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When grapevines and olive trees cover the hillsides, wine and oil are a must on our tables. They prove excellent companions for the salted anchovies of Monterosso served in olive oil as well as the many specialty fish dishes, authentic gastronomic delights.
The cuisine of the Cinque Terre almost perfectly conserves the characteristics of yesteryear; the respect for the flavours and fragrances of the primary ingredients.
Troffie is a kind of pasta made from chestnut or wheat flour and is one of the forefathers of modern and more sophisticated pasta. Its condiment is still 'pesto' sauce; an original Ligurian sauce made from basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, grated cheese, pine nuts, and marjoram.
Tagliatelle, a broad handmade pasta, is used with sauces that contain mushrooms, cabbage and potatoes, beans, chickpeas or sometimes with pesto.
The fundamental elements are repeated and interchanged to create different flavours.
The vegetable pies, prepared with a stuffing containing borage (borago officinalis) and other local herbs that grow spontaneously in the Cinque Terre during the end of winter, artichokes, Swiss chard, zucchini, potatoes, and leeks are combined with egg and ricotta cheese or with stale bread soaked in milk or béchamel sauce (depending on each family's traditions), parmesan cheese, Italian parsley, and marjoram. The piecrust is very thin, because flour was a very precious commodity.
Rice was an elegant dish, obtainable only from outside towns. With it, a rice pie was made, following a recipe that is still used today. In Monterosso this rice pie was made even more delectable by adding a bit of dried mushrooms to the filling.
Egg 'fritatte', or flat omelettes, were eaten frequently. Today the frittata has been rediscovered as a tasty antipasto dish.
Another important dish on the tables of the Cinque Terre population was the 'cotoletta di acciuga', anchovies stuffed with a breadcrumb based filling and then fried. The 'fritelle di bianchetti', fritters made from tiny newborn anchovies or sardines were also highly appreciated. Following the seamen's gastronomic traditions, other dishes included stewed cuttlefish, stuffed calamari and spiced octopus.
Oregano is very important in the local cuisine. It is often added to fish dishes but it is mainly used by the inhabitants of La Spezia to enhance the flavour of tomatoes. Oregano is picked in summer at the edge of the woods and tied together in little bunches to dry in the shade. The dried flowers are put into jars and stored for later use.
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