Italian · regional cuisine
Emilia-Romagna
Italy's richest food region: fresh egg pasta, Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma, mortadella, traditional balsamic vinegar and the slow meat ragù of Bologna.
Flavour character: Rich, savoury and buttery: deep umami from aged Parmigiano and cured pork, slow-cooked meat sauces, sweet-sour aged balsamic.
History
The fertile Po plain supported dairy cattle and pigs, and the whey left from cheese-making traditionally fed the pigs that became Parma ham. Bologna earned the nickname 'la grassa' (the fat one) for its rich cooking. Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma and Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena now have protected designations. In 1982 the Accademia Italiana della Cucina registered a reference recipe for ragù alla bolognese with the Bologna Chamber of Commerce.
Well documented
Geography and influences
The flat, fertile southern Po valley between the Apennines and the Adriatic: wheat, dairy cattle, pigs and vineyards; Romagna on the coast adds seafood.
- Renaissance ducal courts (Este in Ferrara and Modena, Farnese in Parma)
- University city of Bologna
Regional variations
- Emilia (Bologna, Modena, Parma)
- Egg pasta, cured pork, Parmigiano and balsamic vinegar.
- Romagna (Rimini, Ravenna)
- Simpler, with piadina flatbread, cappelletti and Adriatic seafood.
Festive and seasonal food
- Tortellini in brodo at Christmas
- Cotechino or zampone with lentils at New Year
Signature dishes
Not on the site yet: Tagliatelle al ragù, Tortellini in brodo, Tortelloni di ricotta, Mortadella, Piadina romagnola, Cotechino and zampone (Modena)
Italian · 5 min · 137 kcal · 
American · 1 h 30 min · 487 kcal
French · 25 min · 115 kcal · 
