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Beyond Bolognese

s a r a h l a n e

Forget the spaghetti – a trip to italy’s culinary capital demands a more adventurous approach to eating

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menu

The real taste of Bologna First of all, a warning. visitors to Bologna should know that asking for a dish of spaghetti Bolognese in most of the city’s restaurants will result in plenty of withering looks, but not

a lot to eat. in fact, the dish that’s a firm favourite at family dinners the world over just doesn’t exist in its so-called home town. But don’t panic – you can rest assured that you

won’t miss its meaty, tomato-y goodness for long.

Widely considered the italian capital of gastronomy, Bologna is currently enjoying a remarkable revival of its historic culinary traditions. as many as 27 authentic recipes

for local dishes have been registered at the city’s chamber of commerce, housed in the delightful 13th-century palazzo della mercanzia, and there are historic food shops and

restaurants dotted throughout town. Family-run for generations, these old-style trattorias rub shoulders with a new breed of restaurants and delicatessens where every last detail has

been carefully crafted for your culinary delight.

We’ve put together a menu of our favourite Bolognese specialities, along with tips on where to try/buy them. so loosen your belt, and prepare to enjoy…

Primi

Tortellini & tagliatellepride of place on the Bologna dinner table goes to deep, yellow pasta. While the

commonplace tagliatelle al ragù (ribbon pasta with meaty sauce) was the inspiration behind spaghetti Bolognese, tortellini in brodo (meat-filled pasta in broth) is generally reserved for special occasions. Both varieties have been around for more than five centuries and have curious origins: a sensual contemplation of the female navel supposedly resulted in the

delicate shape of tortellini, while tagliatelle was invented in the 15th century for society lady lucrezia Borgia’s wedding feast, inspired by her luscious hair.

the role of sfoglino – skilled pasta maker – is much sought after and there’s a waiting list for the professional courses run by tv chef alessandra spisni at her vecchia scuola

Bolognese cookery school (49 Via Malvasia, tel: +39 051 649 1576, lavecchiascuola.com). the half-day introduction to pasta courses can still be booked at the last minute though.

Secondi

Carrello dei bolliti con salsa verdeWhen it comes to the main course there’s not quite such a consensus of opinion, but

old-school votes go to the carrello dei bolliti (trolley of mixed, boiled meats). in traditional trattorias like the family-run da Bertino (55 Via Lame, tel: +39 051 522 230) an old-fashioned

stainless-steel serving trolley containing steaming cuts meat cooked in broth is wheeled to your table and sliced in front of you. all sorts of sauces are offered too, the most popular

being salsa verde, made to a time-honoured recipe with parsley, capers, anchovy and garlic. another tasty main course that’s also a registered recipe is cotoletta alla Bolognese: a slab of

veal topped with ham and parmesan, coated in breadcrumbs then fried in butter.

AntiPASto

Mortadellasublime in sandwiches, Bologna’s famous aromatic sausage is also irresistible on its own,

either finely sliced or chopped into cubes. often known simply as “Bologna”, this slow-cooked sausage dates back to roman times when myrtle was used for flavour. during the

middle ages more spices were added, and it became a favourite at court banquets. Word of the city’s sausage spread across the generations, and it was first exported to america and

the rest of europe as early as the 17th century.

a good place to try mortadella and other authentic local delicacies is the recently opened restaurant magnabulàgna (2B Via de Pepoli, tel: +39 051 234 126), just off piazza santo stefano, one of Bologna’s most attractive squares. or, if you’d like to prepare it yourself,

buy it from tamburini (1 Via Caprarie, tel: +39 051 234 726), a historic, family-run deli that continues to thrive 150 years after it was founded. P

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contorno

Friggioneideal with bolliti and delicious alone, this sumptuous side dish – a smooth and creamy

blend of white onions and tomatoes, slow-cooked in lard – is a real treat for the taste buds. While the official recipe, which dates from 1886, calls for a high proportion of onion,

today’s chefs tend to use rather more tomato than their predecessors, and some even add red pepper for a deeper colour and more of a tang. tucked away down a tiny alley near

the market, trattoria gianni (18 Via Clavature, tel: +39 051 229 434) is a great choice for authentic friggione, and all the other dishes mentioned in our menu.

Vini

not as well known for its wines as some other italian regions, emilia romagna is steadily making a name for itself. so, what to drink with a traditional meal? For starters, go for

a light and lively pignoletto. this crisp white is also considered ideal with tortellini, but when it comes to the robust flavours of the meaty main course, most Bolognese diners would opt

for a full-bodied sangiovese, while a glass of albana passito with a chunk of certosino will round off the meal perfectly. albana is the region’s only wine to bear the docg guarantee

and is the first italian white to gain such a prestigious european hallmark.

Wine bars of all kinds abound throughout Bologna – don’t miss the atmospheric osteria del sole (1d vicolo ranocchi), which dates from the 15th century. to buy the

best wines, head out of town to the charming hilltop village of dozza. here an imposing medieval castle houses the region’s official wine cellar, where high quality and honest prices

are guaranteed (enotecaemiliaromagna.it).

dolce

Certosinoyet another recipe that dates back several centuries – at least to medieval times, when

it was known as panspeziale – this fruitcake was later named after the 18th-century monks of the certosa monastery, who baked it for the future pope Benedetto Xiv. made with

a dense mix of candied fruit, almonds, pine nuts, chocolate and cinnamon, it’s always been considered a typical christmas food, but in recent years local bakers have made it all year

round. there are two paolo atti bakeries in central Bologna (7 Via Caprarie, tel: +39 051 220 425 and 6A Via Drapperie, tel: +39 051 233 349), both of which sell certosino in souvenir

boxes based on the original design used around a century ago.

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