna alla salsiccia, also ragù sauce but this time made with fresh Italian sausage and other ingredients. This simple sauce is served with gramigna - curly-shaped pasta from Emilia-Romagna.

Tortellini are our favourite Italian pasta - we love them filled with prosciutto and ricotta and spinach. They usually don't need any heavy sauce, just a dash of butter and some origano or thyme is enough for making a delicious meal. In Bologna, tortellini goes with light broth (brodo) and are stuffed with minced mortadella and ricotta.

Read also: What to Eat in Florence


Cotoletta alla Bolognese is so delicious!

Cotoletta alla Bolognese is a fried veal cutlet served with prosciutto and béchamel sauce on top. This is ideal dish is you are hungry, as it's large and heavy.

Mortadella is our favourite cured meat, along ham (known as prosciutto cotto in Italy). It's large sausage made of entirely pork meat and fat and it has delicate flavour and scent. We adore to eat it with focaccia or panini. Sandwich with mortadella is a great brunch option.

Prosciutto di Parma is a variety of cured meats from nearby Parma, the city in Emilia Romagna region. Parmigiano Reggiano is also originally from Parma. This hard cheese is among the most popular in Italy.

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