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Campania cuisine

Campania's food is sun-and-sea Mediterranean: buffalo mozzarella and San Marzano tomatoes, Naples pizza and long-cooked ragù, clams and mussels from the bay. Its volcanic whites — Fiano, Greco, Falanghina — and the tannic Aglianico of Taurasi give the region wines as characterful as its cooking.

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Antipasto

Mozzarella di Bufala CampanaBuffalo-milk mozzarella

Fresh, milky buffalo mozzarella from the Caserta and Salerno plains, eaten simply with oil, or in caprese with tomato and basil.

buffalo milk mozzarellatomatobasil
Wines to drink with it
  • Falanghina del Sannio DOC Falanghina's fresh acidity and light body suit the milky, delicate cheese.
  • Falanghina The grape's citrus and white-flower notes lift the fresh mozzarella.
Impepata di CozzePeppered mussels

Mussels opened in their own liquor with a heavy hit of black pepper, lemon and parsley, mopped up with bread.

musselsblack pepperlemonparsley
Wines to drink with it

Primo

Spaghetti alle VongoleSpaghetti with clams

Spaghetti tossed with clams opened in garlic, oil, white wine and parsley - the emblematic dish of the Neapolitan coast.

spaghetticlamsgarlicparsley
Wines to drink with it
  • Fiano di Avellino DOCG Fiano's texture and hazelnut depth match the clams without covering their sweetness.
  • Falanghina Falanghina's brisk acidity keeps the garlicky, oily pasta fresh.
GenoveseNeapolitan onion-and-beef ragù

A slow ragù of beef and a great mass of onions cooked for hours to a sweet, tawny sauce, dressing ziti or candele pasta.

beefonionsziti pasta
Wines to drink with it
Sartù di RisoNeapolitan rice timbale

A baroque baked rice timbale filled with tiny meatballs, sausage, peas, egg and mozzarella - Bourbon-era Naples on a plate.

ricemeatballssausagepeasmozzarella
Wines to drink with it
  • Aglianico A medium Aglianico's acidity and tannin cut through the rich, layered timbale.
  • Greco di Tufo DOCG For a white, Greco's body and grip handle the substantial dish.

Secondo

Parmigiana di MelanzaneBaked aubergine parmigiana

Fried aubergine layered with tomato, basil, mozzarella and grated cheese, then baked - a southern classic claimed by Campania.

auberginetomatomozzarellabasil
Wines to drink with it
  • Piedirosso Piedirosso's soft, herby red fruit flatters the tomato and fried aubergine.
  • Aglianico A younger Aglianico's acidity cuts the richness of the cheese.
Ragù NapoletanoNeapolitan Sunday meat ragù

Large cuts of beef and pork braised for many hours in tomato until meltingly tender, the sauce dressing pasta and the meat served after.

beefporktomato
Wines to drink with it
  • Taurasi DOCG The 'Barolo of the south' has the tannin and depth for the long-braised Sunday ragù.
  • Aglianico Aglianico's acidity and grip mirror the rich tomato-and-meat sauce.

Pizza

Pizza MargheritaNaples Margherita pizza

The Neapolitan pizza: a soft, blistered dough topped with San Marzano tomato, buffalo or fior di latte mozzarella and basil.

pizza doughSan Marzano tomatomozzarellabasil
Wines to drink with it