The True Soul of Rimini Is on Its Plate
“Do you know the most common mistake tourists make in Rimini?
Thinking our cuisine ends with piadina.
Don’t get me wrong. Piadina is our pride.
It’s no coincidence it earned the prestigious PGI label.
But hold on a second. There’s so much more.
Real Rimini cuisine is a hidden treasure.
It’s what you discover in the little trattorias of the hinterland.
It’s the aroma of broth simmering in grandmothers’ kitchens on Sunday mornings.
Forbes wasn’t wrong when it crowned Emilia-Romagna as the region with the best food in the world.
And Rimini is living proof of that.
Let me guide you on this journey through authentic flavors.
Rimini’s First Courses: A Journey into the Heart of Tradition
When you think of homemade pasta, forget everything you know.
In Rimini, fresh pasta is serious business.
Here, the rolling pin isn’t just a kitchen tool – it’s a scepter that transforms flour and eggs into small gastronomic miracles.
Passatelli: The Crown Jewel of Romagna Cuisine
Breadcrumbs, eggs, cheese, a touch of lemon zest and nutmeg.
They sound like simple ingredients, right?
But when combined, they create something magical.
In broth, they represent pure tradition, but try them “dry” too—with clams and cherry tomatoes, or with guanciale and Fossa cheese.
Cappelletti: Don’t Call Them Tortellini!
Careful: you’re in Rimini, not Bologna.
Our cappelletti are a different story.
Two royal versions: filled with meat and cheese, or just cheese.
Capon broth is their natural throne, and no real celebration is complete without them.
Tagliatelle: The Queens of Pasta
Fettuccine? No thanks.
Here, they’re just called tagliatelle.
Knife-cut meat ragù is their ideal companion.
For the curious, “paglia e fieno”—yellow and green tagliatelle together—is an experience not to be missed.
Strozzapreti and Their Cousins
- Strozzapreti: Hand-rolled, perfect with ragù, mushrooms, or fish
- Tagliolini: Thin but textured, excellent with seafood or seasonal mushrooms
- Ravioli: Little squares filled with ricotta and spinach
- Green Lasagna: A “hug” of yellow and green pasta with béchamel and ragù
- Cannelloni: Delicious rolls filled with cheese or ricotta and spinach
- Quadrettini: Tiny squares for comforting soups
- Garganelli: The “elegant macaroni” of Caterina Sforza
Between Land and Sea: A Romagna Love Story
“Cooking is like love,” my mother Luisa always told me, “it needs two souls to be perfect.”
And she was right.
Here in Romagna, our cuisine is a happy marriage of land and sea, where every dish tells a centuries-old love story.
The Soul of the Sea
I still remember Sunday mornings at my house.
The smell of her chicken stew was like a natural alarm clock for the whole neighborhood.
“The secret?” she would whisper while slowly turning the meat,
“It’s love… and a pinch of patience.”
The slow, almost hypnotic cooking would transform a simple chicken into something magical.
And then there was the rabbit in porchetta, the dish for special occasions.
“When you make it,” she always said,
“you have to think about everyone who’s going to eat it. That’s how it becomes special.”
In other times, in January, the ritual became sacred with the “smettitura del baghino” – the butchering of the pig.
It wasn’t just slaughter – it was a community celebration.
Families gathered, the elders passed down secrets to the young, and the lard was carefully stored to make the best piadina of the year.
But the story doesn’t end here.
When the sun sets over the Rimini harbor, the magic of the rustìda begins.
The saraghina, the humble queen of our sea, transforms on the grill.
“You don’t need much,” the fishermen say, “radicchio, onion, a drizzle of oil… and of course, piadina.”
And then, as essential as a blessing, Sangiovese wine flows like a river.
Brodetto is our maritime epic, where every fish tells its own story.
It’s the dish that unites us, that speaks of hard work and the sea, of nets pulled at dawn and ancient wisdom.
“Every family has its recipe,” old Pietro from the port explained to me, “but the secret is always the same: respect the sea and its gifts.”
And the canocchie?
Boiled, with our hill-grown olive oil and a touch of parsley – they are the simplest poetry of the sea.
A Bridge Between Two Worlds
But do you know what the real miracle is?
It’s when these two souls meet at the same table.
When the scent of the sea mingles with the flavors of the land, when rural tradition shakes hands with maritime heritage.
Traditional Side Dishes: When Simplicity Becomes Extraordinary
In Romagna, what many consider a “side dish” is often the true star of the table.
Let’s talk about rosole (poppy plant leaves).
Don’t look so surprised – yes, I’m talking about the poppy plant!
In the past, during spring, you would see scenes like this: men and women in the fields, with giant bags and knives in hand, searching for these precious herbs.
Finely chopped rosole sautéed with oil and garlic are a real treat, much more flavorful than classic spinach.
It’s one of those flavors that tells the true soul of our land.
But the real masterpiece is the gratin vegetables (or as we say in dialect, “al grattè”).
Imagine tomatoes, zucchinis, peppers, and onions stuffed with a fragrant mix of breadcrumbs, garlic, and parsley, all drizzled with our extra virgin olive oil from the hills.
Then you let the oven (or the pan, for the more patient) work its magic.
I challenge you to resist!
And what about grilled onions?
It’s the scent of our festivals, the perfect companion to piadina and sausage.
Simple, rustic, genuine – just like us Romagnoli.
But you know what’s great about all these side dishes?
They’re perfect to accompany the true symbol of our cuisine.
The Piadina: The Beating Heart of Romagna
Now we come to the symbol of our land, the one that everyone knows but few truly appreciate: the piadina.
Tradition has it that it’s cooked on Montetiffi baking stones, a small village near Cesena.
In the past, lard was the key ingredient in the recipe.
Today, many azdore (our kitchen queens) prefer oil— a small revolution to lighten a dish that, let’s admit, accompanies us almost every evening!
And what are the masterpieces not to be missed?
Timeless Classics:
Squacquerone, prosciutto crudo, and arugula (the “Holy Trinity” of Romagna)
Saraghina with radicchio and onion (the sea meets the land)
Sausage and onion (for those who dare to be bold)
But there’s more.
Let me introduce you to the piadina’s secret brother: the cassone.
Depending on where you are in Romagna, you may hear it called crescione or cascione.
It’s like a piadina that decided to embrace its filling, folding over before cooking.
And if you want to try the most authentic cassone, the one that makes you say “Now, this is Romagna!”, you absolutely have to try one with rosole (poppy plant).
It’s living proof that even wild herbs can turn into gastronomic poetry.
But do you know what’s the best part?
After all this savory goodness, Romagna knows how to pamper you with sweets. And I’m not just talking about the classic ciambella…
Sweet Temptations: The Sweet Flavors of Memory
Do you know what the best moment of a meal in Romagna is?
When grandma gets up from the table and says,
“Wait, there’s still dessert!”
It’s at that moment that the magic of our dessert tradition comes to life.
Ciambella Romagnola is the undisputed queen of our breakfasts and snacks.
Don’t expect the usual chocolate cake – ours is more like a biscuit, flavored with anise and perfect for dipping in milk or a nice glass of wine (preferably Albana Dolce).
During Easter, the Easter loaf makes its triumphant entry onto our tables.
It’s a rich, fragrant sweet bread that tells stories of families gathered together and ancient traditions.
Bustrengo is a traditional dessert that speaks to the roots of our land: a dense, moist, and very flavorful product that comes from the Valle del Savio.
It’s one of those desserts that, like many others in our tradition, represents the ingenuity and creativity of Romagna’s cuisine.
But you know what makes these desserts really special?
It’s not just the recipe – it’s the way they are shared.
Because here in Romagna, food is never just nourishment: it’s a way of being together, telling stories, and keeping traditions alive.
And this brings us to the end of our culinary journey, but wait… there’s still something you need to know about the true essence of Rimini cuisine…
An Invitation to Taste: The True Rimini is in the Plate
Now you know: Rimini is not just the sea, it’s not just fun, and certainly not just piadina.
It’s a land that tells its story through flavors, where every dish is a chapter of an ancient tale that continues to live in our kitchens.
From the passatelli proudly swimming in broth, to the brodetto that smells of the sea and tradition, from the refined simplicity of the rosole to the indulgence of our desserts: every bite is a piece of Romagna you carry in your heart.
To truly live Rimini, you must taste it.
I invite you to do as the Riminesi do: take the time to sit at the table, let the smell of homemade pasta envelop you, listen to the stories each dish tells.
Because here, food is not just nourishment – it’s culture, it’s tradition, it’s the way we say “welcome to our family.”
And if you want to live this authentic Rimini culinary experience…
Discover the offers of Aqua Hotel in Rimini – Your Home by the Sea
I look forward to seeing you in Rimini!
