There are different ways to explore the food culture of the Cinque Terre. We can taste something in a village, discover how it is prepared, and try to understand what brought those ingredients together.
And then, back home, we can cook.
The recipes I collected for Cinque Terre’s Simposio move between preparations tied to individual villages and the wider Ligurian kitchen. Anchovies in Monterosso, tiàn de anciue in Vernazza, and then croxetti, pine nut sauce, pesto, vegetables, and savory pies.
Acciughe di Monterosso: An Aperitivo to Remember
This is how I was served anchovies in Monterosso. A simple way to enhance their flavor and offer them as an aperitivo.
Salt-cured anchovies, opened lengthwise and delicately freed of their spines, arranged on a plate, drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with dried oregano. Then left to rest, so the flavors have time to meet.
Serve them at room temperature, with crusty Italian bread and a glass of chilled white wine.
Put on some music, pour a little chilled white wine into a fine glass, and dream of the crystalline blue Mar Ligure.
Tiàn de Anciue: Vernazza’s Anchovies and Potatoes
This is the iconic dish of Vernazza—cucina povera at its finest. Layers of potatoes alternated with anchovies, brightened by tomatoes, and drowned in olive oil and white wine.
Parsley and garlic join the wine, and the ingredients are layered in a baking dish.
You can prepare it in individual Dutch ovens or casseroles, or in a larger baking dish, depending on the servings. Serve it hot or at room temperature.
The anchovies here are fresh: a different preparation from the salt-cured ones served as an aperitivo in Monterosso.
Ciuppin: Making More of the Lesser Fish
The poor, bony varieties of fish no one else wanted could become a hearty soup.
The countless tiny spines weren’t insurmountable: with a food mill, e passa la paura—“the fear passes,” as Italians say when a small trick solves a big problem.
Ciuppin is a fish purée. Once the fish are cooked, they are passed first through a food mill and then a fine sieve, eliminating bones and carcass while retaining every drop of flavor in a creamy concentration of gusto and aroma.
Clams, mussels, squid, or shrimp can join the soup. You can cook them in the strained soup or prepare them separately and serve on top.
I didn’t use a food mill, but a food processor—it felt easier.
Gamberi in Sguazzetto: A Trick from Monterosso’s Kitchens
Another fishy recipe from Monterosso: Gamberi in Sguazzetto.
Shrimps cooked in tomato sauce are nothing unusual in Italy, but here the dish has a twist: a final dusting of flour that gives the sauce a creamy, pleasantly velvety texture.
A trick from housewives who cooked fish in tutte le salse—“in all sauces,” an Italian expression meaning in every possible way.
Croxetti: Pasta with an Imprint
Croxetti, also called Corzetti, are a typical Ligurian pasta. Traditionally, the dough is shaped with a wooden stamp that cuts it into circles and engraves each surface with a decorative motif.
The design is not only ornamental: it helps the pasta cling to the sauce.
I followed tradition in my own way. Since I couldn’t find a stamp at a reasonable price, I used my personalized rolling pin to imprint the dough with my name.
Croxetti can be made with flour and eggs, like fresh egg pasta, or with the addition of a little wine. I chose the latter to shake up my pasta habits. If you want to taste the contribution of wine to the final flavor, choose an aromatic one.
Croxetti are delicious with pesto, walnut sauce, or pine nut sauce.
Sarsa de Pignêu: Pine Nut Sauce
A cousin of basil pesto, but with a softer character and smoother tones.
Pine nuts, bread soaked in milk, garlic, olive oil, marjoram, and a little soft cheese are pounded or blended until creamy.
The Croxetti I bought in Cinque Terre were slightly greenish from the marjoram used in the dough.
Pesto Pasta, Potatoes, and Green Beans
Something little known outside Liguria is the traditional combination of pesto pasta with potatoes and green beans.
It’s the classic, nutritious, and delicious way to put a whole meal on a single plate.
Trofie, trenette, or whatever you have in the pantry. The vegetables cook in boiling water, and the pasta follows in the same pot.
Then everything is tossed with pesto alla genovese.
Enjoy the contrast of consistencies: firm pasta, crunchy green beans, and creamy potatoes. Tasty, eh?
Savory Rice Pie and Marò di Fave
I’ve met both savory and sweet rice cakes in my culinary adventures across Northern Italy. The North is a significant producer of this noble cereal, which has inevitably permeated tradition, cooking, and industry.
The savory torta di riso in my Simposio combines rice with prescinseua or stracchino, Parmesan, egg, and a pinch of nutmeg, inside a flour, water, and olive oil crust.
And then there is marò di fave: shelled and peeled fava beans blended with Pecorino, garlic, mint, and extra-virgin olive oil. Another creamy condiment for pasta, another combination of legumes, cheese, and herbs.
Cooking from Cinque Terre’s Simposio
These are some of the preparations I collected in Cinque Terre’s Simposio, alongside the villages, encounters, and stories that accompanied my exploration.
The recipes are there for you to cook. The stories, to understand a little more of the place you are bringing to your table.
Enjoy your culinary adventures in Cinque Terre!
Claudia