The Bolognese food tradition: friggione and green sauce

Celebrations have been the occasion to rediscover family traditions and the warmth of grandparents’ love. 

Gathered around a table, among laughs and fine food, it is possible to discover some recipes of the Bolognese tradition handed down from mouth to mouth and palate to palate. Grandmothers are the historic memory of our marvellous Bologna and even when memory has a few aches, the recipes of the Bolognese tradition remain impressed in their mind like marble.

The Bolognese cuisine tradition is mainly renowned for the "king of the table": tortellino. However, there are many other specialities that accompany the main dishes and that, unfortunately, are disappearing from many typical menus. Among these recipes of the Bolognese tradition, we wish to rediscover two recipes that we extorted from a very generous grandmother.

The Green Sauce and Friggione. The emotional impact of these two colourful dishes of the Bolognese cuisine tradition on the real people from Bologna has nothing to envy to the most rich and renowned elaborate dishes.  We believe that promoting the authentic Bologna is the best way to grow passion for our city and telling our recipes and our Bolognese traditions brings us great pride. Don’t worry, the following ancient recipes are fairly quick to prepare, they do not require many ingredients and adapt to the trendiest menus without significant changes.

The real green sauce of the Bolognese tradition
Born to accompany and spice boiled meats, of fresh and dense taste, it is an excellent condiment for tasty aperitifs, sandwiches and refined mini-portions of whole-wheat spelt. It is perfect to accompany cheeses and remove grease from the palate after eating fibrous or extremely fatty dishes. The Bolognese tradition foresees a long mincing work by hand and mortar, however nowadays, we can easily use a blender to speed up the preparation of this recipe.

RECIPE: blend 100 gr of parsley, washed and not fully dried, a handful of capers, the soft part of a piece of bread soaked with 2 spoons of vinegar, 6 anchovies, a lemon peel (only yellow), half clove of garlic, 2 boiled egg yolks, 8 green olives with a generous dose of extra-virgin olive oil. It takes five minutes to make, and as quickly to eat.
The real Friggione recipe according to the Bolognese tradition
In the Bolognese food tradition, Friggione is also a side dish of boiled meats. Our cooking expert proposes a quicker and tasty version of the traditional ancient recipe which required to slow cook 4 kg of onions in a large quantity of lard.

Be patient, wear some goggles to avoid crying when cutting the onions and the preparation will be a walk in the park.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 kg of  yellow onions;
• 1 kg of  fresh tomatoes, which must be cleaned of the seeds, boiled and peeled;
• 400 gr of finely cut, fried pancetta;
• 1 spoon of sugar;
• 1 spoon of lard;
• a hint of chilli, salt.

Cut the onions finely, leave to soak with salt and sugar for two hours in a bowl at room temperature. Mix the diced tomatoes and place everything in a high saucepan, cook for 30 minutes at slow heat and then add the pancetta previously fried. Put the cover, cook at low heat, mix from time to time and cook for another 45 minutes. We have perhaps overturned the Bolognese tradition but you should refrain from trying this dish because you will not stop eating: this friggione is ecstasy for the palate.