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
History
Torta fritta is Parma's name for the fried dough eaten across Emilia, gnocco fritto in Modena and chisolino toward Piacenza. Frying in strutto, rendered pork fat, ties it to the pig economy of the plain; the contrast of scalding pillow and cool prosciutto or culatello is the whole idea. Trattorias serve it by the basket as the opening move of any serious Parma meal, and the city stages contests over whose puffs highest.
Book a food experience
Tours, tastings and classes from the cities on this page, bookable on GetYourGuide.
Naples
3 hours
Naples Official Pizza Making Class & Tiramisu with wood oven
Roll up your sleeves and discover the flavors of Naples by making authentic pizza and creamy tiramisù with a passionate local chef. Cook, laugh, eat,...
from€29Check dates
Florence
Day trip · 12 hours
From Florence: Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa & Lunch at Winery
Discover the Chianti vineyards and medieval architecture of Siena, San Gimignano, and Pisa on a full-day tour. Depart from Florence and explore...
from€135Check dates
Common allergens: Gluten
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 500g 00 flour
- 10g fresh yeast
- 250ml warm milk or water
- 30g softened strutto or butter, plus 1kg strutto or neutral oil for frying
- 10g salt, pinch of sugar
Method
- Dissolve the yeast in the warm liquid, then knead with flour, salt, sugar and the softened fat into a smooth dough. Rise covered for 2 hours.
- Roll to 3mm and cut into diamonds roughly 8cm on the long side.
- Heat the strutto to 180C. Fry a few diamonds at a time, spooning fat over them so they inflate, about 40 seconds per side.
- Drain on paper, salt lightly and rush to the table while hollow and hot.
- Drape prosciutto, coppa or culatello over each pillow so it warms as you eat.
Tip from the editors. Strutto is traditional and worth finding, but a clean-flavoured oil works; what matters is real heat so the pillows inflate.
Where to eat torta fritta
Torta fritta in Parma
Gallo d'Oro ★ 4.0
Gallo d'Oro's continuous noon-to-23:45 service makes it central Parma's dependable late trattoria: old vaults, salumi boards, torta fritta at 23:00.
TryTorta fritta and pastas until 23:45
TipArrive by 23:00 to eat unhurried; after that the fryer slows down with the town.
Trattoria del Grillo ★ 4.1
Trattoria del Grillo in Vigatto won TV Parma's contest for the city's best torta fritta, pairing the fried puffs with Ponte Romano prosciutto crudo.
OrderTorta fritta with prosciutto crudo, about 6.50 euro the basket.
TipReservations are phone-only. The torta fritta arrives in waves, so pace the salumi board or the pasta courses will defeat you.
Antica Osteria della Ghiaia ★ 4.0
Antica Osteria della Ghiaia is where Parma actually eats its torta fritta, a market-quarter dining room whose lunchtime fryer sets the city standard.
Why locals goBehind the market square facades, it looks like a bar and eats like the torta fritta specialist the city actually queues for.
TipThe June 23rd tortellata di San Giovanni is the night to know about; otherwise treat it as Parma's torta fritta benchmark at lunch.
Trattoria Corrieri ★ 4.2
Trattoria Corrieri keeps full trattoria service running to midnight every night of the week, Parma's safest answer to a 22:30 arrival with an appetite.
TryTortelli and torta fritta to midnight
TipThe kitchen takes orders late without the reheated-tourist-menu trap; go for the torta fritta round even at 23:00.
More cities are in research. Want torta fritta covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.