Il Ristorantino di Colomba serves Ferrara's traditional cappellacci di zucca,
handmade pasta stuffed with squash.
Photo: Gentl & Hyers, Condé Nast Traveler

Italy is known the world over for its food. Who doesn't love freshly made tagliatelle, prosciutto di Parma, porcini mushrooms, or a ragu alla Bolognese? In Condé Nast Traveler's September issue, Patrick Symmes travels to the often overlooked Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, to discover the secrets of some of Italy's most famous foods. Here are the restaurants you won't want to miss out on in Emilia-Romagna.

* In Parma, La Greppia, a Mario Batali favorite, is known for a subtle mixture of innovation and tradition. This is the place for vast strips of pappardelle--which you can watch being rolled out in the glass-fronted kitchen (39A Strada Gari-baldi; 0521-233-686; entrées, $15-$21).

* In Zibello, Trattoria La Buca is the culinary workshop of Miriam Leonardi, a famed fourth-generation chef and culatello maker. There are also three simple pretty rooms for diners who want to make a weekend of it (0524-99214; trattorialabuca.com; doubles, $114-$170; entrées, $19-$21).

* Ferrara's vanished Jewish community left an imprint on the local cuisine, like the grapefruit with duck, a meat that often substituted for pork. Glimpses appear on the menu of Il Ristorantino di Colomba. (15 Vicolo Mozzo Agucchie; 0532-761-517; entrées, $16-$25)

For more lodging, restaurants, and cooking schools in Emilia-Romagna, check out "The Secret of Emilia-Romagna," in Condé Nast Traveler's September Issue.