Bologna is a true foodie haven and a great place to discover when in Italy. From long walks, hikes into the hills, climbing towers, discovering the city's many mysteries and to eating lots and lots of the local food, Bologna has so much to offer!
Bologna is perfect for any period of the year!
The great thing about Bologna is it is a city known for its "portici" or covered arched walkways. The porticoes have many purposes: they are social places and shopping alleys, they are Bologna's natural umbrella for when it rains, and a place to find relief during the heat of summer.
What to Do
Check out the 7 Secrets of Bologna
Try the Local Food
The region of Emilia-Romagna is known for its spectacular food and being a foodie destination, especially Bologna!
Gramigna:
Gramigna is a type of pasta with a short and thin, rounded, squiggly shape. Traditionally you can find it with a sausage ragù, listed as gramigna alla salsiccia. It is a staple of Bolognese food culture, and is not found commonly in other regions of Italy and is not so known internationally. However, it is probably one of the most popular in Bologna and is easy to find, on just about every menu.
Tortellini:
Bologna is known for its stuffed pastas, but the original goes back to the handmade tiny tortellini and the slightly larger sized tortelloni. In Italian, torta means pie and the suffix "ini" or "oni" refers to the size, "ini" meaning small and "oni" meaning larger. You can find tortellini, a staple of Bologna, just about everywhere, in two ways, either served in a sauce, or the traditional way in a broth.
Tortellini in brodo is the perfect comfort food for any cold or rainy day, when you need a pick me up. Typically cooked in a beef broth, these light stuffed pillows, filled with salty pork, and drowned in liquid will nourish your soul.
Tortelloni is considered the big sister of tortellini. Rather than being pork based, the stuffing for tortelloni is usually stuffed with cheese. The main ingredients are Parmigiano-Reggiano, ricotta, and egg, parsley and nutmeg.
Passatelli:
A local favorite, passatelli is a very unique type of pasta, made with breadcrumbs as a base, instead of flour, then mixed with eggs, parmesan cheese, nutmeg and lemon zest. They may not be the prettiest shaped pasta, but as its name translates from Italian “going through”, it refers to its cooking method, to pass the dough through a potato masher to reach its funky, cylindrical shape. Another favorite for winter, it can also be served in a hearty beef broth, or during warmer seasons you can find it in a light butter and sage sauce.
Lasagne
Lasagne Verde or Lasagne Al Forno is probably one of Bologna’s most well known and famous dishes. It incorporates the traditional ragù but it also uses green pasta sheets, made from spinach, and a creamy bechamel sauce with nutmeg and a generous heaping of Parmigiano-Reggiano. It looks very different from the lasagna you may be used to, if you come from America, which tends to be dry, and involving thick layers of ricotta and mozzarella, smothered in tomato sauce, but trust me when I say, once you try the authentic lasagne of Bologna, you will fall in love and never be able to eat lasagna like that again.
Tagliatelle al Ragù
Tagliatelle is another one of the most commonly found dishes in Bologna, and for a very good reason. Simple, yet decadent, the hand cut pasta mixed with the slow cooked ragù creates a perfect blend of happiness and mouth-watering magic. The thick, meat based sauce is then usually topped with the local Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Cured Meats and Cheeses:
If you want something to start, or even just want to go for an aperitivo, to fill your hunger midday then trying some of Bologna’s cured meats and cheeses is the way to go.
Mortadella
For the Americans who grew up with Oscar Meyer bologna (in this case pronounced baloney), you may think Mortadella resembles this lunch meat, but as soon as you take a bite you will realize you are quite wrong. Be sure to ask for a sample before you buy it at the oldest market in the city, Quadrilatero.
Salame Rosa
Salame Rosa or pink salami, is a slightly less famous similarity to the mortadella, but with a more ancient recipe. It is usually sliced by hand rather than a machine and has a slightly different flavour because of this. Prosciutto di Parma: Parma ham is one of the most famous DOP(protected origin) foods that rose from the Emilia-Romagna region. This cured, unsmoked ham is both salty and sweet, and has a traditional curing method that dates back to 100 BC.
Parmigiano Reggiano
Probably one of the most known cheeses from Italy, it is another famous DOP product, and is often referred to as the “king of cheese”. It is a hard cheese that can be aged for at least 12 months to sometimes 48 months.
Squacquerone
A soft cow’s milk cheese that spreads perfectly over bread. This thick, savory creaminess is another DOP product that you must try!
Tigelle and Crescentine
These cured meats and cheeses pair great with Tigelle or Crescentine, and are the ultimate aperitivo food. Crescentine are small, flavorful Bolognese dough that are baked or fried, and Tigelle are small, round disks, made simply from flour and water, both of which are usually used to stuff cheese and cured meats in to create the perfect union. Enjoy with the local sparkling Lambrusco wine.
Piadina
If you’re looking for something to take on the go, the piadina is the way to go! This ancient flat bread has been given IGP status and has traces back to the Etruscan time in 1200 BC. Today, it is made with flour, lard, baking powder and salt and cooked on a hot clay dish. Resembling a sandwich with thin, almost tortilla-like bread, it is usually eaten as a light meal or snack, wrapped around a filling of parma ham, cheese, sausage, or really anything!
Cotoletta alla Bolognese
If you’re not in the mood for pasta, don’t worry, Bologna has other options as well. The famous Cotoletta alla Bolognese is a very traditional dish. It’s a very thin veal cutlet, coated in breadcrumbs and fried in butter, then topped with a slice of prosciutto and Parmigiano Reggiano. While this meal is rich and heavy, it is decadent and delicious, and should be on your top list of things to try in Bologna.
Looking for where to eat great food in Bologna?
Check out my guide below!
Have an Aperitivo
Take a Hike
Visiting other parts of Italy? Planning a trip? Check out my Complete Italy Guide
Including all custom and bookable services to help plan your trip!
Thank you for your support!
I hope you have a great trip! If you appreciated this map at all, please consider leaving a tip and spreading the word to anyone you know about this service. Thank you so much for your support!
Bologna is a true foodie haven and a great place to discover when in Italy. From long walks, hikes into the hills, climbing towers, discovering the city's many mysteries and to eating lots and lots of the local food, Bologna has so much to offer!
Bologna is perfect for any period of the year!
The great thing about Bologna is it is a city known for its "portici" or covered arched walkways. The porticoes have many purposes: they are social places and shopping alleys, they are Bologna's natural umbrella for when it rains, and a place to find relief during the heat of summer.
What to Do
Check out the 7 Secrets of Bologna
Try the Local Food
The region of Emilia-Romagna is known for its spectacular food and being a foodie destination, especially Bologna!
Gramigna:
Gramigna is a type of pasta with a short and thin, rounded, squiggly shape. Traditionally you can find it with a sausage ragù, listed as gramigna alla salsiccia. It is a staple of Bolognese food culture, and is not found commonly in other regions of Italy and is not so known internationally. However, it is probably one of the most popular in Bologna and is easy to find, on just about every menu.
Tortellini:
Bologna is known for its stuffed pastas, but the original goes back to the handmade tiny tortellini and the slightly larger sized tortelloni. In Italian, torta means pie and the suffix "ini" or "oni" refers to the size, "ini" meaning small and "oni" meaning larger. You can find tortellini, a staple of Bologna, just about everywhere, in two ways, either served in a sauce, or the traditional way in a broth.
Tortellini in brodo is the perfect comfort food for any cold or rainy day, when you need a pick me up. Typically cooked in a beef broth, these light stuffed pillows, filled with salty pork, and drowned in liquid will nourish your soul.
Tortelloni is considered the big sister of tortellini. Rather than being pork based, the stuffing for tortelloni is usually stuffed with cheese. The main ingredients are Parmigiano-Reggiano, ricotta, and egg, parsley and nutmeg.
Passatelli:
A local favorite, passatelli is a very unique type of pasta, made with breadcrumbs as a base, instead of flour, then mixed with eggs, parmesan cheese, nutmeg and lemon zest. They may not be the prettiest shaped pasta, but as its name translates from Italian “going through”, it refers to its cooking method, to pass the dough through a potato masher to reach its funky, cylindrical shape. Another favorite for winter, it can also be served in a hearty beef broth, or during warmer seasons you can find it in a light butter and sage sauce.
Lasagne
Lasagne Verde or Lasagne Al Forno is probably one of Bologna’s most well known and famous dishes. It incorporates the traditional ragù but it also uses green pasta sheets, made from spinach, and a creamy bechamel sauce with nutmeg and a generous heaping of Parmigiano-Reggiano. It looks very different from the lasagna you may be used to, if you come from America, which tends to be dry, and involving thick layers of ricotta and mozzarella, smothered in tomato sauce, but trust me when I say, once you try the authentic lasagne of Bologna, you will fall in love and never be able to eat lasagna like that again.
Tagliatelle al Ragù
Tagliatelle is another one of the most commonly found dishes in Bologna, and for a very good reason. Simple, yet decadent, the hand cut pasta mixed with the slow cooked ragù creates a perfect blend of happiness and mouth-watering magic. The thick, meat based sauce is then usually topped with the local Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Cured Meats and Cheeses:
If you want something to start, or even just want to go for an aperitivo, to fill your hunger midday then trying some of Bologna’s cured meats and cheeses is the way to go.
Mortadella
For the Americans who grew up with Oscar Meyer bologna (in this case pronounced baloney), you may think Mortadella resembles this lunch meat, but as soon as you take a bite you will realize you are quite wrong. Be sure to ask for a sample before you buy it at the oldest market in the city, Quadrilatero.
Salame Rosa
Salame Rosa or pink salami, is a slightly less famous similarity to the mortadella, but with a more ancient recipe. It is usually sliced by hand rather than a machine and has a slightly different flavour because of this. Prosciutto di Parma: Parma ham is one of the most famous DOP(protected origin) foods that rose from the Emilia-Romagna region. This cured, unsmoked ham is both salty and sweet, and has a traditional curing method that dates back to 100 BC.
Parmigiano Reggiano
Probably one of the most known cheeses from Italy, it is another famous DOP product, and is often referred to as the “king of cheese”. It is a hard cheese that can be aged for at least 12 months to sometimes 48 months.
Squacquerone
A soft cow’s milk cheese that spreads perfectly over bread. This thick, savory creaminess is another DOP product that you must try!
Tigelle and Crescentine
These cured meats and cheeses pair great with Tigelle or Crescentine, and are the ultimate aperitivo food. Crescentine are small, flavorful Bolognese dough that are baked or fried, and Tigelle are small, round disks, made simply from flour and water, both of which are usually used to stuff cheese and cured meats in to create the perfect union. Enjoy with the local sparkling Lambrusco wine.
Piadina
If you’re looking for something to take on the go, the piadina is the way to go! This ancient flat bread has been given IGP status and has traces back to the Etruscan time in 1200 BC. Today, it is made with flour, lard, baking powder and salt and cooked on a hot clay dish. Resembling a sandwich with thin, almost tortilla-like bread, it is usually eaten as a light meal or snack, wrapped around a filling of parma ham, cheese, sausage, or really anything!
Cotoletta alla Bolognese
If you’re not in the mood for pasta, don’t worry, Bologna has other options as well. The famous Cotoletta alla Bolognese is a very traditional dish. It’s a very thin veal cutlet, coated in breadcrumbs and fried in butter, then topped with a slice of prosciutto and Parmigiano Reggiano. While this meal is rich and heavy, it is decadent and delicious, and should be on your top list of things to try in Bologna.
Looking for where to eat great food in Bologna?
Check out my guide below!
Have an Aperitivo
Take a Hike
Visiting other parts of Italy? Planning a trip? Check out my Complete Italy Guide
Including all custom and bookable services to help plan your trip!
Thank you for your support!
I hope you have a great trip! If you appreciated this map at all, please consider leaving a tip and spreading the word to anyone you know about this service. Thank you so much for your support!