Check out these fabulous Tuscan treasures on your next holiday to Tuscany! Why not stay in a fabulous old Tuscan farmhouse rental where you can relax after long days of tasty culinary explorations!
Be sure to order an antipasti (first course) dish of crostini di fegato when you next arrive here. This is a richly flavoured pate made by blending chicken liver, onion, broth, capers, anchovies and butter. It’s spread thickly across freshly baked Tuscan bread and is truly a little taste of heaven!
A favourite first course dish in Tuscany (which follows the antipasti) is a dish using pappardelle pasta.
Be sure to order an antipasti (first course) dish of crostini di fegato when you next arrive here. This is a richly flavoured pate made by blending chicken liver, onion, broth, capers, anchovies and butter. It’s spread thickly across freshly baked Tuscan bread and is truly a little taste of heaven!
A favourite first course dish in Tuscany (which follows the antipasti) is a dish using pappardelle pasta.
This is a wider pasta cut than tagliatelle which helps the eater to swirl it around the plate, soaking up the pungent flavours of a wild boar ragù. The sauce is made by reducing down a mix of diced carrots, onions, celery, wild boar meat and crushed garlic in a hot pot before adding home-made tomato paste, a little flour and a decent addition of red wine and herbs.
This is cooked slowly for around two hours. The meat is then removed while the sauce is blended and then the meat is flaked back into it. The flavour of this dish is truly mesmerising and will leave you running back for more!
Tuscan white beans, also known as ‘Fagioli all‘Olio’ are quite the staple food in this region; especially in Florence where they are famously nicknamed the ‘bean eaters’!
An excellent source of protein, a typical Tuscan bean dish is made by tossing lots of dried white cannellini beans into a bean pot of cold water, a few tablespoons of olive oil, garlic cloves and sage.
This is cooked slowly for around two hours. The meat is then removed while the sauce is blended and then the meat is flaked back into it. The flavour of this dish is truly mesmerising and will leave you running back for more!
Tuscan white beans, also known as ‘Fagioli all‘Olio’ are quite the staple food in this region; especially in Florence where they are famously nicknamed the ‘bean eaters’!
An excellent source of protein, a typical Tuscan bean dish is made by tossing lots of dried white cannellini beans into a bean pot of cold water, a few tablespoons of olive oil, garlic cloves and sage.
This is then cooked slowly with a lid on top, never boiled and after ten minutes a good sprinkling of salt is added. A few minutes later, taste the beans to check if they’re cooked just right and take off the heat before they lose their shape. Drain and chop in the garlic and sage to the bowl of beans before drizzling with more olive oil and serve.
Many meals in Tuscany are concluded with a small plate of almond biscuits called cantucci and a glass of Vin Santo. Vin Santo is an Italian dessert wine that can vary from being very dry to very sweet. It acts as an effective digestive liquor to sip on after a large meal.
Check out our collection of articles about the many Slow Foods of Tuscany to learn more about the incredible cuisine of this region.
Many meals in Tuscany are concluded with a small plate of almond biscuits called cantucci and a glass of Vin Santo. Vin Santo is an Italian dessert wine that can vary from being very dry to very sweet. It acts as an effective digestive liquor to sip on after a large meal.
Check out our collection of articles about the many Slow Foods of Tuscany to learn more about the incredible cuisine of this region.
Photo credits
picture 1: Catia Giaccherini / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 2: Ivan Vighetto / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 1: Catia Giaccherini / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 2: Ivan Vighetto / CC BY-SA 3.0;
