“L’Italia a morsi”: recipes from Bologna

01/17/2019

The international fame of Bolognese cuisine dates back to the Middle Ages when powerful noble families employed the most celebrated chefs of the time at their courts, while numerous city taverns already existed in the fourteenth century.

Bologna's gastronomic tradition is closely linked to the University: the mingling of numerous students and professors from different nationalities enriched the culinary culture and necessitated a good organization of food supply.

Bolognese cuisine, like that of the entire Emilia region, is characterized by the abundance of meat (especially pork) and egg pasta, earning the city the nickname "Bologna the fat".

The Two Towers seen from below

In the episode filmed in Bologna, the birthplace of the Cesarine, food blogger Chiara Maci met Costanza.

The home of our Cesarina is located just steps away from Piazza Santo Stefano, one of the most picturesque spots in the vibrant heart of downtown Bologna, just a few meters from the famous Two Towers of Garisenda and Asinelli, surrounded by magnificent arcades. It's a house with an ancient flavor, full of colors and furnished with classic furniture owned by her family for generations.

Costanza making a cake

Passionate about cooking since childhood, especially about traditional Bolognese recipes thanks to her mother's teachings, Costanza joined our Community driven by the desire to share her family's recipes not only with friends and relatives but with food enthusiasts from all over the world.

"As a child, my father used to tell me that I would grow up to be a cook because I spent many afternoons in the kitchen with the nanny, and together, we had fun making sweets, cookies, kneading dough for tagliatelle." - Costanza

Recipes from the episode:

Mortadella Mousse
Crescentine
Tagliatelle with Bolognese Sauce

Mortadella mousse

For a tasty appetizer

DifficultyEasy

€

CostLow

Ingredients

300 gr of Mortadella
100 gr of Ricotta
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Heavy cream: about half a scant glass

Method

Roughly chop the mortadella, transfer it to a bowl, and mince it with an immersion blender.
Then, add the ricotta and a few tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese.
Whisk the heavy cream until stiff peaks form, then add it to the mixture.
Finally, mix everything together with a fork using gentle folding motions: you should achieve the consistency of a mousse.

Fried Crescentine

The delicious fried crescentine to accompany with cold cuts

DifficultyMedium

Ingredients

500 gr of flour
Salt to taste
14 gr of instant yeast
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
200 grams of milk
1 liter of peanut seed oil

Method

Place the flour on a work surface, make a well in the center, and add salt, instant yeast, and a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
Mix everything together and gradually add the milk. Knead and blend the mixture.
Roll out and flatten the dough with a rolling pin. Cut it into wide strips.
Heat the peanut seed oil in a pan until it reaches frying temperature.
Fry the crescentine: they will puff up in a few minutes.
Once they are golden brown, drain them and pat them dry with paper towels.
Serve hot with cold cuts and cheese.

Tagliatelle with ragù sauce

The great classic of Bolognese cuisine

DifficultyMedium

Servings4

€

CostMedium

Ingredients

For the ragù:
50 gr of onion
50 gr of carrot
50 gr of celery
50 gr of olive oil
150 gr of butter
400 gr of ground veal
200 gr of pork sausage
Half a glass of red wine
50 gr of tomato paste
Salt
Pepper
Nutmeg
500 ml of milk
For the tagliatelle:
4 eggs
400 gr of flour
Salt to taste

Method

For the tagliatelle:

Mix eggs, flour, and salt and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
After that, roll out the dough with a rolling pin and fold it onto itself.
Finally, cut it into strips of 8 mm. Once cut, unroll and open the tagliatelle.

For the ragù:

Peel and finely chop an onion; then chop a carrot and a stalk of celery.
Put olive oil and butter in a pot and add the chopped onion to sauté.
When the onion is golden, add carrots and celery.
Leave it to cook for a few minutes over medium heat.
Add the ground meat (a mixture of veal and pork sausage) to the pot and cook until the meat releases all its water.
Add half a glass of red wine and let it evaporate.
Once the wine has evaporated, add the tomato paste; mix everything and adjust with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add half a liter of milk and let it cook over low heat for at least 3 hours.

The experiences of Cesarine in Bologna

Follow in Chiara Maci's footsteps and book a culinary experience in Bologna! Discover the cooking classes and tours that Cesarine has prepared for you!

L'Italia a morsi

"Italia a Morsi" is a culinary television program airing since January 16, 2019. In each episode, Chiara Maci visits an Italian location in search of its culinary traditions: in the first part of the episode, the food blogger and host explores the city and meets local producers; in the second part, she goes to the home of a Cesarina who prepares typical dishes of her area and serves them in her home restaurant.