Pietrasanta, thanks to its territory that embraces the sea and the mountains, boasts a unique gastronomic wealth of its kind. Here authenticity is at home. For us, good eating, the use of local products and respect for the seasonality of food is not a rediscovery but a tradition.
In the coastal area it is possible to taste fresh fish specialties, prepared by internationally renowned chefs in elegant and refined restaurants. There is also the opportunity to taste the best products of the sea even in characteristic and convivial taverns.
Viareggio, from the first light of dawn, swarms with fishermen passionately dedicated to their activity, to ensure always fresh fish for local restaurants and for those who love to experiment in the kitchen.
Thanks to the delicacy of our raw materials, fish can be tasted in a simple and authentic way, a peculiarity that will allow you to smell the sea by closing your eyes.
Risotto with cuttlefish and Swiss chard, a true delicacy that combines the taste of the sea and the land, the cacciucco viareggino, the local seafood soup, the octopus that combines gracefully with lemon, parsley and potatoes. Clam soup, a small shellfish loved by Versilia people and tourists, almost a cult for us. The spaghetti alla trabaccolara, seasoned with filleted fish and tomatoes, are an example of "poor cuisine" but full of taste. The coltellacci, as we call the razor clams, are shellfish with a particular narrow and elongated shape that resemble a knife, excellent as an appetizer and condiment for first courses.
If we turn our attention to the Versilian hinterland, from the hilly areas to the Apuan Alps, we discover a more rustic but no less refined cuisine. Pietrasanta and its neighbouring areas have a long culinary tradition that favors authenticity: here each product is the result of the work of expert hands who, with great care, carry on their knowledge and experience from generation to generation. It can range from the production of typical cured meats to local honey, from olive oil to wine, from chestnut flour to spelled, from mushrooms to cheeses.
The cured meats of Gombitelli are an excellence of our land, but also the lard from Colonnata, famous all over the world, the typical cured meats from Garfagnana and from the small village of Cardoso.
Also to mention the "Wine and Oil Road of Lucca, Montecarlo and Versilia", a red thread that unites a fertile territory and an ancient rural tradition. Our oil has a gentle flavor with a fruity note, an excellent seasoning for any type of food. Wine also has a long tradition: in the village of Strettoia, during the first days of September, is held the “Festa del Vino”, a folkloristic event rich in tradition and joy.
On our table you can also find delightful cheeses like the pecorino versiliese, with a very delicate flavor. Moving towards the capital, you can taste all kinds of sheep's milk products since Lucca has always been famous for its flocks.
The Colonnata lard, aged in Carrara marble basins, the Versilian tordello, a half-moon shaped ravioli strictly closed by hand, the castagnaccio, a delight made only with chestnut flour, the "bazzone ham" of Garfagnana, a real excellence of our mountains, the matuffi, made with corn polenta, tomato sauce and mushrooms.
VERSIONE ITALIANA
