Traditional Mortadella Mousse Recipe

Like many other recipes from the old Bolognese school, the Mortadella mousse was lost for a while.

Perhaps for this reason, when it came back a few years ago, many thought that the mousse was a magic sprouted from the cylinder of the wizards of street food, born already spread on crusty bread.

Tortellini in brodo, lasagne alla Bolognese and ragù alla Bolognese are iconic recipes of Bologna, famous in Italy and abroad. But if I had to indicate one product that is the main ingredient in many Bologna recipes, it would be mortadella.

Mortadella Bologna is made of high-quality, finely ground pork meat and seasoned with spices and cubes of pork fat. It is protected by the European Union designation PGI, which ensures the quality and origin of its ingredients. It’s also gluten-free.

However, mortadella mousse is a typical local delicacy. In 2004, the Accademia della Cucina Italiana city delegation deposited the recipe at the Bologna Chamber of Commerce. Its origins are rooted in the gastronomic history of Bologna after the Second World War and seem linked to the use of mortadella leftovers from other preparations. From a leftover recipe, nothing tastier could be born. And nothing else is known.

For me, this recipe is more than just a dish. It’s a portal to my past, a reminder of the years I spent as a young researcher in contemporary history at the University of Bologna.

After finishing my Ph.D., I returned to work in the faculty where I had graduated. And I also worked as an editor for Il Mulino, a historical publishing house in Bologna.

About editing and lunches

The recipe is a gift given to me by an incredible cook from Bologna.

Thinking about her brings me back to the happy years of working as an editor for over a decade in the magazine sector at the publishing house Il Mulino. Thanks to that experience, I read essays and articles by brilliant Italian and foreign intellectuals and writers. Again, I became familiar with editorial plans and the organization of conferences, as well as with many people, such as writers, colleagues, and Mrs Magda.

If the connection between the recipe and my life as an editor seems unclear, I’m getting to the point.

Il Mulino publishes many magazines. It was customary for the different editorial teams to meet at least once a year. Each group was assigned a meeting room. Fortunately, the building on Strada Maggiore that houses the publishing house is large and beautiful. Being able to visit it was another great privilege linked to those years.

Meetings lasted all day, and we had lunch inside. Unbelievable but true.

All of us, dozens of hungry professors and young researchers, were looked after by her. Mrs Magda.

From the small kitchen of the publishing house came dishes and smells that I cannot forget. At the end of lunch, I lingered with her, exchanging a few words and helping her with the dishes.

One day I asked her for the recipe for mortadella mousse, also known as spuma. She, smiling and kind, was firmly saying no.

I thought there was nothing more to say until I entered Carla’s office, the head of the magazine department. She was surprised, waving a packet of papers and asking, ” How did you do it?” The papers were Magda’s recipes—not one, not all of them.

Mortadella mousse recipe: some tips

• Mortadella mousse has the consistency of a soft pâté, and it can be served as an appetizer, aperitif, or snack.
• The first secret of mortadella mousse is respecting the delicate balance between the ingredients.
  Use the indicated doses, and trust the recipe.
• The second secret concerns the quality of the ingredients. Poor-quality Parmigiano or mortadella makes the mousse “sad,” as people say in Bologna, meaning it will not be good.
• Milk, yes or no? It is okay even without it, but milk makes it softer. The same goes for unsweetened heavy cream. If you whip up a small amount of it and gently incorporate whipped cream into the mousse, you will have something for great occasions.
• Serve mortadella mousse with warm bread or streghe crackers, or Parmigiano cookies.

Buona cucina, Monica

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Mortadella mousse recipe

Mortadella mousse with Bologna Igp is a delicious mousse perfect for serving as an appetizer, aperitif, or snack

Course Aperitif, Appetizer

Cuisine Bolognese

Keyword Mortadella mousse

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Equipment

• Food processor

Ingredients

• 250 g of diced Igp mortadella
• 110 g mixed or cow (no sheep) ricotta cheese
• 20 g of grated Parmigiano
• 120 g of whole milk or cream
• 30 g of unsweetened heavy cream optional

Instructions

• Lace up the apron.
• Weigh ingredients.
• Grind the mortadella in a food processor with Parmesan, ricotta, and milk until the mousse is soft and smooth. If necessary, add a tablespoon or two of milk.

Food tips

• If you want to indulge in extra goodness, whip 30 g of unsweetened heavy cream and gently incorporate it into the mousse.
• Store the mortadella mousse in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
• Prepare the mousse the same day you consume it.