Parma
2 hours
Parma: Parmigiano-Reggiano Tour and Tasting
Enjoy the Italian countryside and learn how they make Parmigiano-Reggiano. Discover the subtle differences between different ages of this famous...
from€50Check dates
History
Legend places the cheese's birth in the Middle Ages at Bibbiano in Reggio Emilia, from where it spread to the Parma and Modena areas. The first written record dates from 1254, and in 1348 Boccaccio's Decameron imagined a mountain of grated Parmesan whose people did nothing but make macaroni and ravioli, boil them in capon broth and roll them down it. Modena province lies inside the protected production zone.
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Bologna
Day trip · 7 hours
From Bologna: Parmigiano, Vinegar, and Wine Tour with Lunch
Learn about, taste, and go behind the scenes of Emilian cuisine on a 7-hour tour. Tour a dairy factory, vinegar-production site, and wine cellar.
from€257Check dates
Rome
2.5 - 3 hours
Rome: Pasta & Tiramisu Class with Fine Wine by the Vatican
Discover the secrets to making authentic homemade pasta and tiramisu from a local chef. The cooking class takes place in a locally loved restaurant,...
from€35Check dates
Common allergens: Dairy
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 320g fresh egg tagliatelle or tagliolini
- 80g butter
- 100g Parmigiano Reggiano aged 24 months, finely grated, plus a piece to shave
- Salt and black pepper
Method
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and melt the butter in a wide pan over low heat.
- Cook the pasta for 2 to 3 minutes until just tender, then lift it into the butter with a ladle of the cooking water.
- Take the pan off the heat and add the grated Parmigiano a handful at a time, tossing until it melts into a creamy sauce; add more water if it tightens.
- Serve at once with black pepper and a few shavings of the cheese.
Tip from the editors. Grate the cheese finely and work off the heat; if the pan is too hot the Parmigiano turns stringy instead of creamy.
Where to eat parmigiano reggiano
Parmigiano Reggiano in Modena
Trattoria Pomposa - Al Re Gras ★ 4.4
Trattoria Pomposa - Al Re Gras in Modena serves Michelin Guide Emilian cooking on Piazza della Pomposa, from golden tortellini to a classic bollito misto.
OrderThe tortellini with 24 month Parmigiano cream and the bollito misto with mostarda.
TipIn warm months ask for a table outside on Piazza della Pomposa, one of the prettiest corners of the centro storico.
Osteria Francescana 3 ★ ★ 4.9
Osteria Francescana in Modena is Massimo Bottura's three Michelin star dining room on Via Stella, built on a tasting menu of reworked Emilian classics.
OrderThe tortellini in 36 month Parmigiano Reggiano sauce and the Jazz Duck.
TipReservation requests go only to the reservation inquiries email on the restaurant's contact page; requests sent to its other addresses are not considered.
Franceschetta 58 ★ 4.6
Franceschetta 58 in Modena is Massimo Bottura's Michelin Guide bistro on Via Vignolese, pairing Emilian staples with playful contemporary small plates.
OrderThe tortellini in Parmigiano Reggiano cream and the aged pancetta with mostarda.
TipBook a few weeks ahead online; the short wine list gives Lambrusco a full page and pairs well with the tasting menus.
Mercato Albinelli ★ 4.6
Mercato Albinelli, Modena's 1931 covered market, gathers meat, cheese and produce stalls around a fountain named a national monument in 1990.
TipSaturdays run non-stop from 07:00 to 19:00; the sit-down restaurants inside keep separate lunch and dinner hours.
Parmigiano Reggiano in Parma
Salumeria Garibaldi ★ 4.2
Salumeria Garibaldi stocks Parmigiano Reggiano aged to 100 months and hand-tied culatello on Strada Garibaldi, Parma grocery-shopping at its most serious.
TipThe extreme-aged Parmigiano wheels are the draw; ask to taste the 60-month against the 100-month before choosing.
Degusteria Romani ★ 4.1
Degusteria Romani turns the Silvano Romani salumi counter into table service on Borgo Palmia in Parma: culatello flights, verticals, Emilian glasses.
OrderThe culatello and Parmigiano vertical with a Malvasia.
PourMalvasia di Candia with a culatello tasting board
WineEmilian labels built around the salumi counter
FoodSilvano Romani's cut-to-order salumi and cheese tastings
TipIt shares ownership with the Prosciutteria shop on Farini, so taste here and buy the vacuum-packed take-home versions there.
Podere Stuard ★ 3.9
Podere Stuard runs Parma's agricultural time capsule: an experimental farm shop selling Red Cow Parmigiano and heritage produce grown on site.
Why locals goA working experimental farm on the city's western edge whose shop sells old Parma varieties nobody exports.
TipLook for Vacca Rossa Parmigiano and heirloom vegetable varieties from the farm's conservation plots; go Saturday morning for full shelves.
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