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Garganelli, which means "small esophagus", is a pasta from Emilia-Romagna
that is difficult to find outside of that region.
Admittedly, it takes a bit of time and patience to hand-form the
pointed tubular shape that resembles penne, but they are so delicious
that I encourage you to try them.
The Bolognese say they are the masters of lasagne, but don't expect
to find ricotta, mozzarella, hard-boiled eggs or anything similar
layered between these egg pasta sheets. Authentic Bolognese lasagna,
unlike what you find farther south, is made with ragù, white sauce,
and parmesan cheese.
Passatelli are a classic Romagnan specialty,
made with a cup-and-plunger-like device that forces dough through
a plate with 1/4-inch diameter holes in it, thus forming strings
that are called passatelli.
In presenting them a century ago, Artusi suggested that those
without a passatelli iron might make do with a pastry bag.
Long, thin flat egg noodles best served 'alla Bolognese', in other
words, with ragù. The tourist treat 'spaghetti alla Bolognese'
is a bastardization of this typical Bolognese dish.
Tortellini are luscious little parcels of egg pasta filled with
pork, prosciutto, mortadella, parmesan cheese, and various spices.
You will find them served in a number of ways, but the traditonal
Bolognese recipe is to serve them cooked in a meat broth with
lots of parmesan cheese on top.
This pasta is shaped like tortellini but it's bigger, and it is
filled with ricotta and spinach or other greens instead of meat.
May be served with ragù, a plain tomato sauce, or butter and sage.
A good ragù must cling to the pasta in order to be enjoyed.
It must have the right mix of meats and spices and simmer for
hours. The correct meats to use are veal, pork, and sausage. Just
a touch of tomato is added as this is not a tomato sauce. To finish,
add a drop of heavy cream and a dollop of fresh butter.
Crescente
Square bread usually made with lard and/or pork fat to which prosciutto,
pancetta or ciccioli has been added. You can also find meatless
olive-oily versions topped with rosemary or onion. Often cut into
chunks and served in a basket in osterie.
Light, puffy fried bread dough, usually served hot with a selection
of cold cuts and cheeses.
A famous favorite from Romagna, piadina is a thin, flat round
bread cooked on a special kind of frying pan or grill. Piadine
are eaten folded in half and filled with prosciutto, arugola,
stracchino, or squacquarone (two varieties of soft, fresh cheese).
Made of the same dough as crescentine but cooked between two stone
or metal discs, tigelle are usually sliced in half and filled
with prosciutto , other cold cuts, or cheese. If you dare, try
them as they were meant to be eaten, filled with pesto modenese,
which is made of lard, garlic, rosemary, and parmesan cheese.
A real Bolognese tradition, bollito misto consists of boiled meats
and vegetables. The usual mix contains beef tongue, beef brisket,
veal brisket, chicken, carrots, celery, onion, and potato. Locals
serve it with a tart green sauce
A large pork sausage roughly seasoned with cloves, nutmeg, salt
and pepper. This heavy dish is usually reserved for the winter
months. A classic at Christmas or New Year's, usually served with
mashed potatoes and lentils.
(Bolognese cutlet), with ham, Parmigiano cheese
and truffle from the Tuscan-Emilian Appennine.
the Bolognese mixed friedmixed fry, is a selection
of small, bite-size pieces of vegetables, fruit and cream dipped
in a batter and deep-fried.
This is Bologna's most famous cold cut, otherwise known as Bologna.
You'll find it at every salumeria.
The stars of the prosciutto world are prosciutto di Parma.
Prosciutto cotto is cooked ham and prosciutto crudo is cured salted
raw ham.
Here the sausage meat has been stuffed back inside the pig's foot
or zampa, making for quite a display.
Castagnole
Traditional Carnival sweet, these soft doughy ballS made of chestnut
flour are deep fried and then rolled in sugar.
These rich Christmas cakes are chock full of candied fruit, nuts,
and chocolate. Panone is a simpler and softer version of certosino,
which in addition to the above ingredients is bedecked with large
pieces of candied fruit.
Fave dei morti
These delicious, multi-colored chewy cookies made of almond paste
appear in bakeries during the last two weeks of October. They
are made for the November 1st and November 2nd holidays, Tutti
i santi e Tutti i morti, when Italians remember their dead.
Made of cookie dough which is rolled out and filled, most traditionally,
with prune or apricot jam and then rolled into a half moon shape.
The Bolognese make them Especially for March 19th, the saint day
of San Giuseppe, which is also celebrated as Father's Day here.
Another traditional carnival sweet made of strips of sweet dough
which are fried and then sprinkled with lots of powdered sugar.
The Bolognese are very proud of this solid confection, half cake,
half custard.
It's made with rice, almonds, and amaretto.
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