Truffle might be expensive. For people in Tuscany it is engraved in their culinary culture
TUSCANY ITALY: Tuscan food, the essence of the Mediterranean diet, is known for its simple, fresh, and healthy dishes. Tuscany is a region where history, art, and gastronomy are all linked in a magnificent and inseparable way. However, what are the most popular Tuscan dishes? Do not worry, we are going to cover them and help you plan your Tuscan-themed meals.
Tuscan food still maintains the sign of a culinary culture that was short on ingredients but overflowing with taste. This conception evolved from a time when Tuscany was a poor and destitute region. With limited access to food, peasants and farmers were obliged to adopt a “no-waste attitude,” based on the creative ability to turn simple materials into spectacular dishes.
ITALIAN WINE: THE POPE´S MATCH IN HEAVEN
Culinary Tuscany
Fresh and basic meals like bread, tomatoes, olive oil, and seasonal vegetables are vital in most of today’s traditional Tuscan cuisine. Other than these few ingredients, the Tuscan cuisine in larger part has acquired the use of seafood. This is no surprise when you understand that Tuscany has a long coast that is exposed to the Tyrrhenian Sea. Here are popular Tuscan dishes to explore the culinary Tuscany.
Zuppa Toscana Recipe With Cauliflower
This is among the simplest soups to make! There are just three key steps and a few ingredients:
Ingredients:
- 1-pound sweet Italian sausage, ground
- One big sliced sweet onion
- Three minced garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed
- Cauliflower florets (24 ounces)
- Chicken broth (48 ounces)
- Two cups chopped kale
- heavy cream, 12 oz
How to make it
- With the onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes, brown the Italian sausage.
- Boil the cauliflower with the chicken stock until the cauliflower is tender.
- Simmer for another 10-15 minutes after adding the greens and cream.
That concludes our discussion. This is a 30-minute supper, especially if you buy cauliflower florets in packages already chopped into florets. And believe me, when I say this is a supper, you’ll be pleased you put in the work to prepare.
Panzanella Salad With Stale Bread
Panzanella is an Italian salad originally made of stale, soaked bread with tomatoes, onions, or basil, as well as a vinegar and olive oil dressing. The salad is a Tuscan delicacy that is often served in the summer and combines fresh summer veggies which are in season.
Cucumbers, olives, and cheese are some of the components that can be added to Panzanella. Panzanella is thought to have originated out of the need to use up undesired components like stale bread.
Ingredients:
- Stale bread
- Tomato
- Onion
- Basil
- Olive oil
- Vinegar
- Black Pepper
You’ll love this recipe. All you have to do is prepare the croutons, mix everything and enjoy!
Truffle Tagliatelle – Pasta With Mushroom
The truffles come from the region of Siena in the Tuscan region. Truffles are split into a few categories; the most popular ones are the white and black truffles. What is interesting is that the white truffles should be consumed raw, that is the real way according to the people of Siena. Today we are going to cover a simple recipe with a custom tagliatelle dough and black truffles.
Ingredients for the tagliatelle dough:
- 250 grams of flour
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 beaten egg yolks
- Salt
Ingredients for the truffle tagliatelle:
- Black Truffle (don’t cook it, sprinkle the shavings at the end)
- 100 gr Green bell peppers
- 2 chungs of Asparagus
- 100 gr Broccoli
- Pepper and Salt to taste
- Olive oil
- 70 gr of Butter
Hoe to make it
- Place a pile of flour on a work surface, form a well in the center, and add the eggs and yolks, as well as a good amount of salt. With a fork, stir the flour into the egg mixture, dragging in flour from the edges first, then gradually incorporating more until the dough comes together.
If the dough is too sticky, add more flour. Knead for a few minutes until smooth, then cover in plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes at room temperature. This should make 350 gr of fresh pasta.
- Set a pasta machine to the widest setting, split the dough into quarters, and roll through ten times, folding the pasta in on itself each time while flouring well. Change the dial on the pasta machine notch by notch to tighten the rollers, rolling, flouring, and folding as you go.
You may need to trim the pasta sheets to make them easier to manage when they become thinner (do not cut them too short or you won’t have wonderful long tagliatelle).
- Cut the pasta sheets into tagliatelle until they are thin (approximately 2 mm), then sprinkle with more flour to keep the threads apart and set on a tray.
- Cook the tagliatelle and green veggies for 2-3 minutes, or until al dente, in a big pot of boiling salted water with a little olive oil added (this will make the vegetables shimmer).
- In a metal dish set over boiling water, melt butter. Drain the pasta and veggies, then combine with warm melted butter and shaved truffle shavings, season to taste, and serve with additional truffle shavings on top.
Most Popular Tuscan Dishes
In conclusion, the Tuscan dishes incorporate veggies and wheat-based products. Because of their gastronomical location, these dishes often have uncharacteristic ingredients, such as the truffle recipe we mentioned. For other parts of the world, the truffle might be expensive. In Tuscany it is engraved in their culinary culture, and a common item on the table.
The Tuscan dishes are with amazing flavor and beautiful color, we recommend you to try some of them and feel the true Italian flavor.
RISOTTO THE ART OF FOOD – LEARN SECRETS
Author´s Bio
Karen Rutherford is editor-in-chief at Recipeska. You will often find her in the kitchen creating edible works of art or trying out some new recipes. As chef, Karen decided to share her knowledge with new audience and provide only the best tips and recipes.
