Abruzzese Recipes

Abruzzese Recipes

Located in the southern center of Italy, and amidst the country’s quilt of 19 regions, Abruzzo often gets overlooked, particularly when it comes to its exceptionally underrated cuisine. The mountain-meets-sea region has a deliciously strong sense of culinary identity, evident its many rustic dishes, high-quality products, and array of locally produced wines.

Its culinary roots are no secret, though – at least not for Italian gourmands. It is, in fact, in the Abruzzese village of Villa Santa Maria where some of the country’s most acclaimed gastronomy really gets its roots. That’s because it’s not only home to the historic cooking school Istituto Professionale Alberghiero, but Saint Francis Caracciolo — the patron saint of Italian chefs — was born in the town, and is celebrated there yearly with a massive, gastronomical festival.

Abruzzese cuisine is known especially for its pastoral tradition, lending to hearty dishes often heavy on lamb and mutton, such as the local, eat-with-your-hands skewer of grilled meat called arrosticini, or pasta doused in thick, saucy ragus. Other foodie specialties include hot chili peppers, saffron, truffles, and artisanal dried pastas such as spaghetti alla chitarra and sagne (both of which we’ll sink our teeth into shortly).

Wine here is worth toasting to as well. Abruzzo’s mountainous and coastal landscape provides for different microclimates, with seaside areas turning out warm and generous white wines, and hillier regions providing fresh and elegant reds. Of the whites, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo gets the most love these days thanks to its skilled growers, and decadent aromas of fresh fruit, citrus, and yellow flowers.

Other than white, sip on Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, a rich red wine characterized by subtle nuances of ripe red fruit such as tart cherries. The region’s peninsula also offers up tasty rosés including Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, an extraordinarily dynamic wine that is always fragrant, fresh, and the perfect pairing for summer.

Abruzzese Recipes

Located in the southern center of Italy, and amidst the country’s quilt of 19 regions, Abruzzo often gets overlooked, particularly when it comes to its exceptionally underrated cuisine. The mountain-meets-sea region has a deliciously strong sense of culinary identity, evident its many rustic dishes, high-quality products, and array of locally produced wines.

Its culinary roots are no secret, though – at least not for Italian gourmands. It is, in fact, in the Abruzzese village of Villa Santa Maria where some of the country’s most acclaimed gastronomy really gets its roots. That’s because it’s not only home to the historic cooking school Istituto Professionale Alberghiero, but Saint Francis Caracciolo — the patron saint of Italian chefs — was born in the town, and is celebrated there yearly with a massive, gastronomical festival.

Abruzzese cuisine is known especially for its pastoral tradition, lending to hearty dishes often heavy on lamb and mutton, such as the local, eat-with-your-hands skewer of grilled meat called arrosticini, or pasta doused in thick, saucy ragus. Other foodie specialties include hot chili peppers, saffron, truffles, and artisanal dried pastas such as spaghetti alla chitarra and sagne (both of which we’ll sink our teeth into shortly).

Wine here is worth toasting to as well. Abruzzo’s mountainous and coastal landscape provides for different microclimates, with seaside areas turning out warm and generous white wines, and hillier regions providing fresh and elegant reds. Of the whites, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo gets the most love these days thanks to its skilled growers, and decadent aromas of fresh fruit, citrus, and yellow flowers.

Other than white, sip on Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, a rich red wine characterized by subtle nuances of ripe red fruit such as tart cherries. The region’s peninsula also offers up tasty rosés including Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, an extraordinarily dynamic wine that is always fragrant, fresh, and the perfect pairing for summer.