7 Reggio Emilia dishes to enjoy with friends

As good Emilians, today we are talking about 7 typical Reggio Emilia dishes to eat in company, which you will certainly find in many traditional trattorias. Let’s start!

Erbazzone

The Reggiano Erbazzone is prepared with simple ingredients, once available to every farmer, and is based on the processing of pasta that contains a delicious herb filling. It is a savory puff pastry pie filled with spinach, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs and plenty of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. On top of the pasta that covers the filling, some pieces of lard and pork lard are arranged, but today the vegetarian version is also made.

Would you like to cook it at home the day before leaving and take it with you in your camper or caravan? Read how to do it

Focaccia with greaves

Focaccia con i ciccioli is a delicious appetizer, suitable for countless aperitifs and appetizers: it is simply a focaccia with the famous ciccioli inside and on top. Do you know greaves? They are the product of the residue from the processing of the fatty parts of the pig and since nothing is thrown away from the pig, the fattest and least valuable parts are cut into cubes and boiled. Once browned, they are extracted and separated from the lard, then pressed and flavored. The more pressed they are, the crispier they are and in this recipe they are combined with the focaccia dough and chopped on top. Well … did we say or not that it is a delicious recipe?

Cappelletti

Known locally as “caplèt“, “cappelletti” are one of the most famous starters of the Reggio Emilia cuisine, and a source of genuine pride for its inhabitants. The recipe for these small pieces of pasta filled with meat can change from family to family, and also on the basis of the area (mountain, low valley, or the city) and indeed as you move down into the valley, the cappelletti become larger. Appetising and irresistible, they are perfect in a meat broth, but also try the version with meat sauce or cream.

Crescentine

We know it well… you don’t know them like that but as “tigelle” and in reality we are talking about two very very different things. They are a single dish of those who do a lot of “table and company”. Combined with cured meats, vegetables, cheeses, jams and sauces of all kinds, they are truly a unique taste not to be missed in any restaurant in Reggio Emilia that you cannot miss.

Pasta Rasa

Another unforgettable starter, perfect when the weather is cold, is pasta rasa. But what is it? It is made with a egg-based dough, Parmigiano Reggiano and breadcrumbs, that is in turn grated and served in broth. The result is a truly splendid soup!

Green and boiled sauce

Until a few years ago, in farmers’ families, the green sauce was used to add flavour to boiled meat dishes, a rich sauce that looks nice and that was cooked generally on Sundays. This delicious sauce, made with celery, carrots, eggs, onion, garlic and parsley is perfect alongside boiled meats of all types.

Rice cake

Very common and popular in Reggiana cuisine, this rich cake can be cooked very quickly. It spread to Reggio Emilia thanks to the “mondine”, the youngest women of peasant families who gathered rice at the start of the 20th century who were forced to transfer to the rice plantations near Vercelli. These women were often paid in rice as well as money, and so for this reason, it became ever more used as an ingredient, including to make this delicious and nutritious cake. Enjoy a slice of rice cake after a nice lunch!

Our personal conclusions

Around the city you will surely find typical trattorias to ask for these tasty dishes. If we have enticed you enough, there is nothing left for us to do but wish you a good trip, with gusto!