In the early days after Flour+Water opened in 2009 in the Mission District, my friends would rave about their Neapolitan pizza, which got its own Flour+Water Pizzeria in 2019. But I knew from day one it was all about chef Thomas McNaughton’s pastas, who has worked at the likes of three Michelin-starred pasta temple, Quince.

In a country where every region is a food mecca, none may be more so than Italy’s Emilia-Romagna, centered by the city of Bologna. The region gave birth to crucial foods like prosciutto di Parma, balsamico, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and bolognese — it’s among the most unforgettable tastes and regions in my hundreds of global travels.