Tuscan food
Tuscany is the second most visited Italian region after Veneto. Of course, there are many reasons why people love to visit Tuscany. Think the Italian renaissance, the picture perfect countryside with rolling green hills, orderly vineyards and cypress trees, and, of course, historic cities like Florence, Siena, and San Gimignano. Tuscany is romantic and cultural! However, despite the riches of its art and architecture, Tuscan food is simple and hearty with bread, meat and legumes being the main staples.
Pasta in Tuscany.
Pasta is also a Tuscan staple, although it’s mostly pasta ribbons like pappardelle or tagliatelle and filled pasta such as tortelli or tordelli. There are also a number of handmade pasta types unique to this region like pici (handrolled spaghetti) and testaroli (pancake pasta) as well as dried pasta shapes such as gigli (campanelle) and dischi volanti (flying saucers). Tuscan cuisine also includes types of gnocchi including gnudi, a ricotta and spinach gnocchi, and topini, small potato gnocchi.
Below are some of the Tuscan recipes so far published on the Pasta Project. There are also a couple of gnocchi ones. Some are meatless, others not and a few feature legumes which are such a staple in the region that other Italians call Tuscans ‘mangiafagioli’, bean eaters! I hope you’ll give them a try.
Click the recipe name to see the ingredients and instructions.
Tuscan pasta recipes with legumes
Tuscan chickpea and pasta soup.
This Tuscan chickpea and pasta soup makes a hearty rustic one-pot meal. Also known as ‘striscia coi ceci’ (strips with chickpeas), this soup features chickpeas cooked in a broth of garlic, rosemary, tomatoes and olive oil to which fine egg pasta strands are added before serving.
Tuscan minestrone with orzo.
You will find different versions of minestrone in Tuscany. However, what most Tuscan minestrone soup recipes have in common is the inclusion of seasonal veggies and beans, as well as pasta. The most commonly used pasta types are ditalini or maltagliati. I used orzo (risoni). Although minestrone is made all year round, this is a winter/fall version with lots of seasonal veg. A nutritious and delicious dish all the family will love!
Tuscan kale, white bean and pasta soup
This Tuscan kale, white bean and pasta soup is a warming and super nutritious soup that is hearty enough to be eaten as a meal on its own or makes a great starter to a cold weather family lunch. The star of this traditional soup is Tuscan kale. Also known as lacinato kale, dinosaur kale or black kale from the Italian name ‘cavolo nero’, which has been cultivated in Italy since antiquity!
Apart from the kale, all you need is cannellini beans, small pasta, carrots, celery, onions, garlic and tomatoes as well as bay leaves, some stock or warm water and seasoning.
Vegetarian Tuscan pasta recipes
Tuscan pomarola sauce.
Tuscan pomarola is a traditional homemade tomato sauce from Tuscany. It can be made with a combination of different types of fresh tomatoes or with just one type. In this recipe, I have paired my Tuscan pomarola tomato sauce with mixed pasta (pasta mista). This is a brilliant and economical way to use up leftover dried pasta. Although, here in Italy, you can also buy packets of pasta mista.
Pici all’aglione
Pici all’aglione is a classic vegan Tuscan pasta recipe made with elephant garlic and tomatoes. It’s easy to make and seriously delicious. This recipe showcases the timeless flavours of Tuscany and exemplifies the art of Italian cooking at its simple best!
To make this traditional recipe, apart from the pici pasta (or thick spaghetti) and elephant garlic, all you need is some olive oil, tomato passata or freshly peeled tomatoes and peperoncino. However, the latter is optional. I added a little fresh peperoncino (Italian red chili pepper). You can also use flakes.
Tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms.
The deliciousness of pasta with porcini mushrooms can only be understood by those who have had the pleasure of eating it. This tagliatelle with porcini is an Italian classic that’s really easy to make. You just need some good quality porcini, wine, garlic, wild mint or thyme. So, definitely worth going mushroom hunting for (even in your local supermarket!).
This recipe is from Tuscany but porcini are cooked with pasta throughout the Italian peninsula, particularly in places where mushroom hunting is a seasonal activity.
Baked Tuscan gnudi
In this baked Tuscan gnudi (malfatti) recipe, melt-in-your-mouth spinach and ricotta dumplings from Tuscany are cooked in a delicious homemade tomato sauce with mozzarella. However, you can also serve your gnudi with just browend butter and fried sage or tomato sauce without baking.
Gnudi actually started life as the filling for a type of ravioli or tortelli. In fact, the word ‘gnudi’ means naked because the ravioli filling on its own became a traditional dish without the pasta dough. Written reference to these delicious dumplings dates back to the 16th century!
Tuscan testaroli pancake pasta
Said to be the oldest known type of pasta, Tuscan testaroli is a unique spongy pasta from the Lunigana region. It’s sometimes referred to as a pancake pasta because of its flavor, texture and the way it’s made. Often served with basil pesto, this rustic ancient comfort food is easy to make and delicious as a snack, a first course (primo in Italian) or a meal.
Tuscan pasta recipes with meat
Pasta alla Boscaiola.
Pasta alla boscaiola (woodman’s pasta) is one of the most delicious traditional autumn/fall sausage and mushroom pasta recipes! Originally made with fresh foraged mushrooms, particularly porcini, this Italian classic is just as delicious if you use dried porcini and other types of mushrooms.
The sausage and mushroom boscaiola pasta recipe I made is based on what many believe to be the original recipe but, in Italy, that can depend on which region you come from! Alla boscaiola is considered traditional in a number of regions including Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna and Campania.
Seven Ps pasta recipe
Seven Ps pasta also called penne alle sette P is a delicious Tuscan pasta recipe made with seven ingredients all beginning with the letter P (in Italian). The delicious cream and tomato sauce includes leeks, pancetta and peas. This recipe is really easy to prepare and perfect for weeknights. Kids love it too.
Pappardelle with wild boar ragu
This rich and delicious Tuscan wild boar ragu recipe with pappardelle is probably the most well-known and popular way to eat wild boar in Italy. Wow your guests with this authentic Italian pasta recipe from Tuscany. It takes a while to make but is so worth the effort. Perfect for a holiday meal like Christmas or New Year’s.
Tuscan pasta tordellata with ragu, swiss chard and ricotta.
Known as Tuscan pasta tordellata, intordellata or stordellata, this delicious, deconstructed version of a traditional tortelli recipe from Tuscany tastes as good as the filled pasta dish, with less work! I loved everything about this recipe, including having 2 sauces.
For the pasta, I used gigli also known as campanelle, a typical pasta from Tuscany. Of course, you can use other pasta types including homemade lasagne sheets cut into squares. This is an unusual and tasty way to use up leftover ragu.
Let me know what you think.
Of course, there are more pasta recipes from Tuscany that I really want to make and publish. However, I hope you’ll give some of these twelve a go and bring a taste of Tuscany to your table.
Lastly, if you try one or two of these dishes (or more), do let me know what you think. Please write a comment here on the blog, email me or post a comment on the Pasta Project Facebook page. Your feedback is really appreciated and helps others to decide what recipes they would like to try too.
Buon Appetito!
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Other regional recipe collections to check out.
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