Three Less Known Dishes You Should Not Miss in Bologna

Bologna is rightly famous for its fresh egg pasta, especially classics such as tagliatelle and tortellini. Yet beyond these well-known dishes, there are several equally rich and comforting recipes that often go unnoticed by international visitors. Among them, passatelli, zuppa imperiale and tagliolini in brodo all share a common foundation: a deeply flavoured capon broth that has helped define Emilia’s reputation as one of Italy’s great food regions.

If you enjoy discovering lesser-known local recipes, you may also like exploring other traditional pasta specialties from Bologna, which reveal just how diverse the city’s everyday cuisine can be.

Passatelli: Rustic Bread Dumplings from Emilia

Passatelli originate from rural home cooking and the tradition of avoiding waste. Stale bread was never thrown away: families dried it, grated it into breadcrumbs and reused it in nourishing dishes. To prepare passatelli, breadcrumbs are mixed with egg and grated Parmesan until a soft, slightly moist dough forms. Seasonings typically include salt, nutmeg and a touch of lemon zest.

The dough is pressed through a special tool similar to a potato ricer with large holes, creating short, thick strands resembling small noodles. If the traditional tool is not available, a coarse grater can also be used. The passatelli are gently cooked directly in hot broth and finished with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan before serving.

Zuppa Imperiale: Bologna’s Forgotten Comfort Dish

Zuppa imperiale is one of the more unusual — and increasingly rare — recipes of the Bolognese tradition. Mentioned in the historic cookbook of Pellegrino Artusi, its ingredients are surprisingly simple: semolina, eggs, Parmesan cheese, butter, salt, nutmeg and lemon zest.

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Equal quantities of semolina and Parmesan are combined with the other ingredients and whipped until light and airy. The mixture is baked in the oven until it forms a golden, slightly crisp cake. Once cooled, the cake is cut into small cubes and served floating in hot broth, absorbing the liquid like a savoury sponge.

Tagliolini in Brodo: Delicate Egg Pasta in Clear Stock

Tagliolini in brodo often surprises visitors because of its visual similarity to Asian noodle soups. Tagliolini are simply very thin strips of fresh egg pasta — narrower than classic tagliatelle — cooked directly in rich capon or chicken broth.

The dish is traditionally eaten with both fork and spoon, making it one of the few Italian pasta preparations where this combination feels entirely natural and practical.

These three dishes reflect a side of Bologna’s cuisine that is deeply connected to home cooking, seasonal rhythms and the intelligent use of simple ingredients. They may not always appear on tourist menus, but they remain essential expressions of the city’s everyday food culture.