The Manfrigoli of the Monastery

Manfrigoli is one of the dishes on the Tradition Menu at the Acqua Restaurant, in the Monastery of Sant'Alberico.

In the traditional Romagnolo dialect, they were called "Manfrigual" and that's how you will find them in our Tradition Menu.

Not to be confused with the "manfricoli" of Umbrian cuisine, Manfrigoli was born as the simplest homemade pasta: one of the quickest ways to put a dish on the table for lunch or dinner was to mix flour and water, forming small dough balls that were then cut into various shapes. Some would cut them with a knife or mezzaluna, others would grate them using a cheese grater.

However, the etymology of the name reveals the most authentic origins: "man-frigoli," meaning pasta obtained by rubbing the dough between hands to break it into small fragments, similar to today's grattini.

Over time, the dish was enriched by adding fresh eggs to the dough to make it more refined and substantial.

In any case, Manfrigoli are tasty and can be cooked in chicken broth, or in the coastal areas of Romagna, in cuttlefish broth.

At the Monastery, chef Flavio Faedi prepares Manfrigoli with two very tasty local ingredients: stridoli cream and Fossa cheese.

The latter is then sprinkled over the Manfrigoli to complete a dish rich in flavor, taste, and tradition.

You can find Manfrigoli in the Tradition Menu at the Acqua Restaurant: and when you taste this dish, you'll discover that, for some reason, it's even better at the Monastery than you could imagine!