TRY A DISH FOR EVERY REGION - (Part Two) CENTRAL ITALY
We have already explored the cuisines of the northern alpine regions of Italy, now it is time to go a little further down the boot and see what classic dishes await you in central Italy.
(Part Two)
Emilia Romagna, Capital City Bologna:
LASAGNE ALLA BOLOGNESE
Lasagne, a dish so famous we probably don't even have to explain it, we will anyways, just for consistency. Originated as the name suggests, in Bologna (the city not the American deli meat), its preparation is both time and labor intensive and choosing the best ingredients is critical. The star of the dish is the meat ragu, made with a mix of high quality ground beef, pork, aromatics and tomato sauce. A bechamel sauce made with milk, flour and butter to perfectly bind the ragu, with the sheets of pasta and also add some creaminess, once assembled in layers it is finished off in the oven
Toscana, Capital City: Firenze
PAPPARDELLE AL CINGHIALE
One of the most important and popular dishes of the Tuscan culinary tradition, they represent a tasty and appetizing and authentic taste of the past. Pappardelle are long and wide egg-based pasta that are very typical in Tuscany, which absorbs sauces very well. Compared to ragù alla bolognese, the wild boar ragu is made with chopped, not ground, meat and has a stronger, gamier taste, due to the animal's wild nature. A very long cooking procedure makes the meat tender, while keeping its strong and appetizing scent.
Umbria, Capital City: Perugia
PASTA AL TARTUFO
No elaborate preparations, just a few carefully selected ingredients, mainly good wild truffles, give this pasta its intense aromas and flavors that you will not be able to resist.
Truffle, in fact, perfectly combines with delicate textures like risotto and pasta all’uovo.
Marche, Capital City: Ancona
CIAUSCOLO
Ciauscolo is a local sausage produced in the areas of the Marchigian Apennines. It is a soft salame made with pork meat flavored with garlic and pepper, and is not aged. It has a light pink color and a delicate flavor and unlike many other kinds of salame it's meant to be spreadable, usually on crostini and bruschetta, served as an appetizer or snack, or incorporated into other recipes.
Lazio, Capital City: Roma:
CARBONARA
Legend has it that in 1944, a Carbonara was assembled for the first time when American GIs met a Roman cook, and provided him with the ingredients available under the circumstances, eggs, cheese and bacon (nowadays replaced by guanciale), the rest is history.
Abruzzo, Capital City: L'Aquila
ARROSTICINI
This simple but delicious dish is basically just grilled skewers made of sheep meat, although it shares a similar taste with lamb, sheep surprisingly has a more delicate flavour. Traditionally arrosticini are prepared for special occasions like Easter or Ferragosto, the perfect dish to share with family and friends.
