Emilia-Romagna

If you’ve read my post about authentic Ragù Bolognese and tried the recipe, you’re ready to prepare an iconic Bolognese preparation – Lasagne Verdi alla Bolognese. It’s one of my favorite dishes of all time. Making this lasagna requires only a few components – spinach pasta, Ragù Bolognese, béchamel sauce, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. When prepared with care, these elements come together to create something truly extraordinary. Besides Tagliatelle al Ragù and Tortellini in Brodo, it’s one of the most important “primi” (pasta courses) in Bolognese cuisine. This traditional Lasagna Bolognese is everything a good Italian-style lasagna should be – it’s…

As of next week, I will have lived in Bologna for nine years. Nine! It blows my mind. I can think of no better way to celebrate this milestone than to share my recipe for an authentic Ragù Bolognese with you. Besides Tortellini in Brodo (which I have also written about), there is no other dish that exemplifies Bolognese cuisine more. With this essential recipe, you will be able to prepare two iconic Bolognese preparations – Tagliatelle al Ragù alla Bolognese and Lasagne Verdi alla Bolognese. The recipe below yields a double batch so that you will have enough sauce…

Oh boy, do I have deliciousness to share with you today! Rosette al Forno are baked pasta roses filled with ham, cheese, and béchamel, then topped with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Originally from Modena, Rosette al Forno are pretty, scrumptious, and have plenty of crusty bits on top for everyone. My version of the dish varies slightly from tradition in that I add mortadella, because yum… I also include a lot of béchamel to make the dish extra luscious, moist, and creamy when it comes out of the oven. Rosette al Forno are impressive to look at but aren’t as difficult…

These egg yolk ravioli (Uovo in Raviolo) are as striking as they are scrumptious. Imagine one large raviolo on a beautiful plate. A thin veil of pasta encases a ricotta and spinach filling that surrounds a golden egg yolk. Once cooked, it is topped with aged Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, high-quality melted butter, and fresh seasonal truffles. When it’s time to serve, the yolk is still runny and luscious. The result is a heavenly, impressive, and downright sexy first course that is perfect for a special occasion. Talk about a showstopper! Happily, they are a lot easier to prepare than you might…

Tortellini in Brodo is one of the culinary symbols of my adopted city, Bologna. Picture a flavorful meat filling, full of prized ingredients from the area, enveloped by delicate handmade and hand-rolled pasta, served in glorious homemade broth. When prepared with love and skill it is magical, luscious, and transcendent fare. (I’m swooning just thinking about it…) Tortellini in Brodo is an extremely important dish in this part of the world, not merely a recipe. It holds centuries of history and tradition behind it. Today, I want to clarify, as I did with my Ragù Bolognese article, what Tortellini in…

Ragù Bolognese or Bolognese Sauce is justifiably famous all over the world. Widespread though it is, it is greatly misunderstood and ill-prepared outside of Bologna. Next week marks our 6th anniversary here, making it the perfect time for me to discuss this iconic, delicious, rich, and scrumptious meat sauce! Read on to learn about Ragù Bolognese as it’s prepared and served in Bologna. I will share insights and experiences, and provide recipe resources so that you can make this heavenly dish at home, Bolognese style!

Greetings pasta lovers! Tagliatelle al Prosciutto, a simple, scrumptious dish from Emilia-Romagna, is a preparation that is high in flavor yet low in effort. We love dishes like that, don’t we? Every cook needs dishes like this in their culinary arsenal. Tagliatelle al Prosciutto consists of fresh egg tagliatelle, Prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and butter. That’s it! Some people, like me, also add shallot or onion. This is the perfect meal for those who want to prepare something delicious but are pressed for time.

I’ve been living in Bologna for 5 years now. It’s truly been a dream come true for me to spend this much time in Italy and to explore its food and culture. However, after about 3 years into our time here, I started missing other ethnic flavors. I lived in NYC for 15 years. Therefore, I got used to eating food from all over the world. Eating internationally can be tough here, as dining establishments tend to be predominantly Bolognese. Often, restaurants serving ethnic foods aren’t very good. So, in the last couple of years, I have been upping my…

Today I want to talk to you about an interesting and unique recipe from the Emilia-Romagna region called Spoja Lorda (spoya lordah). Spoja Lorda is a stuffed fresh pasta that’s filled with cheese and traditionally served in broth. It’s perfect for the bitter cold weather we’ve been having lately. For those of you intimidated by stuffed pasta making, it could be a perfect recipe to start with. Compared to others, it’s very simple to prepare. Even better, it is delicious! It’s an excellent dish to make you happy, keep you warm, and give you comfort in the dead of winter.

It may not surprise you to hear that we have had more guests since moving to Italy than we’ve ever had in our entire lives… People seem to want to come to Italy. Go figure! One of the most frequent questions I get from visitors is, “Do you have any restaurant recommendations?” As a consequence, I have written many an email with a list of my favorite spots. I thought I would make my life easier and hopefully yours, by writing about some of the eateries that stand out to me. Today I’m going to talk about the Antica Trattoria…