Mortadella Mousse

You have to love mortadella to love this dish. I do and so does my sister S. so this post is for her. I never even heard of mortadella mousse until we dined at Al Sangiovese in Bologna. Located just a few doors down from Hotel Porta San Mamolo, this small eatery run by a husband and wife team serves typical Bolognese cuisine. I first learned of this restaurant from my friend Palma and if you plan on being in Bologna be sure to check out her blog for dining recommendations.

We ordered the restaurant’s signature antipasto and as you can see from the photo the mortadella mousse was the first thing that I sampled. Being that Bologna is the home of mortadella I counted on this being stellar and it was. Rich and buttery, I spread it on piadina (flatbread typical of the Emilia Romagna area) and thankfully J. didn’t really care either way about it, so I polished it off. This would be a great hors d’oeuvres served along with a glass of bubbly. Here comes the holiday season…

Mortadella Mousse

1/2 pound mortadella in one piece, rind removed
1/4 cup mascarpone
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese (about 1 ounce), more optional
Pinch of nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
Toast rounds for serving
Whole shelled, salted pistachios or capers for garnish.

Dice mortadella and place in a food processor; grind to a paste. Add the mascarpone, 1/3 cup grated cheese and the nutmeg. Process until blended. Spread on toast and top each with a pistachio or caper, or refrigerate until ready to use.