Ferrarese cuisine: the five traditional dishes

Discover them in our farmhouse in Pontemaodino!

Italian cuisine is certainly among the most loved in the world, but also among the most diverse.

Just move from North to South, or simply from province to province, to discover a wide range of typical dishes, whose tradition blends and intertwines with the history of the territory.

Ferrara, with its countless ancient recipes, is certainly no exception: during a stay in the center or in a farmhouse in the surrounding area, you can taste a very wide variety of dishes and products, both sweet and savory, that are still part of the local gastronomic tradition.

Here, then, the five traditional specialties to enjoy in a farmhouse!

1. Salama da sugo

The sausage more known than the tradition of Ferrara? Obviously the salama da sugo! A dish made of pork (in various fat and lean cuts, such as capocollo, pillow, etc.), kneaded and enriched with wine, salt, pepper and spices, and finally enclosed in a bladder of pork gut, in turn closed with a string and left, for months, to ripen.

A dish with a very strong flavor, which gives its best accompanied by mashed potatoes.

2. Cappellacci alla zucca

For those who love the contrasts between sweet and salty, cappellacci with pumpkin, served with ragù or seasoned with butter and sage, are a dish to try. The dough, according to tradition, is processed by hand, until it becomes thin and tasty, and enriched with a soft filling of baked or steamed violina pumpkin, with the addition of salt, Parmesan, pepper, eggs, breadcrumbs and nutmeg.

A typical autumn specialty, very suitable for refreshment with the arrival of the first cold.

3. The Ferrarese pastry

Here is another inevitable dish in the table of every Ferrarese: the pie. Composed of a crust of shortcrust pastry, with macaroni topped with meat sauce, béchamel, mushrooms, truffle and nutmeg, this dish gives a unique flavor, also because of the particular cooking method: in ancient times, in fact, the pie was baked in the oven, using special copper containers.

Enjoy it in peace, during a Sunday lunch in a farmhouse in Ferrara or nearby.

4. Couple with cured meat

The pair is the typical bread of Ferrara, recognizable by its shape consisting of a central block and four croissants. Soft and fragrant, it is perfect to accompany cold cuts with a strong taste, such as coppa or bacon. According to tradition, today as in the past, this bread is served, in the restaurant, in the taverns or in the farmhouse in Ferrara and surroundings, in small baskets.

A typical product of Ferrara, ideal to enhance the flavor of meats, sausages and cheeses.

5. The tenerina cake

We conclude with a sweet recipe, dedicated to chocolate lovers, but not only: resisting the goodness of a Torta Tenerina, in fact, is difficult, if not impossible. Soft inside, crunchy outside, with a thin chocolate crust: a delight to be enjoyed at the end of a meal, to end lunch or dinner in beauty, but also on all those occasions when you want a gourmet break.

The dessert par excellence of local tradition, to be enjoyed in pastry in its classic version.