Cuisine of Abruzzo

Overview

Ingredients

• L'Aquila saffron, cultivated primarily in Navelli and L'Aquila
• Olive oil, produced in Colline Teramane, marked by the quality level DOP and considered some of Italy's best
• Liquorice of Atri, primarily produced in Abruzzo
• Lamb and mutton and goat meat, especially in the mountains. Sheep's milk is an important source of Abruzzese cheese, and sheep intestines are used as sausage casing or for stuffed meat rolls. "Mountain goat" or chamois meat is also occasionally consumed in Abruzzo in mountainous areas.
• Truffles and mushrooms, particularly wild mushrooms from the forests and hills
• Red Sulmona Garlic, typical zone red garlic
• Rosemary
• Diavoletto d'Abruzzo, hot chili pepper, or peperoncini, regionally known as diavolilli, are very common in Abruzzese cuisine and often used to add spice or "heat" to dishes.
• Basil
• Vegetables, such as lentils, chickpeas, grasspeas and other legumes; as well as artichoke, eggplant, rapini, and cauliflower
• Fish, in the coast zone and lakes.

Dishes

Starters

• Bruschetta: bread spread with salt and oil, sausage, or vegetables such as tomato or zucchini with mozzarellaAntipasto di fegatini: appetizer from Teramo consisting of chicken livers, onion, peppers, vinegar, sugar, dry wine, pepper, salt and oil
• Mussels of Vasto: mussels stuffed with a mixture of breadcrumbs, garlic and parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, and tomato sauce
• Mussels with saffron: steamed mussels prepared with parsley, onion, bay leaf, white wine, olive oil, and saffron sauce
• Baccalà or "salt cod": cod cooked in a pan with potatoes, tomatoes, oil, garlic, parsley, onion, red pepper, salt, and black olives
• Salsa all'aquilana: beef marrow with saffron, eggs, cream and butter
• Ancient Abruzzo sauce: it is a sauce made with parsley, basil, sage, celery, rosemary, carrots and salt; it is used as a condiment for meats, roasts, sauces and soups.
• Orange appetizer: they are slices of oranges with anchovy fillets, extra-virgin olive oil and salt.
• Spur anchovies: anchovies fried with flour, eggs, oil, white vinegar, parsley and salt.
• Cazzimperio: Abruzzo version of the classic pinzimonio with caciocavallo cheese, whole milk, butter, egg yolks, flour, salt, pepper, slices of stale bread.
• Pizza con le sfrigole: it is a white pizza with mass dough, lard, salt and precisely the "sfrigole", or the crunchy flakes of fat and connective tissues that remained in the pan when lard was once prepared at home.
• Sulmona garlic-flavoured bruschetta: classic bruschetta spread with garlic, salt and oil.
• Liver sausage bruschetta: classic bruschetta with liver sausages, homemade bread, oil and salt to taste.
• Marinara appetizer: mixed fish appetizer with squid, clams and scampi dressed with a sauce made up of anchovies, tuna, capers, vinegar, garlic, and parsley.
• Crostini alla chietina: homemade triangular slices of bread dipped in beaten egg and fried in a pan, preferably with olive oil, garnished with anchovies, capers and butter.
• L'Aquila sauce: mixture of ox marrow with saffron from Abruzzo, eggs, cooking cream, butter.
• Baked chickpea croquettes: these are croquettes made with chickpeas, water, tomato, carrots, chilli pepper, bay leaf, onion, garlic, salt, chopped parsley and oil.

Pasta

• Maccheroni alla chitarra. The pasta is prepared by pressing dough through a chitarra, creating long, thin noodles similar to spaghetti. It is served with a tomato-based sauce, often flavored with chili peppers, pork, goose or lamb
• Sagne e fagioli
• Gnocchi carrati, flavored with bacon and pecorino cheese
• Pastuccia
• Maccheroni alla molinara: are an uneven type of thick, hand-made pasta or spaghetti, 4-6mm, using just flour, semolina and water. Often served with tomato sauce and chili peppers
• Fettuccine all'abruzzese: pasta with bacon, pecorino and Parmesan
• Amatriciana sauce: it is a condiment originating from the Amatrice area which until 1927 was included in the province of L'Aquila, which subsequently became a typical dish of Roman cuisine and widespread throughout the Sabine area of Abruzzo and especially in L'Aquila and Cicolano. The main ingredients are bacon, pecorino and tomato.
• Rintrocele o Rintrocilo o i'ntrucioloni: rintrocele is a long pasta typical of the Lanciano area. Generally it is made with sheep's sauce or with the typical lamb sauce.
• Pasta allo sparone: sparone in dialect means "rag"; in fact this fresh pasta is cooked all wrapped up in a white cloth. After boiling, the sparone is removed and the pasta is cut into rounds and seasoned with tomato sauce, then browned in the oven.
• Maltagliati or tajulini: pasta to be accompanied, for example, with bean soup.
• Pasta alla mugnaia: egg pasta resulting from a mix of flours, which is characterized by its elongated and irregular shape and particular consistency, usually seasoned with a very rich meat sauce. It is typical of Elice where the homonymous festival is also celebrated every year.
• Sagne e fagioli : pasta made with water, salt and flour, with a characteristic strip shape, accompanied by a tomato sauce and very moist beans.
• Ceppe: homemade pasta. It is formed from egg-free dough, and has the characteristic shape obtained by passing a strip of dough about 3-4 centimeters long and 1 centimeter wide around a log. It is excellent with wild boar meat ragù. Typical of the Civitella del Tronto area, in the Teramo area.
• Ndurciulline: this pasta is characteristic of the area crossed by the ancient L'Aquila-Foggia sheep track, also called Tratturo Magno, in the section between Lanciano and Cupello. It is a fresh handmade pasta, made from durum wheat semolina and soft wheat flour, of an opaque ivory color, cut into long thin spaghetti with a rectangular section. To be able to fully enjoy the 'ndurcciullune they must be seasoned with a sauce based on sheep tomato pieces, extra virgin olive oil and various aromatic spices. This dish was born from the encounter between the peasant culture and the pastoral one, which took place during the transhumance.

Meat

• The region features several types of roast lamb and sheep, including:
• * Arrosticini: skewered lamb or sheep
• * Pecora alla callara: lamb or sheep stuffed with mountain herbs and cooked in a copper pot
• * Lamb cooked whole in a bread oven
• * Agnello cacio e ovo: a lamb-based fricassee
• * Mazzerelle: lamb intestines stuffed with lamb, garlic, marjoram, lettuce, and various spices
• Non-sheep meat dishes
• * Le virtù: a soup from Teramo with legumes, vegetables and pork, usually eaten in the spring at celebrations
• *Timballo abruzzese: lasagna-like dish with pasta sheets layered with meat, vegetables and rice; often served for Christmas and Easter
• * Porchetta abruzzese: moist boneless-pork roast, slow-roasted with rosemary, garlic, and black pepper or chili pepper, sometimes along with other spices. It was brought by Abruzzese immigrants to the northeastern United States, where it is known as "Italian roast pork" or "roast pork".
• *Turkey alla canzanese: typical dish of Canzano, a small town near Teramo, the turkey is served cold, together with the jelly obtained by letting the cooking broth rest and cool.
• *'Ndocca 'ndocca: it is the classic poor peasant dish in which all the parts of the pig are used which cannot become hams or cured meats. Typical of the Teramo area.
• *Coratella: animal entrails where parts such as heart, liver and lungs, kidneys, spleen, windpipe and sweetbreads are used

Seafood

• Brodetto: a fish broth from Vasto, Giulianova and Pescara, is cooked in an earthenware pot and flavored with tomatoes, herbs, and peperoncino. Scapece alla vastese, from Vasto; it is the only dish in Abruzzo to use saffron, one of the region's most important products. The fish is cut into pieces, floured and browned in a frying pan. The vinegar-based marinade can preserve the fish for 20 to 30 days in wooden containers which are passed from generation to generation.
• Baccalà all'abruzzese: another seafood dish of region: is a cod cooked in a pan with potatoes, tomatoes, oil, garlic, parsley, onion, red pepper, salt, and black olives.
• : typical fish product of Lake Campotosto, it is cooked roasted on the grill and then marinated in a preparation of vinegar and with oil and chilli pepper.
• Mussels with saffron: classic cooked mussels prepared with parsley, onion, bay leaf, white wine, olive oil and seasoned with L'Aquila saffron sauceMarinated anchovies: they are seasoned anchovies marinated with garlic, parsley, oregano, lemon, oil, salt, pepper.Marinara appetizer: mixed fish appetizer with squid, clams and scampi seasoned with a sauce composed of anchovies, tuna, capers, vinegar, garlic, and parsley.Raw squid: typical of Pescara, they are squid boiled in vinegar, and then seasoned with chopped garlic sauce, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt and hot pepper.
• Vastese-style mussels: stuffed mussels with a mixture of breadcrumbs, minced garlic and parsley, oil, a few drops of lemon and a little tomato sauce.
• Appetizer alla giuliese: mixed fish with minced garlic, parsley, lemon juice, oil and salt and green sauce made with tuna, anchovies, capers, green peppers, oil and vinegar. Crudo di calamaretti: typical of Pescara, they are baby squid boiled in vinegar, and then seasoned with minced garlic sauce, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt and hot pepper. Marinara appetizer: mixed fish appetizer with squid, clams and scampi seasoned with a sauce composed of anchovies, tuna, capers, vinegar, garlic, and parsley. Crostini alla chietina: homemade triangular slices of bread dipped in beaten egg and fried in a pan, preferably with olive oil garnished with anchovies, capers and butter. Marinated anchovies: they are seasoned anchovies marinated with garlic, parsley, oregano, lemon, oil, salt, pepper. Pasta with scampi or paste nghe l'aragustine: typical dish of the stretch of coast between Pescara and Vasto. Adriatic scampi, tomato, garlic and parsley. A light sauce is prepared with which Spaghetti alla Chitarra or Rintrocilo are seasoned. Pasta alla chitarra con i pelosi: another dish of Abruzzo's seafood cuisine made with large hairy crabs found on the cliffs between Pescara and Vasto. The almost disappearance of these crabs has prohibited their capture, but they can still be tasted in some restaurants on the coast. The shell is browned in oil and the peeled tomatoes are poured.

Vegetables

• L'Aquila saffron, cultivated primarily in Navelli and L'Aquila
• Liquorice of Atri, primarily produced in Abruzzo
• Truffles and mushrooms, particularly wild mushrooms from the forests and hills
• Red Sulmona Garlic, typical zone red garlic
• Diavoletto d'Abruzzo, hot chili pepper, or peperoncini, regionally known as diavolilli, are very common in Abruzzese cuisine and often used to add spice or "heat" to dishes.
• Beefsteak tomato: typical tomato of Abruzzo region.
• Fucino carrot: is a carrot from Fucino Lake.

Breads and pizzas

• Bread of Senator Cappelli: primarily in the province of Chieti, it has made a comeback.
• Bread ear, named for its ear-like appearanceScrippelle: a rustic pancake-like dish from Teramo, similar to a French-style crêpe and served mbusse or part of a soufflé with ragù and stuffed with chicken liver, meatballs, hard-boiled eggs, and cheese
• Pane parruozzo
• Pane casareccio aquilano
• Pane con le patate
• Pane di Solina, pagnotte di Solina
• Pane nobile di Guardiagrele
• Panonta: it is mainly composed of bread greased with bacon frying oil, melted lard or lard, or fried golden brown and with cod, flamed with wine white or sometimes with vinegar.

• ''Pizza scima''

Salumi

• Aquila salami
• Abruzzo salami
• Annoia
• Horseshoe-shaped liver salami in grape syrup
• Teramo Nnuje salami
• Soppressata charcuterie
• Frentano sausage
• Pennapiedimonte sausage
• Prosciuttello salami
• Cured pork
• Cured pork head
• Pork sausage preserved in oli or lard
• Teramo Ventricina charcuterie

Cheeses

• White cow cheese, a soft cheese made from cow's milkCaciocavallo abruzzese, a soft, slightly elastic dairy product made from raw, whole cow's milk with rennet and saltCaciofiore aquilano, made from raw whole sheep's milk, rennet, artichokes and saffron
• Caciotta vaccination frentana, a half-cooked, semi-hard cheese made from raw whole cow's milk, rennet and salt
• Canestrato of Castel del Monte, a hard cheese made from raw whole sheep's milk, with rennet and saltCaprino abruzzese, made from raw whole goat milk, curd, and salt
• Cheese and curd stazzo, cheese and byproducts obtained from the processing of raw milk from sheep, cattle and goats
• Junket vaccination or Abruzzo sprisciocca, a soft fresh cheese made from raw whole cow's milk, rennet, and saltPecorino d'Abruzzo: one of Abruzzo's flagship products—a mild, semi-hard cheese with holes, made from raw whole sheep's milk, rennet, and saltPecorino di Atri, a compact, semi-cooked cheese made from sheep's milk, rennet and saltPecorino di Farindola, cheese made from sheep's milk and pork rennet Ricotta, made from the remnants of the coagulation of raw whole sheep's milk, heated after filtrationScamorza d'Abruzzo, a stretched curd cheese made from cow's milk, rennet and salt

Desserts and sweets

Fruits

• Agrumi della costa dei trabocchi: coastal citrus, used for jam and limoncello
• Castagna roscetta della Valle Roveto and Marrone di Valle Castellana: types of chestnut
• Ciliege di Raiano e di Giuliano Teatino: a local cherry
• Mandorle di Navelli: almonds from the town of Navelli
• Mela della Valle Giovenco: apples from the region
• Uva di Tollo e Ortona: table grapes, also used for jam

Olive oil

• Dritta Gentile di ChietiIntossoMonicellaCarpinetanaMorella Nebbio di ChietiRaja ToccolanaTortiglioneCrognalegna
• ''Gentile del L'Aquila ''

Wines and liquors

• Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
• Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo
• Trebbiano d'Abruzzo, the region's wine white. In 2012, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo topped 50 Italian wines. Other wines are Montonico, Pecorino, Passerina, and Controguerra.

• Genziana liqueur, a liqueur made from gentian root
• Centerba, an aromatic liqueur made from infused herbs
• Aurum, brandy-based Pescara liquor with a 40-percent alcohol content, infused with oranges
• Ratafia, black-cherry liqueur and wine
• Amaro abruzzese, made of herbs, roots, and an infusion of fresh citrus fruits