Southern Italy – Sun, Tomatoes, and Fire in Every Fork
“The cuisine here is loud, fiery, and utterly honest. Pizza was born here, and it’s also eaten here, with hands, under the Sicilian sky.”
Southern Regions (list):
Campania — pizza margherita, bufala mozzarella, pastiera
Puglia — orecchiette with turnips, burrata, friselle
Basilicata — peperone (pork sausage), stracciatelle
Calabria — nduja, pepperoncino, laccherri fish
Puglia — orecchiette with turnips, burrata, friselle
Basilicata — peperone (pork sausage), stracciatelle
Calabria — nduja, pepperoncino, laccherri fish
Table of Key Dishes of the South:
Dish Region Description
Pizza Margherita Campania Tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil — the colors of the Italian flag
Mozzarella di bufala Campania Fresh buffalo mozzarella
Nduja Calabria Spread sausage with hot peppers
Orecchiette with turnips Puglia Pasta “ears” with wild mustard greens
Pastiera Campania Neapolitan Easter pie with wheat and ricotta
Pizza Margherita Campania Tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil — the colors of the Italian flag
Mozzarella di bufala Campania Fresh buffalo mozzarella
Nduja Calabria Spread sausage with hot peppers
Orecchiette with turnips Puglia Pasta “ears” with wild mustard greens
Pastiera Campania Neapolitan Easter pie with wheat and ricotta
What to try Southern (specialties):
Pizza only found in Naples – thin but soft dough, plump cornichons
Mozzarella the day it’s made – it lasts for several hours
Spicy pepperoncino – used in pasta, pizza, and sauces
Burrata – a pouch of mozzarella with cream inside
Fresh San Marzano tomatoes – sweet and dense
Mozzarella the day it’s made – it lasts for several hours
Spicy pepperoncino – used in pasta, pizza, and sauces
Burrata – a pouch of mozzarella with cream inside
Fresh San Marzano tomatoes – sweet and dense
Fun fact:
“Pizza Margherita was named after Queen Margherita in 1889. The chef used tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil to echo the colors of the Italian flag.”
“Want to learn how to make Neapolitan dough or spread nduja on warm bread? The ‘Encyclopedia of Italian Cuisine’ will collect all the southern recipes in each book by region.”