Bologna may seem challenging for vegetarians at first glance. The city is famously home to iconic meat-based dishes like ragù and mortadella, and the food markets are filled with cured meats at every turn.So if you don't eat meat, how you can survive here?​Follow my lead, grab a fork, and discover Bologna's best vegetarian food.

Vegetarian food in Bologna

Locanda Pincelli is the place that everyone around you praises, and you don't think it can exist until you try it.And then you just have to share how much you loved this forgotten pearl of Bologna's plain.

A lantern in the forest: Locanda Pincelli

I didn't know Rick Stein before November 2015."Hi, I'm Elizabeth from the BBC. We are we are planning to film an episode of Rick Stein's Long Weekend in Bologna and I'm looking for a local food expert.Can you help Rick to find the most traditional food of Bologna, its legends and the best shops and restaurants to taste it?"I searched on Google.Wow.Sneak behind the scenes and see what happened.

Setting the stage for Rick After this first call, I met Arezoo and Grace, producers of the show, in the early morning of a cold Saturday in January 2016. We spent a full day together, between coffee and smiles, tagliatelle and questions. They were looking not only for the best food of Bologna but for the right characters that could partner with Rick during the show. Bloggers and baristas, pasta a

Yes, it happened.I finally had dinner at Osteria Francescana in Modena.I took a photo with Massimo Bottura.I ate his most famous tortellini in cream of Parmigiano Reggiano and met the fake national guard at the entrance.​Was it worth it? Was it the best dinner of my life?​Let's start from the beginning.

How I've found a table at Osteria Francescana

Guess what, Italians love to eat and have fun. And one of the best ways to do both is by joining a sagra.I can imagine your face right now. “Sag…What?!”. Let's say it's a food festival and we have plenty of them from winter to summer.So keep reading which are the best ones in and around Bologna.

What is a sagra?