Non-VegetarianEmiliana-Romagnola cuisine Starters

Friggione

Name: Friggione
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Emiliana-Romagnola
Ingredients: 1000 g Yellow onions; 15 g granulated sugar; 7 g Fine sea salt; 35 g strutto (pork lard); 400 g canned whole peeled plum tomatoes; 2 g freshly ground black pepper

Friggione is a slow-cooked Bolognese onion and tomato compote, gently stewed until rich, sweet, and jammy.

🇮🇹Italy· Emilia-Romagna

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 180 min
Total: 200 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 210 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 6 gathered

Servings

1000 g Yellow onions — peeled and thinly sliced
15 g granulated sugar — for drawing out onion juices
7 g Fine sea salt — plus extra to season
35 g strutto (pork lard) — traditional rendered cooking fat
400 g canned whole peeled plum tomatoes — crushed thoroughly by hand
2 g freshly ground black pepper — coarsely cracked

Equipment

•Heavy-bottomed terracotta pot or Dutch oven
•Large mixing bowl
•Sharp chef knife
•Wooden spoon

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 210 kcal
fat: 9 g
carbs: 22 g
fibre: 4 g
protein: 3 g
calories: 210 kcal

Instructions

1
Place the sliced onions into a large bowl.
2
Add the sugar and fine sea salt, tossing thoroughly to coat.
3
Leave the onions to macerate at room temperature for at least two hours.
4
Melt the strutto (pork lard) in a heavy pot over very low heat.
5
Add the onions along with all their released maceration juices.
6
Cook gently uncovered for two hours, stirring occasionally until soft and translucent.
7
Pour in the hand-crushed plum tomatoes and black pepper.
8
Simmer on low heat for one further hour until thick, glossy, and deep red.
9
Taste and adjust the seasoning before taking off the heat.

Chef's tips

Do not skip the maceration step, as extracting the onion juices is essential to achieve the correct melting texture without scorching. Cook over the lowest flame possible so the natural sugars slowly caramelise without browning prematurely.

Ingredient substitutions

strutto (pork lard) → extra virgin olive oil for a fully vegetarian version
canned whole peeled plum tomatoes → fresh ripe peeled and seeded plum tomatoes in peak summer

Storage

Keep in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Reheating

Reheat slowly in a saucepan over low heat with a splash of water, or serve at room temperature.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Cooking over high heat, which fries the onions rather than melting them
•Discarding the sweet onion water released during maceration
•Using concentrated tomato puree instead of crushed whole tomatoes

Serving suggestions

Spoon generously over slices of grilled rustic breadServe alongside bollito misto (boiled mixed meats) or roast porkPair with warm yellow polenta or crescentine flatbreads