Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the mandilu silk-handkerchief lasagna; the ravioli stuffed with fish, prawns, and
mushrooms; or the
trofie al pesto,
served here with potatoes and green beans).
Primi
average around
€
9.
Ligurian Cuisine
Ligurians are proud of their traditional dishes, which is no doubt why most
menus are virtually identical, with the presence of the coast exerting an
indomitable influence. Seafood aside, Liguria's most famous export is
pesto
—that fragrant blend of fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, pecorino and
Parmesan cheeses, and olive oil (because of its low acidity, Ligurian olive
oil is said to be among the finest in Europe). It's often served with green
beans and potatoes, and is best sampled with the local pasta,
trenette
or
trofie.
Both are slightly more robust than your average pasta, being thick-
ened with potato;
trofie
—short, slim, twirled dumplings—are truly
unique, and considered the ideal partner for pesto.
Liguria is also the birthplace of
focaccia,
a thick bread made with olive
oil, usually salted or topped with softened onions or olives, but also made
with a variety of other toppings. Be warned that some can be incredibly
oily—always ask for a tiny sliver (you're charged by weight) before com-
mitting to a large slice.
Focaccia con formaggio
is another must try—two
layers of pastry oozing with Stracchino cheese. Ligurians also have a way
with
acciughe
—fresh anchovies—which you should definitely try (select
acciughe
marinated in lemon and olive oil, and buy a small tub at a deli,
where it costs a quarter of the price charged by restaurants). Then eat it
with a slice of plain focaccia.
Other dishes to look for include
pansotti,
pasta parcels sometimes
stuffed with
preboggion
(a paste of wild herbs that grow on the coast,
including the fragrant borage) and cheese, and served with a walnut sauce
or with olive oil and sage;
cima ripiena
(stuffed cold veal);
pesce al sale
(fish coated in rock salt and oven-baked);
polpo in umido con potate
(octopus stew with potatoes and olives);
torta verde
or
pasqualina
(layers
of thin pastry filled with vegetables, often spinach);
capponata
(bread
soaked in vinegar with a mix of anchovies, tuna, eggs, basil, tomatoes,
and beans); and the ubiquitous
fritto misto alla ligure
(mixed selection
of fried shellfish and calamari).
The region is not generally known for fine wines, but there are a few
exceptions, notably Rossesse, a delicious red from a small region of which
Dolceaqua (near San Remo) is the center. The Cinque Terre is better known
for its whites, of which Vermentino is serviceable (Pope John Paul II was
apparently a fan and regularly requested cases to be sent to the Vatican),
but don't leave without sampling a really good Sciacchetrà, the dessert
wine from the Cinque Terre, where 10 kilograms (22 lb.) of “raisins” pro-
duce only 1.5 liters (50 oz.).
