Dishes and specialities that represent the cuisine of Arezzo and Tuscany, presented through their names, images, descriptions and short stories. Crostini neri, grifi, tripe, scottiglia, pappardelle, maccheroni con l’ocio or con la nana, pici all’aglione, Chianina beef dishes, chestnut desserts and other specialities offer an introduction to some of the flavours most closely associated with the area.
– Starters and appetisers
– First courses, fresh pasta and soups
– Meat, stews and hearty dishes
– Local vegetables and pulses
– Desserts and festive specialities
Starters and appetisers
Crostini neri
Crostini neri are one of the best-known starters in the cuisine of Arezzo and Tuscany. Slices of toasted bread are topped with a rich, savoury spread made from chicken livers, capers, anchovies, aromatic vegetables and wine. Every family and every kitchen has its own variation, but the result is always intensely flavoured, soft and distinctive. They are often served at the beginning of a meal alongside cured meats, cheeses, vegetables preserved in oil and other local specialities.
Main ingredients:
Tuscan bread, chicken livers, capers, anchovies, onion or other aromatic vegetables, wine, extra virgin olive oil.
Tuscan antipasto
A traditional Tuscan antipasto brings together many of the foods typically served at the beginning of a local meal: prosciutto, salami, finocchiona, pecorino cheeses, crostini, vegetables preserved in oil and bread. It is a convivial selection commonly found in osterias, trattorias and agriturismos, where a meal often begins with simple, familiar local products. It may include local cured meats and cheeses, crostini neri, bruschetta with olive oil and seasonal vegetables.
Main ingredients:
Tuscan cured meats, prosciutto, finocchiona, pecorino cheese, crostini, bread, vegetables preserved in oil, extra virgin olive oil.
Panzanella
Panzanella is one of Tuscany’s most characteristic cold summer dishes. Stale bread is soaked and combined with ripe tomatoes, onion, basil, extra virgin olive oil and vinegar. Some versions also include cucumber, celery or other garden vegetables. Simple and rooted in the tradition of making the most of available food, it is closely associated with summer and rural cooking. It can be served as a starter, a cold dish or a light meal, especially during the warmer months.
Main ingredients:
stale Tuscan bread, ripe tomatoes, onion, basil, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, cucumber or other garden vegetables, depending on the variation.
Crostone with Tuscan kale
rostone with Tuscan kale is a simple, seasonal Tuscan starter: a thick slice of toasted Tuscan bread topped with boiled or sautéed Tuscan kale, garlic and extra virgin olive oil. Closely associated with the colder months and vegetable-garden cooking, it reflects a rustic, plant-based tradition in which bread and simple ingredients play a central role. It can be served at the beginning of a meal in trattorias, agriturismos and restaurants inspired by rural culinary traditions.
Main ingredients:
Tuscan bread, Tuscan kale, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper.
First courses, fresh pasta and soups
Maccheroni con l’ocio
Maccheroni con l’ocio is one of the dishes most closely associated with Arezzo’s culinary tradition. It consists of traditional Arezzo-style fresh pasta served with a rich goose sauce. Ocio is the local word for goose, which is slowly cooked with aromatic vegetables, wine and tomatoes. The maccheroni are flat strips of fresh pasta, wider than tagliatelle but narrower than pappardelle. This dish recalls rural celebrations, communal meals, wheat threshing and occasions when food brought the community together.
Main ingredients:
fresh maccheroni, goose, tomatoes, red wine, celery, carrot, onion, aromatic herbs, extra virgin olive oil.
Maccheroni con la nana
Maccheroni con la nana is fresh pasta served with a rich, slow-cooked duck sauce. Nana is the local word for duck, another farmyard animal with a strong presence in the area’s culinary memory. Its deeply flavoured sauce was traditionally used for fresh pasta served on Sundays and special occasions. The dish reflects a domestic, rural style of cooking based on home-reared animals, long cooking times and hearty sauces.
Main ingredients:
fresh maccheroni, duck, tomatoes, red wine, celery, carrot, onion, bay leaves or other aromatic herbs.
Pappardelle with meat ragù
Pappardelle are wide ribbons of egg pasta particularly suited to rich meat sauces. In the culinary traditions of Arezzo and Tuscany, they can be served with ragù made from duck, rabbit, hare, wild boar or other meats and game. Wider than traditional Arezzo-style maccheroni, pappardelle hold thick sauces particularly well and are often associated with woodland traditions, hunting and convivial meals.
Main ingredients:
egg pappardelle, duck, rabbit, hare or wild boar, red wine, tomatoes, celery, carrot, onion, bay leaves, juniper berries.
Pici all’aglione della Valdichiana
Pici all’aglione is one of Valdichiana’s most distinctive dishes. Pici are thick, hand-rolled strands of pasta made with flour and water. They are served with a sauce of tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and aglione della Valdichiana, a local variety of garlic with unusually large bulbs and a milder flavour than ordinary garlic. It is a simple dish with a strong connection to the area.
Main ingredients:
pici, aglione della Valdichiana, tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, chilli pepper, salt.
Pici with meat ragù
Pici can also be served with meat ragù, game sauces and other rustic sauces rooted in rural cooking. Their thick, substantial texture makes them particularly well suited to rich, slow-cooked sauces. In the Arezzo area, they are part of the culinary culture of Valdichiana and the areas bordering the province of Siena, where handmade pasta continues to play a central role.
Main ingredients:
pici, minced meat or game, tomatoes, red wine, celery, carrot, onion, extra virgin olive oil.
Bringoli di Anghiari
Bringoli di Anghiari are a traditional fresh pasta from Valtiberina, particularly associated with the town of Anghiari. Made simply with flour and water, without eggs, they are long, irregular strands resembling thick, hand-rolled spaghetti. They can be served with sugo finto, a traditional meat-free tomato sauce, as well as ragù, tomato sauce or other rustic sauces. Their simple ingredients and handmade preparation reflect the traditions of home cooking.
Main ingredients:
flour, water, salt, tomato sauce, sugo finto or ragù.
Tortello alla lastra di Corezzo
Tortello alla lastra di Corezzo is a traditional speciality from Casentino, particularly associated with the village of Corezzo. It consists of a thin dough made with flour, water and salt, filled mainly with potatoes and cooked directly on a hot stone or griddle rather than boiled. An old, simple dish, it was designed to be practical, nourishing and easy to carry. Its shape and cooking method distinguish it from boiled tortelli and connect it closely with the mountain culture of the area.
Main ingredients:
flour, water, salt, potatoes, pecorino or other cheeses, herbs and seasonings, extra virgin olive oil.
Casentino potato tortelli
Casentino potato tortelli are one of the most distinctive dishes of Casentino and the Tuscan Apennines. Sheets of fresh egg pasta enclose a soft filling made with potatoes, cheese, herbs and spices, with variations from one area and family to another. They can be served with ragù, meat sauce, butter and sage or other simple sauces. This hearty dish is closely associated with mountain life, home cooking and simple but nourishing ingredients.
Main ingredients:
fresh egg pasta, potatoes, cheese, nutmeg, salt, pepper, ragù or butter and sage.
Ribollita
Ribollita is one of Tuscany’s best-known soups. It originated as a way of reusing a soup made with bread and vegetables, reheating it over the following days until it became even thicker and more flavourful. Tuscan kale, beans, stale bread and extra virgin olive oil give the dish its distinctive character. Born from the tradition of making the most of available food, ribollita is now one of the most recognisable dishes of Tuscan cuisine and is also widely found in the Arezzo area.
Main ingredients:
stale Tuscan bread, Tuscan kale, beans, Savoy cabbage, carrots, celery, onion, extra virgin olive oil.
Pappa al pomodoro
Pappa al pomodoro is a soft, thick Tuscan dish made with stale bread, tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and herbs from the vegetable garden. Simple and familiar, it is found throughout Tuscany and is also part of Arezzo’s culinary tradition. Recipes vary from one household to another, while always retaining its essential character and deep connection with bread.
Main ingredients:
stale Tuscan bread, tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, basil, vegetable stock, garlic or onion.
Acquacotta
Acquacotta is a simple country soup born from the need to make a nourishing meal with very little. Recipes vary from place to place, but it is essentially a warm preparation of bread, vegetables, water or stock, olive oil and sometimes an egg. It reflects a cuisine of necessity: a few ingredients, simple cooking and the ability to turn them into a substantial everyday meal.
Main ingredients:
Tuscan bread, onion, tomatoes, celery, seasonal vegetables, extra virgin olive oil, egg.
Farinata gialla
Farinata gialla is a simple, hearty dish made from maize flour. It is served soft and can be accompanied by vegetables, pulses, sauces or other rustic toppings. Closely associated with home cooking, the colder months and memories of rural life, it recalls a time when flours and cereals provided nourishing meals from just a few basic ingredients.
Main ingredients:
maize flour, water, salt, extra virgin olive oil, vegetables, pulses or sauces.
Meat, stews and hearty dishes
Grifi all’aretina
Grifi all’aretina are one of the most characteristic dishes of Arezzo cuisine. They are made from parts of the calf’s muzzle, slowly stewed with aromatic vegetables, tomatoes, wine and spices until tender and full of flavour. Deeply rooted in local tradition, they can be served on a plate or inside bread in the more popular pan co’ grifi version.
Main ingredients:
calf’s muzzle, tomatoes, onion, red wine, spices, aromatic vegetables, extra virgin olive oil.
Tripe
Tripe is a traditional dish found throughout Tuscany and central Italy. It is slowly cooked with tomatoes, aromatic vegetables and herbs until tender and full of flavour. It belongs to a culinary tradition in which offal and less prized cuts were transformed by popular cooking into distinctive, hearty dishes.
Main ingredients:
tripe, tomatoes, onion, celery, carrot, white or red wine, extra virgin olive oil, grated cheese.
Fegatelli
Fegatelli are a traditional Tuscan dish made from pieces of pork liver wrapped in caul fat, flavoured with bay leaves and wild fennel, then cooked in a pan, in the oven or over embers. Their strong, distinctive flavour reflects the rural tradition of pork butchery, when every part of the animal was carefully used.
Main ingredients:
pork liver, pork caul fat, bay leaves, wild fennel, salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil.
Scottiglia
Scottiglia is a rich stew made with different types of meat cooked slowly together, often described in Tuscany as a cacciucco di terra, a land-based counterpart to the traditional fish stew. Chicken, rabbit, pork, veal, lamb or other meats are cooked with a soffritto of aromatic vegetables, red wine, tomatoes and herbs until the sauce becomes rich and fragrant. It is traditionally served with toasted or stale bread, which absorbs the sauce and completes the dish.
Main ingredients:
mixed meats, tomatoes, red wine, celery, carrot, onion, garlic, bay leaves, extra virgin olive oil, toasted bread.
Coniglio in porchetta
Coniglio in porchetta is a rabbit dish flavoured with garlic, herbs and wild fennel and cooked slowly until the meat becomes tender and aromatic. It is a traditional home-cooked dish associated with farmyard animals and family cooking. The name refers to porchetta because the rabbit is seasoned with similar herbs and has the same intensely aromatic character.
Main ingredients:
rabbit, garlic, wild fennel, rosemary, sage, white wine, extra virgin olive oil.
Chianina beef
Chianina is one of Tuscany’s best-known cattle breeds, and Valdichiana is one of the areas most closely associated with it. Chianina beef can be grilled, served as steak or tagliata, or used in more traditional preparations. It is one of the strongest expressions of the meat tradition in Arezzo and Tuscany, bringing together livestock farming, landscape and cuisine.
Main ingredients:
Chianina beef, salt, extra virgin olive oil, aromatic herbs. In grilled preparations, the quality of the meat and the cooking are the central elements.
Stufato alla sangiovannese
Stufato alla sangiovannese is a signature dish of San Giovanni Valdarno and one of the recipes most closely associated with the culinary identity of Valdarno. It is a slow-cooked veal stew prepared with aromatic vegetables, spices, red wine and tomato preserve, resulting in tender meat and a rich, deeply flavoured sauce.
Main ingredients:
veal, onion, celery, carrot, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, spices, red wine, tomato preserve, extra virgin olive oil.
Porchetta di Monte San Savino
Porchetta di Monte San Savino is one of the best-known specialities of the Arezzo side of Valdichiana. Pork is seasoned with herbs and spices, then slowly roasted and served hot or cold. It can be enjoyed in a sandwich, at markets and fairs or on convivial occasions. The speciality brings together traditional pork butchery, popular cooking and the culture of local festivals.
Main ingredients:
pork, salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary, wild fennel and aromatic herbs.
Local vegetables and pulses
Zolfino beans with olive oil
Zolfino beans are closely associated with Valdarno and the hills around Arezzo. Small and delicate, with a thin skin, they are usually served simply boiled and dressed with extra virgin olive oil. It is a very simple dish in which the quality of the beans and the olive oil provides all the flavour it needs.
Main ingredients:
Zolfino beans, extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, sage or garlic depending on the variation.
Rocchini di sedano
Rocchini di sedano are a traditional Valdarno speciality made from celery stalks combined with eggs, flour, grated cheese and seasonings. They are then fried and often finished or served in a meat or chicken sauce. They can accompany Valdarno chicken, but are also a dish in their own right, showing how local cooking can transform a simple vegetable into a rich, savoury side dish with a strong local identity.
Main ingredients:
celery, eggs, flour, grated cheese, nutmeg, salt, pepper, oil for frying, meat or chicken sauce.
Desserts and festive specialities
Baldino or castagnaccio
Baldino, also known as castagnaccio, is a simple cake made from chestnut flour, water and olive oil, with ingredients such as rosemary, pine nuts, walnuts or raisins. It is associated with autumn, woodlands and areas where chestnuts once played an important role in everyday food. In the Arezzo area, it is particularly associated with Casentino, Pratomagno, Valdarno and the mountain areas where chestnuts and chestnut flour were essential sources of food for generations.
Main ingredients:
chestnut flour, water, extra virgin olive oil, rosemary, pine nuts, walnuts, raisins.
Gattò all’aretina
Gattò all’aretina is a traditional dessert from the province of Arezzo, associated with celebrations, pastry shops and family traditions. It is a soft rolled cake, generally filled with custard, chocolate or Alchermes, depending on the variation. It is one of the desserts most closely associated with the area’s culinary memory.
Main ingredients:
eggs, sugar, flour, custard, chocolate or Alchermes.
Cantucci and Vin Santo
Cantucci with Vin Santo are one of the most classic ways to end a Tuscan meal. These dry almond biscuits are served with the traditional sweet wine in a simple, convivial pairing. They are commonly found in trattorias, restaurants and family homes, often served at the end of a meal.
Main ingredients:
flour, sugar, eggs, almonds, Vin Santo.
Panina aretina
Panina aretina is a traditional speciality particularly associated with Easter. It can be sweet or savoury, with variations from one family and area to another. Arezzo tradition includes versions made with raisins, saffron and spices, as well as savoury ingredients. The dish reflects the close connection between food, religious celebrations and family traditions.
Main ingredients:
flour, yeast, eggs, lard or oil, spices, raisins, saffron or savoury ingredients depending on the variation.
Schiacciata con l’uva
Schiacciata con l’uva is a traditional speciality associated with the grape harvest. Soft, fragrant and simple, it is made from bread dough or a sweetened dough with grapes, sugar and olive oil. In the Tuscan countryside, it reflects the close relationship between home cooking, vineyards and the agricultural seasons.
Main ingredients:
flour, yeast, grapes, sugar, extra virgin olive oil, salt.
Berlingozzi
Berlingozzi are simple traditional sweets, particularly associated with Carnival and also part of the culinary memory of Casentino. They can take the form of small ring-shaped cakes or biscuits, with a fragrant dough traditionally prepared for family and festive occasions. Made from simple ingredients, they are closely connected with the traditional calendar of celebrations.
Main ingredients:
flour, eggs, sugar, butter or oil, yeast, lemon zest or other flavourings according to tradition.
