Warning: Sweet ravioli exist (and they might change your life)
A story of stumbling into one of Bologna's best kept secrets
I didn’t like ravioli as a child.
If Liza heard that, she’d probably reconsider letting me into her bakery, Dall’Antico Forno in Bologna. I am exaggerating because she is the sweetest, and her mom’s homemade pasta invalidated all 5 year old’s me’s feelings about ravioli or any filled pasta. (It was the texture of the ricotta in those frozen Italian American deli ravioli - it was pasty and made my skin crawl.)
Fortunately, there are no ravioli of the sort in this post! And, that goes for both the savory and sweet kind.
Wait - there are sweet ravioli? Yes, I will get to those lovely things in a moment. But, first, I must rant about the most charming bakery I happened to stumble into.
Bolo’s Hidden Gem: Dall’Antico Forno
Bolo is what the cool kids call Bologna I learned.
My first impression of Dall’Antico Forno was: how does this tiny shop make so many baked goods? I am serious - it is a wonderland of all things sweet, filled to the brim with cookies, cakes, pastries, and more…including to-die-for filled pasta made by Lisa’s mom by hand the traditional way: with a mattarello, a nonna’s secret weapon.
(Aka giant rolling pin.)
Currently, Dall’Antico Forno is decked out with Halloween decor. It makes you feel as if you’re in your favorite childhood Halloween movie. Just be careful you don’t turn too quickly in the shop - you might knock over all the little dita di zombie or zombie finger cookies on display. Or, the little chocolate cappelli della strega - witch hats!
Behind all these treats is Lisa’s hard work. How animated she was talking about every single item while giving us pizzette to snack on. She lit up in every detail she shared, radiating a positive energy enhanced by her adorable orange apron. Meeting her reminded me why I absolutely love food and will never hesitate to travel for it. It also reminded me why I have Italian cookie addition. But, I digress…
Bolo’s Baking Secret: Milk
One special piece of knowledge Lisa shared was how she and her mom bake mostly with milk rather than butter. It’s the old-school Bolognese way.
Fun fact: Milk is also the hidden ingredient in the celebrity of ragus, the ragù alla bolognese.
Milk was more affordable in the past than butter, a beloved ingredient of rich Bolognesi. Of course, we are talking full-fat milk here (latte intero) because back in the day fat was welcomed as a tool of survival. They did not avoid it foolishly like the plague due to intolerance or diet trends. Inflammatory? Yes. Pun intended.
Let’s move on to spotlight special Bolognese treats from Lisa
‘Tis the Pumpkin Season
Leave your PSLs* behind ladies - the real treat this season is the tortelli di zucca, or traditional Emilian ravioli filled with pumpkin. Toss them with some butter and top with a drizzle of the real deal 12+ years aged aceto balsamico di Modena and you be living that Italian duchess life you’ve always dreamed of. All that’s missing is your castle.
Speaking of which - I read this ridiculous CNN article recently about a 22-year-old who inherited a massive 900-year-old castle. It’s quite an absurd read. For maximum entertainment, I advise reading with a glass of wine in hand.
Lisa’s mom makes all the fresh pasta in their bakery by hand. There are all kinds, from tagliatelle to tortellini to of course the seasonal tortelli di zucca. Now, this isn’t the sweet ravioli I was referring to earlier (we will get to those.) These tortelli are savory and 100% divine.
First, Lisa asked if I’d be serving the pasta in brodo o asciutto. Translation: in broth or dry. This is very important as sauce pairing and overall preparation matters so much with pasta. It also attests to the fact that filled pasta from Bologna or Emilia is so good that certain kinds only need to be boiled, maybe tossed in butter if you have it, and topped with parmigiano to taste delicious.
I couldn’t resist buying an exorbitant amount of them, as if I’d never return to Bologna. Truth is I’ll most likely be back again this month as Lisa invited me to their Halloween party. There was no way I could turn down that invitation. No way.
I also picked up triangoli or triangle-shaped ravioli filled with spinach, ricotta, and lots of parmigiano. If I grew up eating these, I would have a ravioli addiction rather than a cookie addiction. Probably both.
*For those who are unaware, PSL is a Pumpkin Spice Latte - one of the most brilliantly marketed beverages in history. Starbucks created an epidemic of PSL addiction across America.
Your new addiction: raviole bolognesi
The term ‘ravioli’ has become a universal umbrella term for any filled pasta. However, in Italy, it’s a little different. There are many types of filled pasta, each with their own names defined by the places they’re from.
In Bologna, you can say that the tortello is the general term for filled pasta. There are other shapes around too, of course.
There is one thing they do call a ravioli. Or, shall we say raviole! Raviole bolognesi are half-moon-shaped cookie-like pastries filled with mostarda bolognese. This is a centuries-old staple Bolognese jam. It can be as simple as a jam made with any fruit that’s going bad. It can also be a little more savory - made with a bit of mustard and grape must or vinegar too.
This pastry is the partner your morning coffee has been yearning for. Raviole Bolognesi are crisp, but buttery enough that they will never break a tooth. Lisa makes a few kinds, some with sprinkles, some without - just as your inner kid would like it to be.
These pastries are traditionally made to celebrate the end of winter and Festa di San Giuseppe (Saint Joseph’s Day), which is Father’s Day in Italy. But, Lisa sells them all year long because her mamma makes them with so much love!
Before we had to run to make our lunch reservation (at a place I’ve fallen so in love with that I’d take a train to eat their weekly - location to be found in my sluttiest summer eats part 3!) Lisa slipped homemade cornetti into my bag so that we could have a snack for later. If you think that’s sweet, the cornetti was filled with her own homemade confettura di albicocca or apricot jam. Lisa is love, Lisa is the best.