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| Perfect place for lunch watching the world go by |
Augusto Righi 15
We stumbled on La Montonara and then went back for more. It hardly figures in Trip Advisor but it does rate a mention in the Wallpaper guide to Bologna. What do we like about this small neighbourhood trattoria just off via dell’Indipendenza? Everything: the quaint decor, the service and above all the food.
Run by Filippo Venturi, whose stories about a group of young people in the Bologna of the 80s has just been published, it does simple Bolognese food with a flourish. In a selection of antipasti, the mortadella mousse stood out (see recipe below) as did the hard to get right old stager, crescentine with squacquerone – a local soft cheese that tastes much better than it sounds – and salami. Tagliatelle al’ragu was excellent as were beef carpaccio and a dish of sedanini (pasta) with tomato sauce which was a miracle of simplicity and flavour. The Coteletta Bolognese was finely judged with a tasty piece of veal surmounted by just the right amount of prosciutto and fontina. We all took a spoon to the ravishing and light as air mascarpone pudding. There is a small terrace outside but inside you can still watch the world pass by as well as taki in the fine detail of the decor which consists of toy kitchen sets and ovens, veteran cooking utensils and a set of antique bed heads.
Filippo’s recipe for Mortadella Mousse
enough for 6
Ingredients
250g mascarpone
250g mortadella
1 handful grated parmesan
salt and pepper
a smear balsamic vinegar glaze
Method
1. Cut the mortadella into cubes, then process with the mascarpone. Season to taste.
2. Butter six metal moulds and fill each with the mousse mixture
3. Chill for a couple of hours then unmould by placing each mould for a few seconds in a bowl of very hot water.
4. Alongside each mousse make an artistic smear of balsamic glaze.
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