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Abruzzo

Abruzzo is a region of Southern Italy with a population of 1.3 million. Geographically, Abruzzo is divided into a mountainous area in the west, which includes the highest massifs of the Apennines, such as the Gran Sasso d'Italia and the Maiella, and a coastal area in the east with beaches on the Adriatic Sea.

Featured Dishes from Abruzzo

Ciambellone

Ciambellone

Ring-shaped cake

Maritozzo

Maritozzo

Sweet bun filled with cream, may also contain dried fruit, serve with cappuccino

Bignè di San Giuseppe

Bignè di San Giuseppe

Cream puffs, common during the Feast of St. Joseph

Bocconotti

Bocconotti

Short crust pastry filled with jam or preserves, pastry cream, chocolate

Bombolone

Bombolone

Doughnuts filled with vanilla pastry cream, Nutella, fruit jam, serve with coffee, cappuccino

Calcioni marchigiani

Calcioni marchigiani

Deep-fried pastries with a sweet filling made with ricotta or pecorino cheese, eggs, nuts, chocolate, lemon or orange zest

Ciambellone

Ciambellone

Ring-shaped cake

Cicerchiata

Cicerchiata

Mini fried pastry balls in honey

Crostata di ricotta

Crostata di ricotta

Ferratelle

Ferratelle

Thin waffle cookies or wafers

Frustingo

Frustingo

A cake with ancient origins that is made with stale bread or breadcrumbs, dried fruit, citrus, spices and nuts

Mostaccioli

Mostaccioli

Christmas cookies made with mosto cotto (grape must), chocolate, gingerbread spices, there are several different variations of this cookie

Parrozzo

Parrozzo

Dome-shaped chocolate-covered almond cake, which is said to resemble a church dome, common during Christmas

Pepatelli

Pepatelli

Almond biscotti, made with honey, ground pepper, cocoa, orange zest, common during Christmas

Ravioli dolci di ricotta

Ravioli dolci di ricotta

Sweet raviolis filled with a mixture of ricotta, sugar, white wine, lemon and cinnamon, common during Carnival and Easter

Scarponi

Scarponi

Chocolate cookies made with dried fruit, nuts and mosto cotto (wine must), common during Christmas

Sise delle monache

Sise delle monache

A three-peaked pastry filled with pastry cream

Torciglione

Torciglione

Serpent-shaped strudel with almonds, apples and figs

Torta del pastore

Torta del pastore

Birra Moretti

Birra Moretti

Centerbe

Centerbe

Liqueur with herbs

Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo

Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo

Colline Teatine

Colline Teatine

White, Red, Rosé, White Passito, Red Passito, Red Novello and Novello Rosé wines produced in Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy

Controguerra

Controguerra

Genziana

Genziana

Alcohol made from the roots of the gentiana plant, a bitter flowering plant

L'Aurun di Pescara

L'Aurun di Pescara

Liquirizia liquore

Liquirizia liquore

Licorice liqueur

Montepulciano

Montepulciano

Red grape from Italy

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

Montonico

Montonico

Orange liqueur

Orange liqueur

Passerina

Passerina

Pecorino

Pecorino

Peroni

Peroni

Ratafià

Ratafià

Black cherry liqueur and wine

Ratafià

Ratafià

Black cherry liqueur and wine

Trebbiano

Trebbiano

Trebbiano d'Abruzzo

Trebbiano d'Abruzzo

Agnello allo spiedo

Agnello allo spiedo

Spit-roasted lamb

Agnello cacio e ovo

Agnello cacio e ovo

Lamb in a cheese and egg sauce

Agnello con le olive

Agnello con le olive

Lamb with olives, common during Easter

Agnello del Centro Italia

Agnello del Centro Italia

Lambs reared in Abruzzo, Marche, Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna and Umbria, Italy

Arrosticini

Arrosticini

Brodetto

Brodetto

Spicy seafood soup

Bucatini all'Amatriciana

Bucatini all'Amatriciana

Bucatini pasta with amatriciana sauce

Capra alla neretese

Capra alla neretese

Capretto allo spiedo

Capretto allo spiedo

Spit-roasted goat

Cicoria cacio e uova

Cicoria cacio e uova

Chicory with onions, Pecorino cheese and eggs

Cinghiale all'agrodolce

Cinghiale all'agrodolce

Wild boar in sweet and sour sauce

Coda di rospo alla cacciatora

Coda di rospo alla cacciatora

Monkfish cacciatore, monkfish with tomatoes, onion, rosemary, wine

Cozze ripiene

Cozze ripiene

Stuffed mussels

Gnummareddi

Gnummareddi

Grilled meat rolls made with lamb and kid goat offal with herbs and spices, there are several variations

Lasagne abruzzese

Lasagne abruzzese

Layers of pasta and a meat and spicy tomato sauce

Le Virtu

Le Virtu

Minestrone soup made with beans, pasta, peas, pork, herbs, vegetables, traditionally eaten on May 1st

Lenticchie e salsicce

Lenticchie e salsicce

Stewed lentils and sausage

Lepre al vino rosso

Lepre al vino rosso

Rabbit in red wine

Maccheroni alla chitarra

Maccheroni alla chitarra

Egg pasta, serve with a tomato sauce, often flavored with chilies, pork, lamb, goose

Mazzarelle Teramane

Mazzarelle Teramane

Lamb offal rolled inside lettuce leaves

Mollusco

Mollusco

Trends coming soon

Mussel

Mussel

Ndocca 'ndocca

Ndocca 'ndocca

Stew made with pork trotters, tail, snout, ears, skin, ribs, garlic, bay leaf, chili peppers, rosemary

Pappicci

Pappicci

Thin pasta noodles in a tomato sauce

Pasta alla pecorara

Pasta alla pecorara

Ring-shaped pasta in sauce with tomatoes, vegetables, ricotta and Pecorino cheese

Pastuccia

Pastuccia

Polenta stew with sausage, ewe's milk cheese and eggs

Pecora al cotturo

Pecora al cotturo

Stewed lamb and vegetables, traditionally cooked in a copper pot

Penne alla vodka

Penne alla vodka

Pizza fritta

Pizza fritta

Pan- or deep-fried pizza dough, then topped with sweet or savory ingredients

Polenta e salsiccia

Polenta e salsiccia

Polenta with sausage

Polpi in purgatorio

Polpi in purgatorio

Spicy octopus stew with tomatoes, garlic, parsley and hot peppers

Pomodoro verde salsa

Pomodoro verde salsa

Green tomato pasta, pasta with a green tomato sauce made with parsley, chili peppers, garlic, celery and olive oil

Porchetta Abruzzese

Porchetta Abruzzese

Boneless rolled pork roast with rosemary, garlic, parsley, allspice, salt and pepper, known as Italian pork roast in the Northeastern United States

Prawn

Prawn

Sagna chine

Sagna chine

Easter lasagna, made with layered pasta, ground pork, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, peas, cheese, mushrooms, artichokes, celery

Sautè di cozze

Sautè di cozze

Steamed mussels

Scapece alla Vastese

Scapece alla Vastese

Fried seafood such as whitefish, crustaceans and mollusks, marinated in wine, wine vinegar, onion and saffron for at least 8 days, serve with crusty bread and Trebbiano d'Abruzzo wine

Scrippelle 'mbusse

Scrippelle 'mbusse

Crepes in broth, crepes served in a soup made with chicken stock and pecorino cheese

Seafood

Seafood

Seppie ripiene

Seppie ripiene

Stuffed cuttlefish or squid

Spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino

Spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino

Spaghetti with garlic, olive oil and chili peppers

Spezzatino di agnello

Spezzatino di agnello

Spezzatino di maiale all'abruzzese

Spezzatino di maiale all'abruzzese

Spicy stewed pork

Tacchino alla canzanese

Tacchino alla canzanese

Turkey baked in gelatin, served cold

Tiella

Tiella

Baked casserole with rice, potatoes and mussels

Timballo

Timballo

Large meat pie or casserole made with pasta, meat, sausage, cheese, vegetables, rice, sauce

Timballo abruzzese

Timballo abruzzese

Baked dish containing layered scrippelles (crepes), vegetables, cheese and meat

Trippa alla romana

Trippa alla romana

Tripe with tomatoes, wine, mint and Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano

Vitellone bianco dell'Appennino centrale

Vitellone bianco dell'Appennino centrale

Chianina, Romagnola and Marchigiana cows and bullocks reared in Abruzzo, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio, Marche, Molise, Tuscany and Umbria, Italy

Zuppa di cardi

Zuppa di cardi

Thistle soup, common during Christmas

Zuppa di castagne

Zuppa di castagne

Chestnut soup, may include chickpeas, lentils, beans, several variations

Abruzzo sprisciocca

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Abruzzo sprisciocca

Agrumi della costa dei travocchi

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Agrumi della costa dei travocchi

Lemons, oranges and citrus grown on the coast of Abruzzo, made into jams, limoncello

Antipasto di fegatini

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Antipasto di fegatini

Appetizer of chicken livers, onion, oil, vinegar, sugar, wine, peppers, salt, pepper

Aprutino Pescarese

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Aprutino Pescarese

Extra virgin olive oil made from Leccino and Toccolana olives, from Pescara, Abruzzo, Italy

Arrosticini

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Arrosticini

Bruschetta

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Bruschetta

Bread topped with, salt and oil, vegetables, tomato, basil, mozzarella

Cacio Marcetto

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Cacio Marcetto

A creamy cheese made from unpasteurized whole ewes' milk with piophila casei cheese fly larvae, this cheese cannot legally be sold in Italy because the mouths of the larvae have hooks that, if not removed from the cheese prior to consumption, can cause severe gastrointestinal problems

Caciocavallo Abruzzese

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Caciocavallo Abruzzese

Caciofiore Aquilano

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Caciofiore Aquilano

Cacioricotta Abruzzese

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Cacioricotta Abruzzese

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