Lists

Tuscan Fantasy Meals

by:
March 25, 2011
13 Comments

You are (probably) here:

cubicle

...but what if you were here:

Tuscany!

Below are 18 recipes to make a Tuscan (or Ligurian, or Emilia-Romagnan) fantasy meal -- the perfect escape from a dreary day (assuming you can't hop a plane to Italy). 

Baby Purple Artichokes Fried in Olive Oil by SippitySup



Bruschetta with Ricotta, Honey and Lemon Zest by merrill



Smoky Minestrone with Tortellini and Parsley or Basil Pesto by WinnieAb



Ricotta and Chive Gnocchi by The Internet Cooking Princess



Bagna Cauda Salad by amanda



Veal Chops Lombatina with Roasted Garlic by thirschfeld



Hunter's-Style Chicken by lastnightsdinner



Bean Salad with Pancetta by amanda

 

Rigatoni with Sausage, Peas and Fresh Ricotta by Aliwaks

Rigatoni with Sausage, Peas and Fresh Ricotta

 

Steak with Arugula, Lemon and Parmesan by merrill


Linguine with Sardines, Fennel & Tomato by lastnightsdinner


Farro Risotto by merrill


Pasquino's Trippa alla Romana by pierino


Pasta e Fagioli by QueenOfGreen


Rosemary Ciabatta with Stout Beer by ChezSuzanne


Saffron Semifreddo with Cherry-Cardamom Syrup and Salted Honey-Hazelnuts by Brenna

 

Louisa's Cake by SML Office

Ricotta Cake


Herb and White Wine Granita by robynmichellelee

All photos above by Sarah Shatz except cubicle shot by Tim Patterson and Tuscany shot by Francesco Sgroi

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • lorigoldsby
    lorigoldsby
  • artfulgourmet
    artfulgourmet
  • Cronmoax
    Cronmoax
  • Emiko
    Emiko
  • EmilyNunn
    EmilyNunn
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13 Comments

lorigoldsby
lorigoldsby March 31, 2011
Correct title is "Italy for the Gourmet Traveler" y Fred Plokin. My edition was printed in 2010, don't show it available on kindle--but that would be nice.

also recommend "Italian Days Food Experience" if you are going to be anywhere near Bologna. Alessandro was a wonderful guide to the cheese, balsamic, parma and wine areas. He is #1 on trip advisor for a reason.
 
artfulgourmet
artfulgourmet March 28, 2011
These recipes look great - I took 2 Tuscan cooking classes and it's my absolute FAVORITE food. EVER. Rustic. Fresh ingredients. Earthy. Simple. YUM!!!
 
Cronmoax
Cronmoax March 27, 2011
Hi the link for this one is broken...please fix!
Smoky Minestrone with Tortellini and Parsley or Basil Pesto
 
Food52
Food52 March 28, 2011
Sorry about that! The link should be fixed now. Thanks for letting us know!
 
Emiko
Emiko March 27, 2011
Very nice idea, though I'm actually in the second picture and not the first! I live in Florence and my life pretty much revolves around Tuscan food, so I have to just point out one small thing: only a couple of these dishes could actually be considered Tuscan so perhaps "Italian" would have been more appropriate as the title of this great collection of recipes. There is a world of difference between the cuisines of each region of Italy, which to me is one of the most intriguing things about this country - I think it would be great for people to know more about this and recognise it and learn some great tips from the Italians along the way. Aside from flavours and produce, there are very specific social, historical and geographical reasons that explain why a bagna cauda would not be found on the same (Italian) table as artichokes fried in olive oil. Of course, in a fantasy world, none of this really matters I suppose! Buon appetito!
 
Food52
Food52 March 28, 2011
Thanks so much for your comment. We thought many of these recipes reminded us of great meals we've had in Tuscany, but couldn't help including recipes from a few other regions too (which is why we gave shout outs to Liguria and Emilia-Romagna too). Guess we have a lengthy Italian vacation on our minds!
 
EmilyNunn
EmilyNunn March 27, 2011
lovely!
 
latoscana
latoscana March 26, 2011
Buon gusto!
 
boulangere
boulangere March 26, 2011
What a beautifully curated exhibition!
 
AromaCucina
AromaCucina March 25, 2011
What I would give for some fresh artichokes. they're not in season yet in Toscana, or Umbria...but soon. soon. Fried, slivered artichokes with mint. Now I have spring fever!
 
joannova
joannova March 25, 2011
This is an absolutely gorgeous visual post. I'm drooling!
 
gingerroot
gingerroot March 25, 2011
Swoon! My mom is leaving Tuesday to visit my brother who is abroad in Italy - they are spending the weekend in Florence - this will help me get over the fact that I'm not going with her. Thanks -- perfect timing, as usual!
 
lorigoldsby
lorigoldsby March 30, 2011
so sorry I didn't read this earlier...but anyone traveling to Italy should read "a gourmet traveller's guide to Italy" It has restaurant recommendations for each city, divided by the regions. The author has visited each restaurant, and it included so many smaller cities, great if you are there on business...and want to eat locally.