Wherever you travel in Italy you will find a pasta for that region; this will suit the season, climate and landscape. Please remember when eating pasta, it’s all about the quality of the pasta, not the sauce that is meant to add a gentle flavour. Protein is followed in the next course, in the same way that pasta replaces the carbs that many have with their mains

In Lucca we have Tordelli. This is a fairly heavy meaty and herb pasta served with tomato sauce. It is filling, so perfect for cooler days and the surrounding mountains plus weekends at home with the family; in the summer lighter pastas will be served such as a cherry & rocket. Another wintery pasta may contain walnuts and cheese, possibly gorgonzola or in season funghi (mushrooms) and wild boar (Cinghiale).

On the coast the pasta will have a seafood sauce, maybe vongole. One unique to Viareggio is Arselli, a tiny clam cooked in a similar way to vongole. In order to strengthen the fishy flavour dried pasta is generally used cooked in fish stock.

The Genovese eat pesto, broccoli is also very popular served with lemon, chilli and pine nuts.

As we travel East to Bologna, Parma & Florence, the pasta sauce become meatier & cheesy, with Bolognaise & Lasagna being very popular.

Tuscan sausage pasta.

Further south is more veggie. Tomatoes in Naples, aubergines, sardines in Sicily. Chilli is also used with nduja being very popular.

In the south where it is traditionally poorer, pangrattato (fried bread crumbs with herbs, sometimes anchovies) are often used rather than the more expensive parmesan cheese from the north.

Traditionally every family used to keep a pig. This was often cured or salted for proscuitto (cured meats & hams) to keep throughout the year. Guanciale is now very popular again – pork cheek is used to add to pasta sauces.

Buon appetito