The final stop of our short Italian roadtrip was the Emilia-Romagna region also known as a culinary haven.

The last time I came to this region was in 2021 when we visited Parma for one day. On our way to Bologna, the capital of the region, we stopped in Parma and had lunch at Ristorante Cocchi where we had previously visited and absolutely loved it.

We started off with a few cured meats made within the region. Both the culatello and lardo were sliced perfectly thin and melted in your mouth. The cured meats were served with crescentina fritta (fried dough) which were warm and pillowy.

We got the tortelli sampler which consisted of tortelli stuffed with potato served with shaved black truffle, tortelli stuffed with greens, and tortelli stuffed with pumpkin. Honestly all three were superb.

This traditional stuffed pasta had a beef filling and was served in a chicken broth. So delicious especially on a cold fall day.

I loved the pumpkin tortelli so much that I decided to order a plate of it because it was that good. I mean you only live once right?!

This was a dish that we tried here in 2021 and Tommaso wanted to get it again as it’s only found in this region. The veal is stuffed with an egg and Parmigiano Reggiano mixture that results in a soft spongy texture. The dish is served with fried potatoes and roasted peppers.

We ended our lunch with another regional dish, a hazelnut cake with pastry cream, zabaione, and cherries.

Once arriving in Bologna, about an hour away from the restaurant, we checked into Aemilia Hotel which was not as nice as our past accommodations on this trip but we were only staying here for two nights.

I haven’t visited Bologna since 2013, crazy that it’s been that long. It’s a city filled with students and has a hipster vibe with lots of artists and musicians. Even though it was a gloomy and rainy day, we walked to the city center to see the main piazza, church, and the famous neptune fountain.

Since we had a very filling lunch, we skipped dinner and went to bed early because we had to wake up at the crack of dawn. The main reason I wanted to visit this region again was so that Tommaso could experience a tour of Prosciutto, Parmigiano Reggiano, and Aceto di Balsamico factories. I went on a similar tour back in 2011 and seeing how these prized products were made was such a fun experience as someone who loves and appreciates food.

Our first stop was at a Parmigiano Reggiano producer where we got to see the various stages of cheese making. The reason we have to get there early is because the factory receives the milk in the morning and if we came later, we wouldn’t be able to watch them form the curd.

Next stop was the balsamic vinegar producer where we got to try some Parmigiano Reggiano, cured meats, and various ages of balsamic vinegar. As balsamic vinegar ages, the vinegar becomes thicker, more aromatic, and sweeter.

Our last stop was the meat factory where they produce Prosciutto di Modena (typically we find Prosciutto di Parma which is the most prized and prestigious) and other cured meats. We saw the stages of making these cured hams from salting the meat heavily to the aging rooms.

After the tour, we got to relax and enjoy lunch that consisted of cured meats, savory tarts and quiches, vegetables, and lots of pasta (didn’t get pictures of everything). If a tour like this appeals to you, I would highly recommend booking with Italian Days who organize tours in several cities in the country.

This tour was an all day event and we arrived back to Bologna in the late afternoon. We rested up before our last dinner of the roadtrip which was at Al Sangiovese, a restaurant that we visited back in 2013.

We started off with the mixed appetizer that had Prosciutto, a Mortadella mousse, fig jam, pickled onions, Squacquerone cheese (tangy cow’s milk cheese), and piadina (Italian flatbread).

Gramigna is a fun pasta shape from this region which I’ve never had before and this quirky curlicue pasta was tossed in a white sausage sauce. Simple but tasty.

I didn’t want to leave the region without having tagliatelle with meat sauce, a classic dish from the area.

Cotoletta is a thinly sliced piece of veal that’s been breaded and fried and topped with Prosciutto di Parma and melted cheese.

I’m a sucker for some good roasted potatoes.

This airy chocolate spongecake had a Sangiovese wine reduction drizzled on top.

Semifreddo, a slightly iced dessert, was zabaione flavored and had a generous amount of chocolate sauce on top.

Before heading back to Rome the following day, we had an amazing lunch at Arnaldo Clinica Gastronomica for traditional Emilian cuisine. Even though our stay in Emilia-Romagna was relatively short, it’s a region I know I’ll visit again since their food is some of the best.