5 Massimo Bottura Dishes that Blow Me Away

Massimo Bottura has been at the top of Italian gastronomy for decades, but his international profile truly accelerated after Osteria Francescana in Modena was awarded three Michelin stars. Since then, Bottura has accumulated accolades, global recognition, and a reputation for constantly questioning what Italian cuisine can be.

When Osteria Francescana was named Best Restaurant in the World by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2016, it marked a turning point—not just for Bottura, but for Italian fine dining as a whole. For a broader look at his career and philosophy, see our complete profile of Massimo Bottura and his restaurants in Modena.

I’ve been following Bottura’s work for years, and while choosing favourites is almost impossible, these are five dishes that left a lasting impression on me.

1. Croccantino di Foie Gras

This dish is pure Bottura: playful, nostalgic, and technically precise. Inspired by the croccantino ice cream of the 1980s, it combines childhood memory with the richness of foie gras.

The contrast is key. The crunchy almond-and-hazelnut coating, the gentle sweetness, and the balsamic heart elevate the foie gras without overpowering it. The ice-cream stick removes any sense of formality and turns what could be an austere dish into something disarmingly fun.

2. Oops! I Dropped the Lemon Tart

This dish single-handedly dismantles expectations of what fine dining should look like. Intentionally broken and imperfect, it blends technical mastery with casual irreverence.

The flavours are anything but careless: lemongrass ice cream, zabaione, and a spiced crust scented with anise, black pepper, cinnamon, and juniper. Sweetness, acidity, and freshness are layered with precision, even if the presentation pretends otherwise.

3. Eel Swimming Up the Po River

This is storytelling on a plate. The dish references the 16th-century journey of the Este family from Ferrara to Modena, moving against the current—just like the eel itself.

Ingredients drawn from Veneto, Mantova, and the surrounding countryside—polenta, apple extract, Amarone, and saba—create a dish rooted in geography and history, yet unmistakably modern.

4. Chicken, Chicken… Where Are You?

Inspired by Bottura’s daughter, this dish is all about absence as much as presence. There is no visible chicken, only its essence—extracted, concentrated, and woven through a garden of vegetables.

Fennel, celery, scallion sit alongside more unusual elements like Koppert Cress, daikon, and violet flowers. The result is delicate, cerebral, and quietly impressive.

5. Five Ages of Parmigiano Reggiano

As someone who loves Parmigiano Reggiano, this dish felt inevitable. It is one of Bottura’s most iconic creations and perhaps the clearest expression of his relationship with Emilia-Romagna.

Five textures—soufflé, galette, foam, air, and cream—each using Parmigiano at a different stage of ageing. One ingredient, five interpretations. It’s surprisingly restrained, deeply local, and conceptually elegant.

Together, these dishes capture what Bottura does best: memory without nostalgia, innovation without gimmicks, and a constant dialogue between tradition and imagination.