The Journey to Northern Italy’s Traditional Cuisine #2 - Bologna's Traditional Eats
- Royi
- Feb 3
- 15 min read
Updated: Apr 15
As part of my journey exploring traditional foods in northern Italy, I returned to the Emilia-Romagna region, this time to experience the traditional cuisine of Bologna, the region's capital. Every country has dishes that have transcended its borders, like sushi and ramen from Japan or hamburgers and wings from the United States, and of course, pasta and pizza from Italy. One pasta dish, in particular, has gained worldwide fame – Bolognese pasta, which originates from Bologna. However, during this trip, I discovered that Bologna is much more than just Bolognese pasta; it is rich in wonderful and unique traditional dishes.
Dear Diary,
A few years ago, I traveled with my good friend Tamir through northern Italy. We made our way from Milan (which I wrote about here) to Piedmont, then to Modena and Tuscany. It was a fantastic trip that could fill several chapters, but the reason I mention it is because of (or thanks to) Modena. We stopped there for two nights, even though it wasn’t part of our original plan, we were supposed to go directly from Piedmont to Tuscany. We went to fulfill Tamir’s dream of dining at chef Massimo Bottura’s restaurant, and thanks to that, we had our first experience with the cuisine of Emilia-Romagna. Looking back, I realize that this experience laid the foundation for my future trip to Bologna, and perhaps even for writing this blog.
Modena was unlike anything I had experienced before in northern Italy. From a culinary perspective, it was the first time I felt that a city could have such a strong culinary identity. I’m not talking about variety, abundance, or indulgence, but about a city that wholeheartedly embraces a specific cuisine, one that is an integral part of its residents' lives. A humble cuisine, I would say, but one they take great pride in. The tortellini, the amaretti (which I wrote about here), and the balsamic vinegar were all part of an eye-opening experience. Ever since, I’ve wanted to return to the region and learn more about it.
Recently, I went back to Emilia-Romagna with a clear purpose and a meticulously planned itinerary, straight to the region’s capital, Bologna (with a short detour to Modena). My father joined me for the first three days, sharing in the discovery of new dishes. Honestly, there’s nothing like traveling with someone else, you get to taste twice as much!
As with every culinary trip, I prepared thoroughly. I mapped out the most authentic local restaurants and dishes, and it quickly became clear that Bologna is much more than just the city of Bolognese pasta. We found a city that celebrates its local cuisine more than anywhere I’ve ever seen, perhaps even more than Modena or other food-focused cities I’ve visited around the world. Everything seemed to revolve around food, but not in an extravagant way. The cuisine was mostly humble, yet the traditional dishes were so dominant in the restaurants that lined the city. Unlike in other cities where you have to work harder to uncover the heart of traditional cuisine, in Bologna, that wasn’t the case at all. And it wasn’t just in the restaurants. There were countless fresh pasta shops, delicatessens filled with the region’s finest specialties, cheese shops (Fromagerie), and stores dedicated to cured meats like prosciutto and mortadella. As expected in Italy, the dishes were prepared with deep respect for tradition, yet every cook and chef still infused their own pride into their creations. Even with the repetition of certain dishes, the subtle differences highlighted the nuances, even in the simplest meals.
I also discovered a fantastic quality about Bologna that benefits food lovers - it’s incredibly walkable. On a trip where food is the main focus, there’s nothing like a good walk to the next spot or back to the hotel to "digest the meal," as my mother would say.
For both you and me, I’ve compiled a summary of the dishes, restaurants, and other highlights that made my father’s and my culinary journey in Bologna so special.
What to eat in Bologna
Bologna is truly a culinary playground packed with tradition in a relatively small area, making the experience especially flavorful. I mapped out several traditional dishes, including those that the Bologna Chamber of Commerce (Camera di Commercio di Bologna) has officially recognized as the city's signature dishes. The official list includes over thirty dishes, but for now, I’ll share the key ones, those that stood out to me and are also relatively easy to find throughout the city.
Tortellini
This is the dish I missed the most since my first trip to Modena. There’s a bit of a debate in Italy over whether it belongs to Bologna or Modena, but I learned that it is in Bologna’s official recipe book, though I won’t get into unnecessary arguments. At its core, tortellini are tiny pasta parcels filled with cooked minced meat and Parmesan, served in a rich beef broth.
Making this dish is a labor-intensive process, and during a conversation with my Airbnb host, I learned that it’s typically prepared on special occasions with family and friends. However, since tortellini are so beloved, they’re available year-round in most traditional restaurants and fresh pasta shops, where you only need to add them to broth and cook. Interestingly, my host admitted that on regular days, many people take shortcuts and simply use store-bought broth from Knorr. Not exactly what you'd expect to hear from Italians, right?
Tortelloni
These are larger dumplings, identical in shape to tortellini but bigger. Unlike tortellini, they are filled with Parmesan cheese, ricotta, and spinach, with a touch of nutmeg and lemon zest. They are usually served with butter and sage.
Balanzoni
Similar in shape to tortelloni, but their color is green due to spinach being incorporated into the pasta dough. Another difference is the filling, which, in addition to the cheeses, also includes mortadella, the cured meat typical of Bologna.
Lasagna Verde
I assume you’re familiar with classic lasagna, so I’ll spare my fingers from typing out another dish description. But what’s the difference between green lasagna and regular lasagna, you ask? Honestly, aside from the green color, which usually comes from spinach, I didn’t notice much of a difference, and that’s also what I found in online sources. Regardless, it’s a great dish. Unlike lasagna experiences back home, the lasagna I had in Bologna was relatively delicate and not drowning in sauce. You could really taste the pasta sheets, and every additional ingredient stood out on its own.
Cotoletta alla Bolognese
For those of you who have traveled to Milan or read my post about the city, you probably recognize the name of this dish. So, the Milanese have their elegant version, and the Bolognese have their extremely indulgent one. On top of the "schnitzel", they add a slice of salami and bake it with lots of Parmesan and beef broth. I didn’t actually try this dish, partly because of the extra indulgence, the cheese, and the lack of room left in my stomach.
Pasta Bolognese
I don’t think I need to say much here, this is the city’s most famous dish, perhaps the poster child of Italy. Tagliatelle pasta served in a meat sauce that’s slow-cooked until perfectly tender and deeply flavorful. Contrary to what’s sometimes claimed back home, tomatoes are not very dominant in the sauce, and only a small amount is added. I should mention that even in Bologna, not every version of this dish was great. It requires a lot of attention to detail and, most importantly, excellent ingredients. I once ate at a restaurant where the meat was too chewy, so even in Bologna, you need to find the places skilled enough to deliver a high-quality experience (see recommendations later).
Passatelli
On the last afternoon of my dad’s trip with me, just before he returned home, we sat down for a light lunch at a restaurant we accidentally returned to for the second time (how accidentally? That’s a story for another day). Luckily, that day they were serving Passatelli, one of our favorite dishes from the trip and one I was eagerly waiting to try. It was a great moment, offering a break from the hustle and bustle of the city, and a quiet meal at a restaurant that had just opened and hadn’t yet filled with diners.
Passatelli is a type of noodle made from breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and egg. They are cooked in water or broth and then served with the broth, usually chicken broth as far as I understand. Though this dish is very typical of the region, it seems to also have a presence in other parts of Italy. For example, I heard that in some places, after cooking, it is served with truffle mushrooms. The Passatelli were undoubtedly the main element of the dish, while the broth was more of a complement.
The waitress, who appreciated my curiosity, explained the preparation process to me and even showed me the tool they use to make the noodles, a device that is essentially a ricer (like the one used for mashed potatoes and gnocchi), but with larger holes. In Bologna, they mainly use it for Passatelli.
This is one of the dishes I took home as a souvenir and worked to recreate in my modest kitchen.
A note on seasonality: It’s easier to find it in winter.
Friggione
I think this was the most pleasant surprise of the trip, and it happened on our very first evening there. I'll share more details about this experience in a separate post and include a recipe because I couldn't resist recreating these flavors at home! But for now, I'll just mention that it's a sauce made of caramelized onions and tomatoes, and it's just as amazing as it sounds. It can be eaten with tagliatelle or as a spread on bread. Both options are great, but in Bologna, we had it with tagliatelle.
Mortadella Mousse
I arrived at a small and lively trattoria in the early afternoon, fortunately with a reservation in hand. While waiting for the first course, an elderly street band appeared at the front of the restaurant, which was open to the street, playing the accordion and singing old songs that undoubtedly added to the authentic experience. That’s where I first encountered a traditional dish, mortadella mousse, featuring Bologna’s signature cured meat, served with a firm, yellowish brioche. It was a fantastic dish that added variety to my culinary experience and provided another glimpse into the region’s humble yet rich cuisine.
Tortellini or Tortelloni
If I may be a bit picky for a moment, I constantly see and hear dishes labeled "tortellini" when they are actually "tortelloni," and vice versa, both in my country and abroad. So allow me to clarify with the following image.
The Desserts and Pastries of Bologna
Those who know me are aware that desserts aren’t really my thing, I don’t get along well with sweets. However, since my primary goal is researching the local culinary scene, I can’t skip them. Luckily, I occasionally have good companions who take on the burden of desserts, and on my trip to Bologna, my perfect partner was with me, my dad. So at least for part of the trip, I could settle for just tasting!
Raviole
This was actually my first authentic culinary experience in Bologna. The very first thing we did upon arriving in the city was visit the Ritrovato market, which I’ll detail later. There, we bought a crescent-shaped pastry from the first stall we saw.
The name might sound like pasta, but it has nothing to do with it. It turns out to be a humble, homemade pastry, soft yet crisp, filled with Mostarda, a typical seasonal jam made from various local fruits. It has a slightly tangy flavor and a deep, dark color.
I ate this cookie at least four times during the trip, each time in a different place. It’s sold in neighborhood bakeries and, of course, supermarkets. Sometimes it’s coated in sugar, sometimes not (those were my favorites). Some were small, others large, but in any case, it remained a simple and delightful treat.
Later on, I’ll recommend a fresh pasta shop where I had the best Raviole, it was just the right amount of sweet, exactly how I like it.
Torta di Riso
In my Milan post, I mentioned that the north is known for using rice, sometimes even more than pasta. In Bologna, pasta is much more present, but rice still plays a role, especially in the traditional dessert Torta di Riso, a rice cake with a texture somewhat similar to semolina cake.
It’s sweet, soaked in liqueur, and usually served at room temperature or warm, though it can also be eaten cold. The rice used is typically the same as for risotto - carnaroli or arborio, both rich in starch and smaller than the varieties we tend to use at home (like Basmati).
Another humble, homemade dish. You can find it in traditional restaurants and local bakeries, sold whole or as individual portions.
Pinza
This cake is very similar to the Raviole cookie. It also has a shortcrust pastry base and is filled with Mostarda jam, but instead of individual cookies, it’s shaped as one large, flat loaf. It’s only sold whole, so unless you’re in a group, I’d suggest just trying the cookie instead.
On our first dinner in Bologna, I was really looking forward to tasting this cake at the traditional restaurant we visited. Unfortunately, they hadn’t made it that evening. Later, after my dad returned home and I moved into an AirBnb apartment, a lovely surprise was waiting for me, a Pinza cake from my landlady. She was impressed that I knew its name and appreciated my knowledge, realizing how well-prepared I was for this journey.
The cake was store-bought, but the gesture was touching. Still, I didn’t feel right about opening it just for a taste. I started untying the plastic bag’s seal, but after a brief moment, I tied it back up again.
Zuppa Inglese
That first dinner might not have had Pinza, but it did have Zuppa Inglese. It’s a dessert I would never have ordered without the excuse of exploring local flavors—and without my dad’s encouragement. Truthfully, I was already full, but he cheered me on, and we were still running on the adrenaline of our first day in the city.
This is a layered sponge cake with pudding, and like the Torta di Riso, it’s infused with liqueur (which gives it its red color). Like all the other desserts I mentioned, it’s a simple, homemade treat. Its taste reminded me of “old-school desserts,” the kind made with instant pudding (though I doubt that was the case here).
The flavors felt more familiar and less unique to the region to me, yet for some reason, this cake remains a staple of Emilia-Romagna’s cuisine.
Where to eat in Bologna
Bologna is full of authentic eateries. The list I’ve put together will stay with me for at least another trip or two, and for this article, I’ll add the ones I’ve tried and loved.
Restaurant | What's on the menu |
Lucianio Via Nazario Sauro, 19, 40121 Bologna BO, Italy | Thetraditional dishes of the city that I mentioned above – there, I had the chance to try the Friggione and Pasatelli in broth. The service was excellent, and it was very pleasant to sit there. It’s a very old restaurant that locals keep returning to, and I’d be happy to go back myself. Reservations are probably necessary unless you arrive right at opening time during off season. |
Trattoria Valerio Via Avesella, 10, 40121 Bologna BO, Italy | The traditional dishes of the city that I mentioned above. This is a tiny trattoria with a classic wooden design. The service didn’t include English, but that was absolutely not an issue, and I feel like I truly experienced the local cuisine. There, I enjoyed lasagna and rice cake for the first time, along with a unique way of serving wine that I hadn’t seen before – in a jug called a “carafe.” Reservations will likely be needed. |
La Montanara V. Augusto Righi, 15a, 40126 Bologna BO, Italy | The traditional dishes of the city that I mentioned above – I also had a fantastic Prosciutto Mousse dish served with yellow brioche. This is another tiny trattoria with a classic design. Reservations will probably be required. |
Le Sfogline Via Belvedere, 7b, 40121 Bologna BO, Italy | Fresh pasta. The best classic dishes like tortellini, tortelloni, gnocchi, oven-ready lasagna, and more. While not exclusive to Bologna, don’t miss the gnocchi! |
La Prosciutteria Bologna Via Guglielmo Oberdan, 19/a, 40125 Bologna BO, Italy | Sandwiches with top-quality cured meats, with the stars being Mortadella and Prosciutto. All the ingredients felt very fresh, making this a great spot for an aperitif or lunch. |
Sfoglia Rina Via Castiglione, 5/b, 40124 Bologna BO, Italy | The best traditional dishes of the city that I mentioned above – a very famous restaurant with a long queue. A nice shortcut we found by chance was enjoying their dishes at the Mercato Ritrovato, where they had a stall. |
For those of you who want the full mapping of local restaurants, feel free to message me, and I'll be happy to share it!
The markets I explored in Bologna
Mercato Ritrovato
Right after checking into our hotel, we hurried to an open-air market that takes place only on Saturday afternoons and Wednesday evenings, called Ritrovato. The market was divided into a section with food stalls offering the city's traditional delicacies and another section with vegetables and pantry goods like jams and cheeses, which we reached just before closing time. We were worried we'd missed the chance to experience the market, but luckily, the food stalls were still buzzing. The crowd seemed entirely local, ranging from groups of young people to families with children making the most of their Saturday. It was a charming market showcasing the city's local specialties under the scorching sun, which was still strong even in September.
This was a perfect opportunity to get my first taste of Bologna’s culinary scene, starting with a Raviole cookie, followed by Tortellini, while my dad opted for a vegetarian Lasagna. Everything was well-made, and just when I thought our tasting session had ended, a plate of gnocchi arrived. My friends know well, gnocchi and I share a long love story, and I find it hard to resist an opportunity like this in Italy. However, I declined this time, but thankfully, my dad was still a bit hungry and decided to order. Unfortunately, the gnocchi was disappointing - too dense.
Address: Via Azzo Gardino, 65, 40122 Bologna BO, Italy
Mercato delle Erbe
My dad stayed with me for the first three days, after which I moved to an apartment for a few more days, working remotely while exploring the city. The apartment was very close to Bologna’s famous covered market, Mercato delle Erbe. It turns out it's the largest indoor market in the city, but to put things in perspective, it’s quite small, and Bologna itself isn’t huge, so everything is relative.
Despite its size, the market has everything you need, and from my experience, the quality is very high. It’s what you’d call a "non-touristy" market, locals actually shop here for fruits, vegetables, and pantry staples. There are fantastic delis, cheese shops (Fromagerie), and stores specializing in cured meats (Salumeria). Tomatoes were still looking beautiful, and it’s always a delight to see the abundance of this fruit in Italy in all its forms. Within a small space, I managed to get great ingredients that allowed me to put together a wonderful local dinner, and most importantly, it was a great source for vegetables, which I always miss during my trips to Italy.
I won’t lie, I expected more from the tomatoes. They weren’t as sweet, maybe because summer was already ending. But another fruit stole the show, the fig. They were everywhere, in all sizes, and this was my chance to finally taste the sweetness I had only read about in food columns every year. I could tell it would be a transformative experience the moment I cut one open, its deep red interior and fragrant aroma promised sweetness, and it did not disappoint. From that moment on, I took every chance to buy figs, even later on when I arrived in Milan.
For those staying in an apartment, I highly recommend visiting. For those who aren’t, I’d only go if it’s on your way. There are also some nice restaurants and aperitivo spots inside and right outside the market, and the market gets lively in the afternoons with locals, creating a pleasant atmosphere.
Address: Via Ugo Bassi, 25, 40121 Bologna BO, Italy
Bonus – Le Sfogline fresh pasta shop
Right outside the market, there’s a small shop run by two sisters who make fresh pasta daily. They prepare Bologna’s traditional pasta varieties at the highest level. I visited multiple times and cooked with their pasta at my rented apartment, it was a fantastic experience that I might elaborate on in a separate post. But for now, this is a strong recommendation for anyone near the market!
Address: Via Belvedere, 7b, 40121 Bologna BO, Italy
Mercato di Mezzo & the old market in Quadrilatero
In the heart of Bologna, in the historic district, nestled between narrow alleys, we discovered stalls selling fresh vegetables, as well as hidden delis and bakeries tucked away from the city’s grander streets. It was a unique experience in a setting that managed to retain some of its historic atmosphere, balancing tradition with modernity.
In addition, there’s a small indoor market called Mercato di Mezzo, which means "The Middle Market" in Italian. It’s Bologna’s first indoor market, but today, it mainly consists of restaurants. Like the other markets mentioned, there aren’t many produce stalls, but you can find everything you need. We were less impressed with this market, it was very crowded and felt more touristy. That said, we still enjoyed wandering around, experiencing the variety of local flavors in a medieval setting. Unlike certain tourist-heavy neighborhoods worldwide, where many businesses feel like tourist traps, here we got the impression that many shoppers were locals and that the delis and bakeries genuinely uphold the city’s culinary traditions.
כתובת: Quadrilatero, Via Drapperie - 40124
Bonus – Antica Aguzzeria del Cavallo cookware store
In the heart of the district, there are many old and historic shops, one of which is a cookware store where you can find various pasta-making tools. After much deliberation, I bought a brass pastry wheel.
Prices
Restaurant prices in Bologna are slightly cheaper than in Milan, and you can actually eat well for up to €30 per person (not cheap but still decent these days).
The markets, on the other hand, are not cheap at all. One of my purchases at Mercato delle Erbe included: fennel, two tomatoes, a small bunch of grapes, endive, lettuce, three figs, and two carrots. The price? €19.81 which I found astronomical.
Fresh pasta - For me, the prices were fantastic considering the quality, which I thought was top-notch. I bought a portion of tortelloni for €6 and gnocchi for €4, significantly cheaper than at restaurants and just as good as the best ones.
Final thoughts
Bologna is, without a doubt, the most culinarily intense city I’ve experienced in northern Italy, and even my dad was mesmerized by it. Beyond the many traditional restaurants, what stood out to me was the abundance of delis, bakeries, and fresh pasta shops, which provided a full culinary experience and an opportunity to get a true taste of local products, especially on the days I stayed in an apartment.
I will definitely be back.
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