10 Best Local Dishes from Bologna

Parmigiano Reggiano is a staple ingredient in many Italian dishes. Even so, don't make the mistake of thinking that this Bologna-derived cheese is the same parmesan that you might pick up at the average grocery store. They are not the same.

To be true and authentic Parmigiano Reggiano, the cheese must be produced in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, which encompasses part of Bologna. There, the cheese is handcrafted the exact same way it’s been done for centuries.

Green lasagna is a quintessential Bolognese dish, as it incorporates several must-try ingredients from throughout the surrounding region. The lasagna gets its green hue from spinach that’s incorporated into the pasta. In addition to the spinach-imbued pasta, the green lasagna also incorporates traditional Bolognese ragu and the famed Bologna Parmigiano Reggiano.

Otherwise, it’s somewhat similar to a traditional lasagna that you might be familiar with, though it could be argued that eating green lasagna fresh in Bologna is an experience that’s worlds away from heating up a frozen lasagna at home.

Tortellini in brodo is a dish claimed by both Bologna and Modena, both cities within the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Arguments aside, though, this is one comforting, hearty soup that you won’t want to miss when visiting Bologna. That's especially if you visit around the holidays when the dish is often served as part of Christmas meals.

The name essentially translates to “tortellini in broth” and that’s basically what this simple dish is. But it's not just any tortellini in any broth. Instead, the traditional dish calls for a meat and cheese-based filling for the homemade tortellini, and a broth made from various combined cuts of meat, including capon (cockerels), veal, and beef.

Lasagna bolognese is different from your typical lasagna. It's also different from Bologna’s other popular lasagna dish, green lasagna. The main differences come down to the sauces.

Lasagna bolognese uses a bechamel sauce. This sauce is typically made with milk, a roux, cheese, and a sprinkling of nutmeg rather than ricotta or similar ingredients, to bind all the sheets of lasagna noodles together. Additionally, lasagna Bolognese uses a Bolognese ragu or a hearty meat sauce that’s made with milk and tomatoes as its red sauce, versus a tomato-centric marinara.

Tagliatelle al ragu is like the Bolognese take on spaghetti in a meat sauce-type of dish. As is the case with many Bolognese dishes, this take is just heartier, meatier, and comforting.

The pasta featured as the star of tagliatelle al ragu is fresh tagliatelle, which is a regional type of pasta made from flour and eggs and cut into long ribbons. The sauce is a meaty Bolognese ragu like you'll find in many classic Bolognese dishes, made with beef, a few finely chopped vegetables, and milk.

Mortadella, some think, may date back to the 14th century. The Bolognese lunch meat is made with emulsified pork that’s mixed with various other ingredients such as black pepper and pistachios. The result is tasty, rich, fatty meat that, once sliced, can be enjoyed on sandwiches, in salads, in pasta dishes, or on your charcuterie tray.

While mortadella got its start in Bologna, other Italian regions have adopted the food and put their own spin on it. You’ll find smoked mortadella in some regions of Italy and garlic-flavoured mortadella in others, for instance.

Prosciutto di Parma is a Bologna specialty that sets itself apart by following strict production guidelines. Prosciutto di Parma can only be made from heritage breed pigs that are raised within a certain geographical area. Only the hind legs of the pigs can be used in production. The pigs are heavily monitored throughout their lives to ensure that proper regulations are followed.

The combination of the right pigs and the right geography makes for a prosciutto that’s been revered since the times of Ancient Rome. If you find yourself shopping for Prosciutto di Parma while in Bologna (or elsewhere in Italy), make sure to look for the Parma crown emblem, which marks the product as certified authentic.

Certosino di Bologna is most easily found around the Christmas season. But if you can get your hands on this holiday cake any other time of year, you won't regret it. The traditional, rich, heavy cake is like the Bolognese version of a fruit cake.

Certosino di Bologna, which can trace its origins back to Middle Age monks, is baked in a ring, as much as a month before the cake is intended to be eaten. It’s believed the longer the cake rests, the better it will taste. The dark, cocoa-hued cake is filled with a variety of fruits, honey, nuts, dark chocolate, and seasonal spices such as cinnamon.

Tigelle is a street food common throughout Bologna and the surrounding region. Give it a try and you’ll see what all the fuss is about when it comes to this savoury, stuffed flatbread.

The name simply refers to the bread used for this dish, rather than the dish in its entirety. The flatbreads are very similar to an English muffin and, when split along one side, are stuffed with sandwich-appropriate ingredients such as mortadella or Prosciutto di Parma. As such, trying one is an easy way to also try some of Bologna's other favourited ingredients.

Friggione is somewhat of a rustic dish, as it only requires a few, basic vegetables. Even so, it’s a delicious dip, sauce, or side that you can enjoy with a variety of other Bolognese dishes, or just with a side of bread (like bruschetta).

Friggione is made from chopped sweet onions and tomatoes, seasoned with salt and sugar, before being cooked slowly in either oil or lard. However, as simple as this dish is, it’s a time-consuming one to make. The onions are often left to sit and macerate for at least a few hours before the cooking begins and the slow cooking typically requires another few hours at minimum, for a process that could potentially require an entire day.