Local specialities

Anolini in brodo

Every region in Italy boasts its own pasta creation. In Parma, its anolini, small, saucerlike pasta parcels stuffed with anything from parma ham to braised beef, but always with a generous grating of medium-aged Parmigiano Reggiano.

Tortelli di erbette

Tortelli — pasta parcels with delicate crinkled edges — is another of Parma’s favourite pasta varieties. They can come filled with pumpkin or coated in a creamy mushroom sauce, but the most traditional is di erbette, tortelli filled with swiss chard, ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano and, to finish, topped with melted butter.

Bomba di riso

The bomba di riso (‘rice bomb’) is a stuffed risotto rice cake popular in Emilia Romagna’s mountainous region.

The bomb filling can vary, but it’s usually stuffed with a rich, slowcooked meat sauce and seasoned with buckets of Parmigiano Reggiano before oven-baking.

Aperitivo

Between 6-8pm, most Italians flock to vinotecas for pre-dinner drinks and snacks known as aperitivo. In Emilia Romagna, this should ideally involve a 12-month Parmigiano Reggiano served with apricot jam or drizzled with balsamic vinegar. A glass of Lambrusco and Emilia Romagna’s cured meat, culatello di Zibello, are the perfect accompaniments.