With natural
and tasty ingredients that access the extremities of taste, the cuisine of
Molise is the result of a close relationship between local products, wilderness
and unpolluted earth, sea, forests and rivers.
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| Local Ricotta Cheese |
Just an
example…in Molise, cows graze freely in high mountains fields where they grow aromatic wild herbs and it's no surprise
that milk and dairy products have
rare flavors that
is not easy to find in the world.
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| Casacavallo Cheese |
The cuisine
of Molise displays a specific identity and a strong tie to the rural and countryside
traditions and it is dominated by flavors linked to the many aromatic herbs
found there. Tasty and spicy salamis, top quality cheeses, elaborate dishes
using goat and lamb meats, homemade pasta dishes with rich sauces, all somewhat
spicy and flavorsome. such are the main characteristics of the Molise cuisine.
The vegetables that grow in abundance in this land, are cooked in many
different ways, but always with great care.
Here are
some typical dishes and preparation method:
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| Molisian Salami & Cheese |
Typical antipasti consist of Bruschetta - toasted bread with olive oil, salt, pepper, and
garlic;
Capocolli-sausage made from the head and tail of a pig.
Prosciutto affumicato -smoked ham from Rionero Sannitico.
Salsiccie al finocchio - sausage with fennel.
Soppressata- a type of salame.
The best
sausages and salamis may be found in Molise Heights area.
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| Soppressata |
Castel del
Giudice, Capracotta and Agnone are known for the best suppressata, and
excellent smoked prosciutto.
Typical primi piatti and Main Dishes are: Brodosini made of Tagliatelle (noodles) in broth with pork cheek and fat.
Calcioni di ricotta- a specialty of Campobasso, made of fried
pasta stuffed with ricotta, provolone, prosciutto, and parsley, and usually
served with fried artichokes, cauliflower, brains, sweetbreads, potato croquettes,
and scamorza cheese.
Cavatiegl e Patane or Gnocchi
(dumplings) served in a meat sauce of rabbit and pork.
Typical main dish includes a variety of Pasta, such as:
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| Cavatelli |
Cavatelli, Lasagna,
or maccheroni served with a meat
sauce (ragu') of lamb or goat.
Pasta e fagioli - Pasta and white bean soup cooked with pig's
feet and pork rinds.
Polenta d'iragn - a polenta like dish actually made of wheat
and potatoes, sauced with raw tomatoes and pecorino.
Risotto alla marinara- rice with seafood. Spaghetti with diavolillo,- a strong
chili pepper sauce.
Zuppa di cardi- a soup of cardoons, tomatoes, onions,
pancetta, olive oil.
Zuppa di ortiche- a soup of nettle stems, tomatoes, onions,
pancetta, olive oil.
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| Add caption |
The most
popular main meat dish is lamb served
grilled, roasted, or stewed.
Other
typical main dishes:
Coniglio alla molisana - grilled rabbit pieces skewered
with sausage and herbs.
Ragu' d' agnello - braised lamb with sweet peppers, a specialty
of Isernia.
Torcinelli - rolled strips of lamb tripe, sweetbreads, and
liver.
Pamparella - pork pancetta dried with peperoncino, soaked
in wine and cut into small pieces. (Pamparella is used to flavour sauces, in
particular the sauce for dressing the tacconi- a rustic pasta made with flour
and water).
Tasty vegetable dishes are:
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| Carciofi ripieni |
Carciofi ripieni- artichokes stuffed with anchovies and capers.
Peeled sweet peppers stuffed with breadcrumbs,
anchovies, parsley, basil and peperoncino, sautéed in a frying pan and cooked
with chopped tomatoes.
Cipollacci con pecorino- fried strong onions and pecorino
cheese.
Frittata con basilico e cipolle - omelette with basil and onions.
Fish dishes include:
Red mullet
soup and spaghetti with cuttlefish.
Trout from the Biferno River is notable for its flavor, and is
cooked with a simple but tasty sauce of aromatic herbs.
