6 Regional Italian Recipes for Fall

Every Tuesday, Italian expat Emiko Davies is taking us on a grand tour of Italy, showing us how to make classic, fiercely regional dishes at home.

Today: Eat like an Italian -- with the seasons.

Fall means comfort; it means things to warm you up, like soup and classic pasta dishes; it means nights in. In Italy, as the seasons change, so do the market's daily offerings. Here are 6 regional Italian recipes for seasonal fall eating:

Cappellacci di Zucca (Butternut Squash Cappellacci)
Put your newly purchased squash to good use in this hearty and tasty filled pasta from Emilia-Romagna.

 

Schiacciata all'Uva (Grape Focaccia)
This Tuscan grape focaccia is only made during the month of September, while wine grapes are being harvested -- better get your fill while they last!

 

Chesnut and Chickpea Soup
There's nothing like fresh chestnuts in this velvety soup from central Italy.

 

Pasta e Ceci (Pasta with Chickpeas)
Make pasta e ceci for a weeknight dinner at home, and you'll be saying benvenuto to fall in no time.

 

Pane Fritto (Fried Bread)
Throw in some pane fritto (Italy's answer to French toast) for a lazy Sunday breakfast. 

 

Shwarzplententorte (Buckwheat and Apple Cake)
This buckwheat and apple cake from Italy's north should see you all the way through to winter -- use up those tasty, cold-weather apples and fill the cake with a layer of lingonberry jam (or some late-summer berry jam). 

Photos by Emiko Davies