Tag: Molise

Ten places that tell Molise very well – Italian Cuisine

Between Abruzzo and Puglia, Molise is a small region that climbs from the Adriatic to the Apennines, where tradition is best defended. Among cavatelli, torcinelli and "arraganato" cod. Follow us on our tour

An ancient cuisine, full of strong and decisive flavors. Based on a wide selection of genuine and excellent quality products, thanks to the fact that in its small surface it extends from the Adriatic to the Apennines. Molise is not a cover region, perhaps, but it certainly deserves a visit as much as the three with which it borders: to the north Abruzzo, to the south Puglia and to the west Campania. The most interesting aspect – from a culinary point of view – is that it is affected in part, but it was absolutely not crushed enough to create its own kitchen, rustic in many ways, but with great personality which can be enjoyed in places, apparently out of time or just old for those arriving from a city, but in reality perfectly integrated into the spirit, simple and cared for, of the villages or main towns such as Campobasso. A region with many agro-food excellences (159 for the Ministry of Agriculture, with numerous dairy products, cheeses and meats), five PDO in co-ownership with the neighboring ones and one absolutely own, namely theMolise extra virgin olive oil, obtained dwith fruits of the Aurina, Gentile di Larino, Black Colletorto and Leccino varieties.

Specialties of all kinds

Molise is also a land of pasta. The specialty is represented by cavatelli, made from durum wheat semolina and handmade like orecchiette: they are served with tomatoes or vegetables while the most typical seasoning is pork-based sauce. A poor cuisine with surprising peculiarities: the “pizza and soup”, which combines boiled and seasoned vegetables with a focaccia of wheat and potatoes; sagne, fresh pasta of water and durum wheat flour, rhomboid in shape, with chickpeas or beans; pancotto, vegetable soup with stale bread and bacon. And then a triumph of meat, with i torcinelli to play the lion's share: lamb intestine rolls, wrapped around a liver and tripe filling, prepared on the grill or in the oven. They are addictive. But let's not forget that in the few kilometers of outlet to the sea – with Termoli main center – you have a lot of fun with the catch. And in any case, the symbolic dish of Molise – what you see at the opening – is the cod 'arraganato' that is, a timbale where the fish is combined with breadcrumbs, cherry tomatoes, olives, raisins and pine nuts. It was typical of the Christmas Coward, now (fortunately) it has been cleared through customs. Now our selection of clubs, enjoy your meal.

The Elf – Capracotta

A place that occupies the cellars of an elegant building where tradition is interpreted with a moderately creative vision: potato pie with melted lard and Capracotta lentils, guitar with broccoli, bacon and toasted breadcrumbs; leg of mutton braised with citrus fruits.

Osteria del Borgo – Larino

It is always good in the two brick rooms of this place, in the historic center. Unmissable dishes: pallotte cac’e ova; cavatelli with Vastese ventricina ragout, pampanella panciotti or spiced pork with garlic and chilli pepper.

The Concetta Cave – Campobasso

Two rooms and a courtyard, Slow Food Chiocciolina. A fundamental step to understand the value of regional products and cuisine: the triptych with appetizer (ciambotta, eggplant parmigiana, fried zucchini) is enough to enter the right mood.

From Filomena – Bojano

A historic trattoria that for half a century has made Molise enthusiasts in good spirits (and beyond). Plenty of substance in the dishes: omelette with livers, tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms, lamb torcinelli. The two patrons – Teodoro and Filomena – are real characters.

Locanda Mammì – Agnone

The best "modern tavern" in the region in the name of creative popular cuisine, based on a great raw material and the desire to intelligently revisit. We recommend the two tasting menus at 35 and 50 euros to discover the best dishes. Level cellar.

From Nonna Rosa – Campomarino

An institution of Molise cuisine, in a small village. The patron Giuseppe Labbate is the king of the grill, where he prepares very large cuts of selected meat, the right matured. But there is also much more, starting with burnt wheat orecchiette with lamb ragout.

Osteria inside the Walls – Termoli

The outdoor area is fantastic, the small interior room pleasant. But what matters is the passion in transforming the "shopping" on the market into a sequence of tasty fish dishes, starting with square spaghetti with seafood and broth with Termolese.

The Sins of Bacchus – Campobasso

Few (and sought after) places in Stefano Baranello's inn, patron who "tells" the menu and the wine list well, in the name of Molise and Abruzzo excellence. It starts well with a plate of local cheeses and ends with tozzetti with chocolate and raisins.

Aciniello – Campobasso

Trattoria, with over 70 years of activity, suitable for a quick lunch break as for a complete dinner. Hand-written menu that often changes, but never loses the thread and offers the regional tradition, from pizza and soup to pork liver with rezza.

Morielllo 2.0 – Termoli

Adriatic cuisine, of great raw material, which the host Leonardo Moriello chooses with great care. From the carpaccio of the day to the San Pietro in guazzetto there is a happy hand in the preparations. Tasting menu from 15 euros for lunch and from 35 for dinner.

Lo snake, the traditional recipe of Molise based on pasta and red wine – Italian Cuisine

The snap is an ancient regional recipe from Molise, simple and genuine; a poor but tasty dish made with fresh pasta, cooking water and red wine

One of the hidden pearls of the regional Italian cuisine which is worthy of being rediscovered is the snake, originally from Alto Molise and in particular in rural areas. This flat, healthy and genuine, is made with simple and local ingredients and its recipe has been handed down for generations.

The history of the Molise aperitif based on pasta and wine

The snake was born in the hinterland of Molise, and in particular the authorship of the municipalities of Torella del Sannio, Poggio Sannita and Bagnoli del Trigno. Today's grandmothers pass on the history and uses of the past, as well as the easy and authentic preparation. Although the classic recipe provides for basic ingredients fresh pasta with its hot cooking water and a little red wine, depending on the countries and families there are many variations. The name seems to derive from the Germanic term skaitho, which means ladle, or the kitchen tool used during the preparation. In the past, the snake, because of its genuine and energizing nature, came consumed especially in the middle of winter by those who returned home after a day's work in the countryside, or were prepared to fight the cold. Today as then, this hot dish is consumed just before meals, for "apr lu stommc" as older people say. The tradition of this dish is carried on by young Molisans, both in winter and summer versions, and every 16th August the big shot is celebrated with a festival held in Torella del Sannio, in the province of Campobasso.

How to prepare the snake

To prepare the snap, start by cooking some tagliolini or one in abundant salted water fresh pasta typical of Molise, Marche and Abruzzo, called sagne. This pasta, generally homemade, has a shape of small rhombuses or long rectangles, is a few millimeters thick and is based on semolina and water. Just before the pasta is completely cooked it must be removed a little with a ladle, together with the cooking water (called "washing" in Molise), and everything must be poured into a bowl, in which a red wine, possibly full-bodied and Molise, and wanting a sprinkling of pepper or a pinch of chilli.

All that remains is to hope that this typical dish, one of the best-known specialties of Molise cuisine, will continue to be celebrated and handed down to the next generations, and that a piece of history of this region, too often forgotten, will be transmitted with it.

Photo: Scattone pasta vino molise_Wikipedia.jpg
Photo: scatone_pasta molise_cciaamatera.jpg

Molise: food and wine map – Italian Cuisine – Italian Cuisine

Molise does not exist, it is said to be joking. But when you go there you realize that, for variety of colors, food and for its natural spectacle, it is infinitely large

A common saying goes, "Molise does not exist". Perhaps because its surface is almost half of the largest Italian provinces, it will be because the entire region has fewer inhabitants than Bari or Catania. And yet Molise is there and has a lot to say, especially from a gastronomic point of view. Strait between sea and mountain, it has a very strong rural and pastoral tradition, but among trabucchi and golden beaches, there are plenty of fish dishes. A gastronomy that ranges from the inviting fish soups to the more rustic pastas with beans, without forgetting the endless dairy production and the typical salamis such as ventricina.

The aperitif in Molise, with the Scattone

How do you start a meal in Molise? With an aperitif typical of the rural areas of Alto Molise, the Scattone, which as the locals say «opens the stomach: A ladleful of pasta being cooked in the pot, including water, a glass of red wine and a pinch of red pepper. The villages of Poggio Sannita, Bagnoli del Trigno and Torella del Sannio are competing for this unique entrée, but it is only in the latter that the festival dedicated to Scattone is held in August.

The appetizer: his majesty the pig

We then move on to the appetizer, where it certainly cannot miss the succession of meats and cheeses typical of Molise. Let's start, then, with cold cuts, of which the ventricina it is the most famous: a species of very spicy soppressata, which comes especially from the province of Campobasso and which sees Montenero di Bisaccia as the leader of the countries that boast authorship. A sausage that is prepared with the noble parts of the pig, stuffed in the belly of the animal (from which the name comes) and perfumed with wild fennel, pepper powder and pepper. There are also regional variations of soppressata, as well as another salami for the rich that is called Lady of Conca Casale, a species of salamella that takes its name from a town of 200 inhabitants above Venafro, characterized by the fact that even the fillet goes into the dough. From the rich to the poor, with the fat of waste, instead, the cicoli are prepared, which elsewhere are known as greaves, and which inevitably go to flavor the Pizza coi cicoli, a focaccia that never fails in the Molise countryside.

The cheese cart

The dairy production is probably the most famous typical of Molise and in particular of Upper Molise, a land of pastoralism and transhumance. On the way down to Puglia, there is no passage for Molise that is not characterized by a technical stop to stock up on its wonders, like the caciocavallo from Agnone, the stracciata, the manteca, the scamorze or the mozzarella. Practically in the mountains, between Agnone, the city of bells, Capracotta and Vastogirardi, one of the best caciocavalli in Centrosud is produced. The spiciness is given by the degree of maturing and the Molisans love to eat it grilled. Equally, if you hear a Molise, even the various scamorze and braids (the shape reflects the fantasy of the dairyman) just waiting for the grill. Always in the same area is produced the ragged, which takes its name from the act of tearing the spun dough to give shape to this cheese, which should be consumed immediately, or after a few days, when it becomes spreadable. Another gem, typical of these areas, is the art of hiding treasures in a scamorza dough: this is true both for the manteca that for the cacio-salami. The first one was used to allow the shepherds to bring the salted butter in the transhumance and use it for outdoor cooking, the second is a more recent tradition, born from the need of the emigrants to hide the salami in a cheese, which would have passed more easily to customs .

Sea vs mountain: brodetto vs sagne with beans

Like any poor cuisine, but very rich in flavors, which are respected in the Molise tradition, there are dishes that can easily be defined as unique dishes. One of these is the Termolese brodetto, called in local language "U bredette". It is the poor dish of the fishermen, who returned from fishing and put all the less valuable fish, those too small or those less marketable in a big pot. It should not be forgotten that Molise, like the neighboring regions of Abruzzo and Puglia, is a land of Trabucchi, therefore fishing was traditionally done not only at sea, but also on land. At least 2-3 kilograms the recommended amount of fish to cook this dish. From the Marche down, the tradition of the brodetto is common to all the countries overlooking the Adriatic, however the Molise region is distinguished by the addition of an extra ingredient: the green pepper, which gives the soup a unique flavor. In the mountains, instead, more rustic dishes dominate, like homemade pasta the sagne, which are a kind of maltagliati that blend perfectly with the beans and which are strictly cooked in the pignata, ie in the crock pot. Another inevitable dish of Alto Molise is the lamb or kid ragù, which goes hand in hand with homemade fusilli, a format that apparently is right in the mountains of Upper Molise that originates. In Agnone, during the Christmas celebrations, the traditional Santè soup is eaten: in a large bowl you pour plenty of chicken broth, in which you can float a series of ingredients, ranging from beef meatballs to cheese balls, from the pieces of seasoned caciocavallo, with bread beaten in a beaten and toasted egg, but also pieces of pizza made with cheese and egg. On Shrove Tuesday, a festival is held at Scapoli every year Scapolesi ravioli, a delicious stuffed pasta in which some of the best productions of the area are joined: sheep's milk ricotta, sausages and bacon, winter vegetables such as chard. Everything is then seasoned with a savory kid sauce. Other typical pasta shapes are the cavatelli, which are called in Montenero di Bisaccia Cuzzutilli and are eaten with ventricina, but also i Maccheroni crioli, a kind of spaghetti alla chitarra that takes its name from the laces of the shepherds' shoes. The latter are particularly suitable for eating with the Molise truffle. Not everyone knows that this small region of Centrosud is one of the largest national truffle producers.

To close: confetti and stuffed wafers

The stuffed wafers they are a dessert that unites Molise and Puglia, however those of Agnone have a very particular aspect, thanks to the particular iron that is used to form the hosts and that is sold practically only in the country of the bells. The filling is a tasty crunchy caramel made darker by a pinch of cocoa and embellished with toasted almonds. Although the production of nearby Abruzzo is better known, Molise is also famous for its confetti. It is in Isernia, in fact, that Pope is found, one of the most renowned companies that produce confetti and that has recently specialized in the production of chocolates.