Bread
Bread in Tuscany is dreadful. It is made without salt and gets stale by the next day. As it gets stale so quickly, it’s not uncommon for people to buy half a loaf at the bakery. It’s just about up to the job of mopping up a pasta sauce or soaking up the juices of a well made bruscetta al pomodoro, but it mostly comes into its own as an ingredient of other dishes when stale.
Pasta fritta
Pasta fritta is simply fried bread dough which puffs up and it’s wonderfully sinful. Sometimes they are known as pasta di pane fritta or coccoli (literally cuddles). A plate to share is €2 at La Cantina di Alfredo. The best we’ve had so far was from La Cecca.
Panzanella Toscana
Dressed salad based on stale Tuscan bread which soaks up the dressing. Martin loves it.
Pappa al pomodoro
Pappa al pomodoro recipe is a traditional Tuscan soup containing tomatoes, garlic, stale bread and basil. It is generally served warm (sometimes chilled). Another dish Martin is likely to order.
Zuppa alla Frantoiana Lucchese
A traditional vegetable and bean soup from Lucca. A little too green for Martin’s liking.
Sformato (or sformatino) di zucchine
A light fluffy souffle-like courgette flan made using ricotta cheese. In fact you can find a few varieties of sformato: spinach, beans etc. They are generally accompanied by some kind of sauce. I’m not sure if these are strictly Tuscan, but they are lovely starters which we are likely to order if we find them on the menu.
Tordelli Lucchese
Tordelli Lucchese is a traditional pasta dish from Lucca. The pasta is like a semi-circular ravioli filled with meat and is served with a ragù sauce made with cinnamon and nutmeg. This one of Fenella’s go to restaurant dishes.
Ragù di cinghiale
This is a traditional Tuscan ragù sauce made from wild boar and generally flavoured with juniper. It can be found in many local restaurants and is often served with pappardelle pasta.
Pici cacio e pepe
Pici is a thick, hand-rolled pasta, like fat spaghetti originating in the province of Siena in southern Tuscany. The dough is typically made from flour and water only and it is often served rather al dente due to its thickness. It can be the base for a variety of sauces, but the traditional one is cacio e pepe (a cheese and pepper sauce).
Fagioli all’uccelletto con salsiccia
The literal translation of this dish is “beans of the little bird with sausage”. It’s a bean stew with sausage originating from Florence, but popular throughout Tuscany. Of the little bird refers to the fact that this dish is prepared with garlic and sage which is the traditional way to prepare small game birds in Tuscany.
Ragu di Cinta Senese
Cinta Senese is an ancient breed of pig thought to have been raised in the Sienna area by the Etruscans and Romans. You may see secondi dishes of this pork, but the common traditional Tuscan dish is a white ragu.
Torta coi becchi
Literally tart with beaks and also known as Torta di Verdure, this is a sweet vegetable tart from Lucca served as a dessert. The beaks refer to the shaping of the pastry. There are also chocolate versions.
