What cotoletta alla bolognese is
Cotoletta alla bolognese is a traditional main course from Bologna, also known as cotoletta petroniana in honor of Saint Petronius, patron of the city. The recipe is codified: a veal slice, breaded and golden in butter, topped with a slice of sweet raw ham, completed with shavings or a veil of Grana Padano PDO, moistened with a spoon of beef broth and briefly tossed in the pan.
The result is a soft, rich cutlet, never greasy: the breading absorbs the broth, the ham stays tender, the Grana just melts. It is one of the official recipes filed by the Italian Academy of Cuisine as a Bolognese tradition.
What cotoletta alla bolognese is not
It is not the Milanese cutlet
The Milanese version is just breaded fried veal, served dry with lemon. The Bolognese version starts from the same base but adds ham, Grana Padano and broth, and is finished in the pan.
No cream is used
Cotoletta alla bolognese does not include cream or béchamel: the dish is bound only with beef broth, raw ham and Grana Padano.
No tomato, no mozzarella
It is not a "pizzaiola" cutlet nor a parmigiana. No tomato sauce, no mozzarella, no béchamel on top of the slice.
It is not a "grilled" dish
The correct cooking is: pan-frying in butter, topping with ham and Grana, a broth bath and a brief toss in the pan. No griddle or grill.
Ingredients of the traditional recipe
- • Slice of veal (loin or topside), thin and pounded
- • Egg and breadcrumbs for breading
- • Butter for cooking
- • Sweet raw ham, one slice per cutlet
- • Aged Grana Padano PDO, shaved or in a thin veil
- • Warm beef broth, to moisten before tossing in the pan
How we prepare it at Le Moline
Hand-breaded veal
Thin pounded slice, dipped in egg and breadcrumbs, golden in butter.
Ham and Grana
A whole slice of sweet raw ham and shavings of Grana Padano.
Broth and pan
A spoon of beef broth and a brief toss in the pan to bind the sauce and melt the Grana.
Summer black truffle variation
At Le Moline you can order cotoletta alla bolognese with summer black truffle: shaved summer black truffle on top of the cutlet, in season, on request.
Where to eat cotoletta alla bolognese in Bologna
Le Moline is a Bolognese trattoria in the historic center, 5 minutes from Piazza Maggiore. Cotoletta alla bolognese is prepared according to the traditional petronian recipe, with sweet raw ham and Grana Padano PDO. Also available with summer black truffle.
Address
Via delle Moline 2F
40126 Bologna (BO), Italy
Historic center, university district
Hours
Every day: 12:00 – 23:30
Kitchen open all day
Phone
+39 051 316 9389Cotoletta alla bolognese is part of our traditional Bolognese cuisine. If you enjoy classic dishes, also try tagliatelle al ragù, lasagna bolognese and traditional Bolognese tortellini.