Abruzzo cuisine

Abruzzo cooks between mountain and sea: skewered mutton over embers, guitar-cut pasta with lamb ragù, saffron from the Navelli plain, and the fish brodetto of the coast. Its wines are overwhelmingly Montepulciano - deep red or the cherry-pink Cerasuolo rosato - with Trebbiano and the revived Pecorino for whites.

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Antipasto

Pallotte Cacio e OvaCheese-and-egg balls in tomato

Breadcrumb, egg and pecorino balls fried then simmered in tomato sauce - a meatless 'meatball' of the cucina povera.

pecorinoeggsbreadcrumbstomato

Wines to drink with it

Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo DOC The cherry-pink Montepulciano rosato is a versatile match for the cheesy, tomatoey balls.
Montepulciano A light Montepulciano red flatters the tomato sauce.

Primo

Maccheroni alla ChitarraGuitar-cut square spaghetti

Egg pasta pressed through the wire 'chitarra' into square-section strands, dressed with a lamb-and-tomato ragù or little meatballs.

egg pastalamb ragùtomato

Wines to drink with it

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC Its acidity and body cut the rich lamb ragù.
Colline Teramane Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOCG The Teramo hills' structured DOCG Montepulciano suits the meaty pasta.

Scrippelle 'mbusseCrêpes in broth

Thin crêpes rolled with pecorino and nutmeg and drowned ('mbusse) in a hot capon broth - the Teramo answer to soup.

crêpespecorinocapon broth

Wines to drink with it

Trebbiano d'Abruzzo DOC A crisp Trebbiano keeps the rich, cheesy broth light.
Pecorino The native Pecorino white's freshness lifts the cheese and broth.

Timballo AbruzzeseCrêpe-layered timbale

A baked timbale layered with thin crêpes (in place of pasta), meat ragù, tiny meatballs, egg and cheese - the Abruzzo festive centrepiece.

crêpesmeat ragùmeatballscheese

Wines to drink with it

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC A full Montepulciano matches the rich, layered baked dish.
Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo DOC For a lighter option, the Cerasuolo rosato refreshes between forkfuls.

Secondo

ArrosticiniSkewered grilled mutton

Tiny cubes of castrated sheep threaded onto thin skewers and grilled over a long charcoal brazier - eaten by the fistful across Abruzzo.

muttonsalt

Wines to drink with it

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC The region's deep, ripe Montepulciano is the born partner for the smoky grilled mutton.
Montepulciano Montepulciano's dark fruit and soft tannin match the fatty, charred skewers.

Brodetto alla VasteseVasto-style fish stew

A southern-Adriatic fish stew from Vasto, cooked in a terracotta pot with tomato, sweet pepper and no browning, so each fish keeps its shape.

mixed fishtomatosweet pepper

Wines to drink with it

Pecorino Pecorino's body and citrus stand up to the tomatoey, peppery stew.
Trebbiano d'Abruzzo DOC A fuller Trebbiano d'Abruzzo matches the coastal fish.

Agnello Cacio e OvoLamb in egg-and-cheese sauce

Pieces of lamb braised then bound in a sauce of beaten egg, pecorino and lemon - the Abruzzo-Molise Easter dish.

lambeggpecorinolemon

Wines to drink with it

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC Montepulciano's grip cuts the rich egg-and-cheese sauce on the lamb.
Colline Teramane Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOCG A more structured Teramano red for the festive braise.

Dolce

ParrozzoChocolate-almond dome cake

A dome of almond-and-semolina cake coated in dark chocolate, created in Pescara and sung by the poet D'Annunzio.

almondssemolinadark chocolate

Wines to drink with it

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC A ripe, mature Montepulciano's dark fruit stands up to the chocolate-and-almond cake.