Specialty
Molise
The Food
Molise was the only region in Italy to come under the rule of Sicily. The Sicilian influence is evident in the region's gastronomic culture. Sheep are an important to the regional economy, as it is in many other regions in southern Italy. You will find that the lamb dishes are very similar to the recipes of Abruzzo. In Molise, pigskin is often used to make sauces for pasta.
The types of pasta you find here are resemble what you find in the neighboring regions. Cavatieddi and Sagne are two popular pasta shapes that come from Puglia. The Puglian influence is also noticeable in the regional custom of pairing cheese and fish, as in the recipe for stuffed, broiled mussels.
The local cheeses are primarily made from sheep's milk and include names likePecorino, Scamorza, Caciocavallo and Provolone. Ventricina, the pork sausage typically found in Abruzzo, is produced in Molise as well. Here is the seasoned with fennel seeds and peperoncino.
In Molise, many of the traditional desserts are made with an intense, aromatic olive oil.
(extract to academia barilla)
Tacconelle or sagne a pezze, are one of the most common and appreciated pasta in the regions of Abruzzo and Molise, easy to prepare and good to taste. They are made with durum wheat flour and wheat flour, and taking a matte ivory color having a diamond or similar shape.
CACIOCAVALLO DI AGNONE
Whilst this cheese is not exclusive to Molise, that of Agnone is particularly renowned. Made with 100% cow's milk, it is formed in the classic pear shape, with a weight of up to 3 kg and a nocciolata crust. Try the aged cheese (up to three years), which has extraordinary spicy notes.
Baccala Arracanto
If you ask a Molise what to try in their country, they will undboubtedly answer "baccala arracanato". The cod fish is cooked in a pan placed inside the fireplace, covered with ashes and then seasoned with breadcrumbs, pine nuts and walnuts, raisins, olives and cherry tomatoes. Those without a fireplace can of course substitute with an oven, but even so, the arracanatura (gratin) will not turn out quite the same.
PEZZATA
In a region where sheep farming has always been of great socio-economic importance, it is only appropriate that one of the most popular dishes is made with mutton. The "pezzata" is made from boiled mutton - traditionally cooked in a copper container - along with potatoes, vegetables and spices. It requires long slow cooking to tenderise the meat, which also has a very intense flavour.
PAMPANELLA
Not to be confused with porchetta, pampanella is probably the most popular street food in Molise, consisting of marinated pork meat with sweet or spicy red pepper, garlic, salt and vinegar, it's cooked in the oven and served in a bun. The name comes from the vine leaves in which the meat is wrapped before cooking. Pampanella can be found at many food festivals, but the original is only found in the village of San Martino.
Cavatelli
Among the various types of Italian pasta, characterized by delicacy and refinement, the cavatelli undoubtedly deserve to be counted in terms of good taste for good food: part of Molise and circulated in various parts of southern Italy, the cavatelli (called cavatielli also in the local dialect) is a handmade pasta, made from a dough of flour and water, which are sometimes added potatoes. Elongated with a recess inside, they are seasoned to taste with meat sauce or with vegetables like broccoli or cardoncelli, although, clearly, there are other variations and combinations that can change a parameter according to personal tastes and to help establish a first irresistible dish of good taste and good food: for the most discerning palates, for example, are a must to enjoy cavatielli with mushrooms and sausage, seafood, and beans with mussels, the rock and many other ways that can satisfy those who love the intense flavors and delicious.