By Anita Draycott

I would opine that the cuisine of Emilia Romagna may be the finest in Italy. Expect an opulent parade of pasta, velvety sauces, meat, charcuterie and cheeses. One of the first to recognize this gastronomic heaven was Pellegrino Artusi, a foodie pioneer who was the first to research and collate Italian regional recipes in a systematic way. Such recipes form the basis of Italian cuisine and are still in use today. The cooking of Emilia Romagna is showcased in Forlimpopoli, where Artusi lived. As well as doubling as a cookery school and gastrodome, the Casa Artusi serves as a shrine to the great gastronome.

Emilia Romagna celebrates the art of eating well.

Pellegrino Artusi, like many a gastronome since, believed pasta dishes were actually good for your soul. In Romagna, savour hat-shaped cappelletti, passatelli in broth, or ricotta-stuffed ravioli. Bologna boasts tagliatelle and tortellini, inspired by Venus’s navel. Enjoy pumpkin-filled cappellacci in Ferrara - or anolini in Parma and Piacenza.