Central Italy stands for simple ingredients, clear flavours and a lot of craftsmanship. The following four recipes bring this cuisine to the table — from Tuscan bread soup to stuffed olives from Le Marche. You will also find concise notes on adapting the preparation using a pizza stone, cast-iron or a wood-fired or gas pizza oven.
Tuscany: Pappa al Pomodoro
Tuscan pappa al pomodoro is a thick tomato and bread soup — simple, filling and full of flavour. Ideal for using up stale, unsalted bread.
Ingredients
- 500 g ripe tomatoes
- 200 g stale Tuscan bread (unsalted)
- 1 l vegetable stock
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 bunch fresh basil
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Preparation
- Peel, core and dice the tomatoes. Tear the bread into large pieces.
- Warm the olive oil in a pot, sauté the garlic until golden. Add the tomatoes and simmer gently for about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the bread and stock and cook, stirring, for about 15 minutes until you have a creamy consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper, roughly chop the basil and fold it in. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil.
Tip for oven & grill
If you are using a wood-fired or gas pizza oven: let the soup finish in an ovenproof pot at moderate heat as the oven cools. Toast the bread briefly beforehand on a hot pizza stone — this intensifies the flavour.
Umbria: Torta al Testo
The Umbrian flatbread is traditionally baked on the "testo" (a stone or cast-iron plate). Slightly browned on the outside and soft inside — plain or filled, it makes an uncomplicated partner to antipasti.
Ingredients
- 500 g wheat flour
- 300 ml water (lukewarm)
- 10 g fresh yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Preparation
- Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water.
- Mix the flour and salt, add the yeast water and olive oil and knead into a smooth dough.
- Cover and leave to prove for about 60 minutes, until the volume has visibly increased.
- Roll the dough out on a floured surface and divide into suitably sized flatbreads.
- Bake on a very hot cast-iron plate or a pizza stone until golden brown on both sides.
Serving suggestion: while still warm, fill with ham, cheese or grilled vegetables and fold closed.
Tip for pizza oven & accessories
A very hot pizza stone or a baking steel ensures the characteristic crust. Bake in a wood-fired oven with a low flame or in a gas oven at moderate heat; turn the flatbreads once during baking.
Lazio: Bucatini all’Amatriciana
A Roman classic with roots in Amatrice. Preparations vary slightly by tradition — sometimes with, sometimes without onion. This version is hearty and well balanced.
Ingredients
- 400 g bucatini
- 150 g guanciale (pork cheek) or pancetta, cut into strips
- 400 g peeled tomatoes (canned)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 50 g Pecorino Romano, grated
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 pinch chilli flakes
- Salt and pepper
Preparation
- Heat the olive oil, fry the guanciale/pancetta until crisp and remove from the pan.
- Sweat the onion and chilli flakes gently in the rendered fat.
- Add the tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce has slightly reduced. Season to taste.
- Cook the bucatini in salted water until al dente, reserving some cooking water.
- Toss the pasta with the sauce, adding a little cooking water if needed to bind. Fold in the guanciale and half the Pecorino, and serve with the remaining Pecorino.
Timing tip
The sauce should finish at the same time as the pasta — this lets the starch in the cooking water combine with the guanciale fat into a creamy texture.
Le Marche: Olive all’Ascolana
Stuffed, crisp-fried olives from Le Marche — a popular antipasto. Crispy on the outside, juicy and savoury inside.
Ingredients
- 500 g large green olives (pitted)
- 200 g mixed minced meat (beef and pork)
- 1 egg
- 50 g Parmesan, grated
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 100 g breadcrumbs
- Flour for dusting
- Salt and pepper
- Oil for frying
Preparation
- Brown the minced meat, add the onion and garlic, mix in the tomato purée. Season with salt and pepper and let cool.
- Mix the meat with the Parmesan, egg and about 50 g of the breadcrumbs.
- Carefully cut open the olives and fill them.
- Coat: first in flour, then in beaten egg, and finally in the remaining breadcrumbs.
- Fry in hot oil until golden brown and drain on kitchen paper.
Tip for the outdoor kitchen
For frying, use a heavy pot or a cast-iron pan on a side burner or a gas grill with steady heat. Alternatively, crisp the breaded olives over indirect heat on the grill with a little oil, turning them occasionally.
Finally
Four regions, four characters — all united by good basic ingredients and straightforward technique. With a pizza stone, cast-iron and controlled heat, these dishes succeed indoors and outdoors — bringing Central Italy straight to the plate.