Food from Bologna: Top 10 Eats in Italy's Foodie City

Are you thinking about a trip to Bologna and want to know about the great food that the culinary capital of Italy is famous for? We’ve got you covered!

In this Bologna Food Guide, we’ll tell you all you need to know about the most famous food of Bologna: the delectable traditional Bolognese food that has long been a treasured highlight of Italian cuisine.

The delicious food from Bologna spotlights the city’s position as the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region. This region in northern Italy is known as the “Italian Food Valley,” and it is renowned for its rich culinary tradition of showcasing the bounty of local ingredients in recipes that have been passed down for generations.

Bologna is one of the best places to explore the wonderfully unique flavors of this region, and now is the perfect time to learn more about the foods that have made it so beloved among foodies!

A sampling of the must-eat food from Bologna

The Best Food From Bologna: The Pastas

Although the cuisine of Italy is justly famous for its pastas, throughout the country Italian food is still highly regional. Italian cities vary widely in what pastas are featured on the tables of homes and restaurants. The following pastas are specialties of Bologna and Emilia-Romagna.

1. Tagliatelle al Ragù

The number one food Bologna is famous for, tagliatelle al ragù

This perfect match of tagliatelle pasta and rich, meaty Bolognese sauce is probably the most famous food from Bologna and certainly one of its tastiest.

This traditional food derives its irresistible flavor from a sauce made of a mixture of pork and beef; sauteed onions, celery, and carrots; thick tomato sauce; and milk. The only seasonings are fresh black pepper and salt. The key to making a sauce so delicious from such simple ingredients is the long time that the sauce is allowed to simmer—some 4 to 6 hours!

Here in the States, you’ll find a derivation of this Bologna cuisine staple in versions of Spaghetti Bolognese. However, in Bologna, the real deal meal calls for the fresh pasta known as tagliatelle, which is native to the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.

Consisting of flat ribbons about a quarter of an inch wide, tagliatelle is considered the best pasta to serve with the meaty ragu. That’s because the pasta’s width and its porous and rough texture are perfect for soaking up and keeping hold of the meat sauce, so you get plenty in each bite.

As for the name Tagliatelle al Ragu, “ragu” is simply the Italian word for “sauce.” The Bolognese meat sauce is such an intrinsic part of the local traditional cuisine, the Bolognese people just think of it as THE sauce, THE ragu—everyone already knows it’s made in Bologna the Bolognese way.

If you love to cook, one of your top Bologna food experiences should be taking a cooking class in which, among other things, you learn to make both tagliatelle and authentic Bolognese ragù. Being able to make some of the best food of Bologna when you get back home might just be the best foodie souvenir ever!

2. Tortellini

Fresh, handmade tortellini, one of the traditional pastas of Bologna cuisine

Tortellini are delightful handmade pasta purses typically filled with good stuff like meat and cheese. They are featured in one of the most traditional dishes of Bologna, Tortellini in Brodo.

In this dish, the tortellini are stuffed in the traditional way with very specific ingredients: pork, prosciutto, mortadella, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, nutmeg, and egg. They are then set afloat in a rich meat broth (“brodo” in Italian) made with beef and poultry.

This simple but delicious meal is served throughout Bologna, from the most humble homes to the best restaurants. And handmade tortellini are sold all over the city, usually found in beautiful shop-window displays that leave you drooling.

Tortellini are also served with a variety of tasty sauces. On some of the best Bologna food tours, you not only get to see artisans hand make tortellini, you get to eat the delicious works of art afterward.

3. Lasagna alla Bolognese

Lasagna alla Bolognese, one of the Bologna famous foods that may surprise you

If you love lasagna, Bologna is a great place to try a version that is going to blow you away! Deeply embedded in the local food culture, the lasagna Bologna is famous for using main ingredients that differ from the ones you’ll most likely find in your neighborhood Italian restaurant—and you’ll taste the difference!

For starters, the pasta used is made with spinach, giving it a trademark green color. But that’s not the only ingredient that the Bologna lasagna switches up. Instead of traditional marinara sauce between the layers, the Bolognese use their famous ragu. Lastly, the version you’ll eat in Bologna will substitute incredibly creamy béchamel sauce for the ricotta you’re more familiar with.

The result is a lasagna that is every bit as hearty and delicious as your current favorite but with a deeper creaminess and even a touch of elegance. This food Bologna loves is a classic example of making a great thing we all thought we already knew even better!

4. Gramigna alla Salsiccia

Gramigna alla Salsiccia, a traditional Bologna, Italy, food you rarely see outside of the Emilia-Romagna region

Gramigna alla Salsiccia is one of the traditional dishes of Bologna you’ll have to travel to Bologna to enjoy. That’s because it’s a lovely pasta offering from the Emilia Romagna region that has remained a local secret.

One reason it’s not well known outside its native region is that the egg pasta used, “gramigna,” is only made locally. Interestingly, this squiggly noodle takes its name from a type of grass that it resembles. It’s most often paired with a sausage sauce, in other words, “alla salsiccia.”

The recipe relies primarily on robustly flavored local sausage sauteed with olive oil and onions, a little tomato, and some white wine. While the recipe is quite simple, this satisfying dish is a traditional food Bologna loves and something you should check out on your visit.

The Best Food From Bologna: The Monster Meat Dish

Bologna is known for not only its incredible pastas and world-famous meat sauce, but a hearty meat dish that locals love and visitors should definitely try.

5. Cotoletta alla Bolognese

The Cotoletta Bolognese, the Bologna food that can take up a whole plate.

Before my husband and I ever tried this traditional food from Bologna, we had seen orders of it coming out of various kitchens among numerous restaurants in the city. The sight was always impressive: huge portions of veal cutlet, sometimes hanging over the side of the plates they were being served on.

When we finally worked up enough hunger to give it a try, the hearty veal dish was well worth the wait! In its preparation, a generous portion of veal cutlet is pounded, dipped in egg and bread crumb, and fried in butter. The cutlet is then topped with a slice of prosciutto crudo and some thinly cut or grated Parmigiano Reggiano. A buttery broth then melts the cheese into a sauce that sits on the prosciutto crudo atop the crispy cutlet.

To thoroughly eat Bologna, you’ve got to try this signature meat dish of the city. Pair it with a Lambrusco red wine from the region. If you make sure to come to the meal hungry, you’ll be certain to leave satisfied.

The Best Food From Bologna: The Salumi

For centuries, Emilia-Romagna has been a center of Italian pig farming and pork production, so it’s no surprise that the region is also home to two beloved salumi that are superstars of Bologna antipasto platters and quite simply some of the best food Bologna has on offer.

6. Prosciutto di Parma

Prosciutto di Parma, one of the most popular Bologna foods on a salumi board

Prosciutto di Parma translates as simply “Parma ham” or “ham from Parma,” Parma being the name of both a city and province an hour northwest of Bologna.

However, when discussing the prized cured meats of Emilia-Romagna, Prosciutto di Parma refers only to the cured ham made in Parma from Italian-born-and-bred pigs and awarded the Italian government designation of authenticity.

Although Italians also eat cooked ham, known as “prosciutto cotto,” prosciutto crudo is loved for its distinct flavor—and Prosciutto di Parma is considered the best of the best!

The only things added to Prosciutto di Parma during its curing process are sea salt, air, and time. And the time adds up to a minimum of 400 days during the different stages of curing. The result is an incredibly buttery, soft, delicately salty and sweet yumminess.

You can find Prosciutto di Parma at delis, meat shops, and food markets all over Bologna. The best way to enjoy the real thing is to simply savor thin slices all by themselves and revel in their multifaceted flavors.

7. Mortadella di Bologna

Bologna is famous for mortadella, and there are so many ways to eat it.

No Best of Bologna Italy Food Guide would be complete without including mortadella, the only cured meat that rivals Prosciutto di Parma in popularity in Italy’s culinary capital.

This finely ground pork sausage is one of the most popular Bologna food specialties! The bologna or baloney that you may have grown up with was based on this sausage and named in honor of the city of its birth—but it was then stripped of all its flavor, silky texture, and appeal.

The real-deal mortadella is a giant salami made from high-quality pork and flavored with pistachios, black pepper, and a special pork fat known as “lardelli.” Mortadella has both an incredibly silky feel and deeply satisfying flavor. It’s not even a little bit like its North American pale imitation.

One of the best ways to enjoy mortadella in Bologna is to head to the Quadrilatero, the ultimate Bologna foodie neighborhood in the city center, just a stone’s throw from Piazza Maggiore, Bologna’s main square.

Find a table at one of the two best delis in the city, Laboratorio Simoni or La Baita Vecchia Malga and get an incredible salumi board that will include not only mortadella but Prosciutto di Parma and whatever other cuts you’d like. Enjoy them on their own or get some cheeses too and make little sandwiches with the little tigelle flatbreads you’ll be served.

This special type of bread is a Bologna favorite that you break open and stuff the hollow middle of with your choice of tasty goodies. Order an Aperol Spritz, some wine, or some beer, and you’ve got all the makings for an incredible Bologna street food picnic!

If you can’t snag a table at either La Baita or Simoni, you can buy the selection of meats and accompaniments you like at one of these shops and take your moveable feast on a few-minute walk to Osteria del Sole.

Opened in the 15th century, this osteria is the oldest in Italy and still operates the old-fashioned way: They supply an impressive selection of wines, you complement whatever wine you buy with whatever food you wish to bring and enjoy your meal in the osteria’s unique historic setting. What a lovely epicurean match in the heart of Bologna!

The Best Food From Bologna: The Cheeses

Bologna is a wonderful place to indulge in two local cheeses that couldn’t be more different from each other—or more delicious.

8. Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese

Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, Italy’s king of cheese.

Known in culinary circles as “the king of cheese,” Parmigiano Reggiano is hands down the most famous cheese from the Emilia-Romagna region. Although some people here in the U.S. use the terms Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and parmesan cheese interchangeably, connoisseurs of Italian cheese will tell you that’s a big no-no.

Although both cheeses are made from cow’s milk, they are not the same. For starters, Parmigiano Reggiano must come from certain grass-fed cows and be aged at least a year. Parmesan has no such regulations.

Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is prized for its intense fruity, nutty, and buttery aromas and flavors, and its high glutamate content makes it one of the most umami-rich foods in the world. That rich, deep savoriness is on full display in the cheese itself and enriches any food the cheese is added to. As a result, you’ll definitely have a chance to enjoy this uniquely delicious cheese on its own and in, on, or with much of the best food in Bologna.

9. Squacquerone Cheese

Squacquerone cheese in little bowls pairs wonderfully with Bologna salumi.

Squacquerone (skwa-kwe-ROW-nay) cheese is one of the Bologna food specialities that is little known outside of Emilia-Romagna. The main reason is that it’s a fresh cheese that matures for only a few days after being made and must be eaten soon thereafter.

That’s a shame for those who don’t visit Bologna or the surrounding area because this extremely soft, creamy, and spreadable cow’s milk cheese is a genuine treat. Reminiscent of the dreamy center of Burrata, Squacquerone is even softer and is often served in a small bowl since its texture is almost runny.

Food guides don’t always do justice to the charms of Squacquerone, but luckily for visitors to Bologna, the cheese is often served as an accompaniment on local salumi boards. Whether it comes on your board, or you need to ask for it by name, get ready for a love-at-first-bite experience.

The Best Food From Bologna: The Liquid Gold

Known around the world for its deeply rich flavor, the magic in a bottle made by Bologna’s next-door neighbor often finds itself at home on the tables of Bologna.

10. Aceto Balsamico di Modena

Aceto Balsamico di Modena gets drizzled on just about anything in Bologna.

Much of the best food of Bologna will be accented by Aceto Balsamico di Modena, the traditional balsamic vinegar made in Modena, Bologna’s neighbor to the northwest.

A dark, highly concentrated, intensely flavored vinegar made from local Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes, balsamico has been made in Modena since the Middle Ages. Stored in wooden barrels for a minimum of 12 years, this luscious nectar only gets better with time.

It can be combined with olive oil for a dressing, or drizzled on just about anything from pastas to steaks to strawberries. It’s also an incredibly easy foodie souvenir to bring back home.

The Best Food From Bologna: FAQS

What food is Bologna, Italy, known for? Well, you now have 10 answers to that question and a very good idea of what to eat in Bologna when you go. But here are some answers to other frequently asked questions about the wonders of Bologna and why this often-overlooked jewel of Italy is definitely worth a visit.

Where can I find the best food from Bologna when I’m visiting?

As luck would have it, I have an article on where to find the best restaurants and food in Bologna, Italy.

How do the best foods from Bologna differ from the best foods elsewhere in Italy?

Italy is home to an amazingly diverse cuisine that varies village by village, city by city, region by region. To learn more, check out my articles on the best foods of Rome, the best foods of Milan, the best street foods of Venice, and the best traditional foods of Tuscany.

What are some additional foodie activities to enjoy in Bologna?

Being the foodie capital of Italy, Bologna offers an array of activities for food lovers. These include excellent Bologna food tours that explore the wonderful Bologna food markets, like Mercato di Mezzo and Mercato delle Erbe, which showcase the fresh produce stands, fish stalls, meat shops, and other food artisans who offer their top-notch gastronomic goodies. The delicious products on display give a good idea of why one of Bologna’s nicknames, La Grassa, or “The Fat One,” is really a salute to the city’s seemingly endless bounty of food choices.

Another huge foodie attraction in Bologna is FICO Eataly World. Opened in 2017, this giant venue is dedicated to sharing the biodiversity of Italian cuisine with the world through its fields, workshops, markets, restaurants, and classrooms. Among other things, the 20-acre facility grows crops on the premises, features some 40 artisans making iconic Italian food and drink products, and houses 25 themed restaurants that span the gamut of Italian culinary delights.

A Bologna food market provides a feast for the eyes and the palate.

Besides food, what is Bologna famous for?

Besides the many Bologna famous foods, Bologna has a wealth of other attractions that make it worth visiting. These are detailed in my article on 21 Reasons To Visit Bologna.

Is Reggio Emilia and Emilia Romagna the same?

No. Emilia-Romagna is the region of amazing food and agricultural wealth in northern Italy of which Bologna is the capital. Reggio Emilia is both a province and a city that, like Bologna, are located in Emilia-Romagna. Both the city and the province are about an hour’s drive northwest of Bologna, between Modena and Parma.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this article on the best foods from Bologna, and I really hope you get a chance to visit this foodie wonderland. If you’ve already visited, let me know in the comments below what your favorite experiences were. If you haven’t yet been to La Grassa, let me know what you’re most looking forward to.

Does Bologna have any Famous Breakfast Foods?

Like the rest of Italy, breakfast is not the most important meal of the day. A typical Italian breakfast will usually be an Italian breakfast pastry like a cornetto (similar to a croissant) and a coffee.

Ciao!