Source: wikipedia. The city of Ravenna is certainly interesting thanks to its mosaics and ancient basilicas, but it is also worth a visit for its ancient culinary tradition.
The rural knowledge of Romagna has created solid roots for the growth of the art of good eating typical of the area. Fresh homemade pasta is the mainstay, in fact the tradition of Ravenna and Romagna is mainly made up of first courses.
From passatelli to cappelletti, to the street food par excellence, the legendary piadina, the typical dishes of Ravenna are capable of conquering every palate. Here are the 10 things to eat in Ravenna, with some advice on the best places to enjoy them.
1 - Cappelletti with meat sauce (or in broth)
The list can only begin with"e' caplèt", a type of egg pasta with a square shape. Each square is then stuffed with a cheese filling; each family has its own recipe, but the most commonly used are ricotta, parmesan, raviggiolo or casatella (soft fresh cheeses made from cow's milk). Once closed, the square of dough and filling takes on the typical'hat' shape, hence the name of the type of dough. Be careful not to confuse them with Emilian tortellini! Cappelletti are almost always served with a good meat sauce, but you can also try them in broth.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €11.00
Main ingredients: fresh egg pasta, fresh soft cheese, meat sauce or broth
2 - Passatelli in broth
Source: wikipedia. This is another typical first course from the city of Ravenna, less famous and renowned but just as tasty. Passatelli are traditionally prepared on feast days, but can be found in restaurants and on tables throughout the year. The dough is made of eggs, cheese, breadcrumbs and a pinch of nutmeg, and is then passed through the typical iron with large holes to create irregularly shaped'vermicelli' which are then cooked in broth, either meat or fish depending on preference.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €10.00
Main ingredients: eggs, cheese, breadcrumbs, nutmeg, meat or fish broth
3 - Castrato
Never missing from Romagnola barbecues, it is a succulent sheep meat with a delicate flavour from sheep over six months and under two years old. The'brasula 'd castrè', or mutton chop, is a tasty exception among the pork meats that usually dominate grilled meats in Romagna. It is tender with a slightly acrid smell and, before being placed on the grill, undergoes a marinade of salt, garlic and rosemary, then served with olive oil and lemon, or au naturel.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €14.00
Main ingredients: sheep meat
4 - Piadina and Watercress
Photo by Kobako. These are perhaps the most famous dishes of Romagna cuisine and represent one of the best known and most appreciated Italian street food specialities.
They can be found everywhere, in Romagna and Ravenna, on sale at traditional kiosks that prepare them at the moment. The piadina needs no introduction: it is a flat disc of dough about 25 cm in diameter made with water, flour, a pinch of bicarbonate of soda, salt, lard or a drop of milk, cooked on an iron plate. If for the dough there are rules, for the filling you have carte blanche: from squacquerone cheese to Nutella, every ingredient is great when eaten in the piadina!
The crescione, on the other hand, is something between a piadina and a calzone: it is crescent-shaped and can be filled in various ways, usually with herbs, tomato and mozzarella.
Recommended for: always
Average cost: €8.00
Main ingredients: dough made of water, flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt, lard or milk, filling of your choice
5 - Strozzapreti
Photo by Vincenzo Carnuccio. Strozzapreti are atype of pasta, a typical speciality of the Romagna culinary tradition of very ancient origins, appearing in fact already in 15th century recipe books. They are so called because, due to their shape, they are not always easy to swallow: the name alludes in an ironic and somewhat naughty way to the proverbial gluttony of priests. Legend has it that, in the 18th century, a very greedy priest wandered through the countryside and was forced to stop at an inn in the throes of a voracious appetite. The hostess prepared him a plate full of gnocchi made with wild herbs and flour, and the priest devoured several plates one after the other until he choked.
Their particular shape, however, also makes them suitable for eating with meat and vegetable sauces, because the sauce is completely wrapped around them.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €12.00
Main ingredients: flour, water
6 - Spoja lorda
Literally meaning"dirty pastry", this is a typical Ravenna dish also known as minestra imbottita. It is a recycled dish that originates from the scraps from the preparation of stuffed cappelletti and as a way to reuse the leftover pastry and filling.
Theegg pasta is only lightly soiled with the leftover filling, creating small ravioli to be cooked in broth. Many claim that this dish originated in Brisighella, a town in the province of Ravenna, but unfortunately it cannot be established with certainty.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €10.00
Main ingredients: fresh egg pasta, fresh soft cheese, meat sauce or broth
7 - Maltagliati
Photo by Catia Giaccherini. This is a recovery dish, a sign that the area's culinary tradition has poor origins, in times when nothing was thrown away. A typical winter speciality, it is so called because it is a type of poorly cut egg pasta, derived from the scraps of tagliatelle pasta sheets. They therefore do not have a typical shape but are recognised precisely because they are all different and strange, they can be thin strips but also triangles and rhombuses, with different thicknesses. The traditional recipe calls for maltagliati to be eaten with a legume soup, but they are also delicious served with meat and sausage ragout, or with vegetables, mushrooms and fish.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €12.00
Main ingredients: fresh egg pasta
8 - Sugolo
Photo by Mirandolese. Called sugol or sugoli, it is a kind of pudding prepared with grape must. It has ancient origins and originated in the peasant tradition of the areas between Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia Romagna. In ancient times, it was prepared and consumed only during the grape harvest period, between September and October. The grape harvest was a festive period involving the whole family and the sugoli were prepared with fresh grape must, cooked together with flour. Simple but tasty!
Recommended for: snack
Average cost: €5.00
Main ingredients: grape must, flour
9 - Mussels of Marina di Ravenna
The city does not have direct access to the sea but its proximity to the Adriatic makes itself felt, especially at the table. Main courses, therefore, include specialities based on mussels fished just a few kilometres away, precisely in the depths of the sea at Marina di Ravenna. Off the coast of Ravenna, in fact, there are extraction wells that have favoured the spontaneous development of these mussels, which grow up to 12 metres below sea level. The'cozzari' collect them and bring them ashore, then deliver them to the various fishmongers, restaurants and trattorias in the city. What can be prepared with this delicious fruit of the sea? Mussel soup, tagliolini with mussels, mussels au gratin... the recipes are many and all worth trying!
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €15.00
Main ingredients: mussels
10 - Ciambella Romagnola
The dessert department is not very well stocked, but there are some specialities not to be missed. The Ciambella Romagnola, which unlike the classic one does not have a hole in it, is a simple cake made with eggs, flour, butter, sugar and lemon zest. It is a dessert suitable for ending a hearty lunch or dinner with a little lightness, without sacrificing taste. The ideal pairing? With a small glass of Albana di Romagna Passito.
Recommended for: always
Average cost: €5.00
Main ingredients: eggs, flour, butter, sugar, lemon zest
Where to eat in Ravenna: cheap restaurants, typical places and street food
Ravenna is a city of art and culture, but visitors and citizens also appreciate it for its culinary tradition. It is the capital of Romagna, a name that almost rhymes with hospitality, and the city mirrors the great tradition of hospitality with its restaurants, trattorias, bistros, and typical street food stalls. The gastronomic offer in Ravenna is wide and diverse, and good food can be found both in the more central districts and in the suburbs. Here are a few places to eat in Ravenna.
1 - La Piadina del Melarancio
Description: piadineria in the heart of the old city centre, not very large, it may fill up during rush hours but it is worth the wait. Tall dough and lots of filling
Speciality: piadinas and crescioni
Average price: from €4.00 per person
Address: via IV Novembre, 21 - Get directions / tel: (+39) 0544201108
2 - Ca' de Ven
Description: informal atmosphere and very high quality food, it is the most famous historical restaurant in town and offers all the typical dishes of the area, including mixed cold cuts, piadine and much more
Specialities: cold cuts and sliced meats, fresh pasta
Average price: from €35.00 per person
Address: via Corrado Ricci, 24 - Get directions / tel: (+39) 054430163
3 - Osteria del Tempo Perso Restaurant
Description: open since 1979, it is located a few steps from the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia. It is a warm and secluded place where you can taste fish and traditional dishes, awarded in 2010 by Slow food for the best Cappelletto in capon broth.
Speciality: traditional cappelletti
Average price: from €47.00 per person
Address: via Gamba, 12 - Get directions / tel: (+39) 0544215393
4 - Antica Trattoria al Gallo 1909
Description: a reference point in the gastronomic scene in Ravenna, it is part of the "Locali Storici d'Italia" and is a trattoria in name only. Regional dishes from both land and sea.
Specialities: cappelletti, sardoncini alla ravennate
Average price: from €45.00 per person
Address: via Maggiore, 89 - Get directions / tel: (+39) 0544213775
5 - Alexander Restaurant
Description: an elegant restaurant located on the old walls in the historical centre of Ravenna that offers revisitations of typical dishes and eccentric combinations
Specialities: seafood tasting menu
Average price: from €65.00 per person
Address: via Bassa del Pignataro, 8 corner, Via Giuseppe Mazzini - Get directions / tel: (+39) 0544212967
6 - Piadineria Lokalino
Description: offers all kinds of piadinas, but also salads, pizza and much more. The place focuses on take-away, but there are some seats.
House speciality: piadine
Average price per person: €5.00 - €10.00
Address: Via Bartolo Nigrisoli 37 - Get directions / Tel: (+39) 0544 218697
7 - Trattoria La Rustica
Description: a typical trattoria inside a small place that guarantees a family atmosphere. The quality is excellent and the price surprising
Speciality of the house: Pumpkin flowers stuffed with vegetables
Average price per person: €15.00 - €20.00
Address: Via Massimo d'Azeglio 38 - Get directions / Tel: (+39) 0544 218128
8 - Pizzeria Dal Gladiatore
Description: one of the best pizzerias in town. It offers an excellent quality/price ratio. It mainly offers take-away pizza but there are also a couple of tables for those who want to eat inside.
Specialityof the house: Calzone speciale
Average price per person: €7.00 - €10.00
Address: Via Circonvallazione Canale Molinetto 17 - Get directions / Tel: (+39) 320 176 6253
9 - Il Portolano Trattoria
Description: offers the typical seafood specialities that Romagna cuisine can offer. Extensive menu and excellent service.
Speciality of the house: Fresh fish
Average price per person: €20.00 - €25.00
Address: Via Andrea Agnello Istrionico 10/A - Get directions / Tel: (+39) 0544 217659
10 - Scent of Piadina
Description: another typical Romagna piadineria. This small place offers a mainly take away service, with piadinas that are prepared in record time.
House speciality: typical Romagna piadina
Average price per person: €5.00 - €10.00
Address: Via Cairoli 24 - Get directions / Tel. (+39) 333 292 8079
11 - La Taverna del Molino
Description: typical Romagna restaurant, offers traditional but at the same time very refined cuisine.
Speciality of the house: Cappelletti with truffles
Average price per person: €15.00 - €25.00
Address: Via circonvallazione al Molino 3 - Get directions / Tel: (+39) 0544 212912
12 - La Caveja
Description: in the Marina di Ravenna area, the house specialities are fish-based, prepared by expert chefs. For just a few euros, you can eat an appetising, light lunch.
Speciality of the house: Fried seafood
Average price per person: €20.00 - €25.00
Address: Viale delle Nazioni 436 - Get directions / Tel: (+39) 0544 530518
