Cucina Povera Sarzanese

Every region in Italy seems to have their own versions of the traditional 'contadino' recipes;  in the Lunigiana there seems to be several typical recipes - Farinata, Panigazzi and Testaroli. To me as a 'stranieri' they seem to be almost interchangeable as the ingredients are all very similar and simple and they all seem to have been adapted in various manners to eat with sauces, salumi and cheeses.

Farinata - made with water, farina di ceci  extra vergin olive oil and salt seems to need a long time to sit before cooking  something about the flour needing to expand or gluten ? It seems with some batters you do and some you dont and I am sure some experienced cooks out there can tell me why? Cooked in a wood oven in a flat terracotta dish or dish of copper with a little oil I had this for the first time at a pizzeria a taglio near Ameglia(Bocca di Magra) and it was delicious as were the various pizzas they produced there too.

Testaroli on the other hand made from flour water and salt are a little like crepes and can be eaten with pesto, ragu or with oil and cheese.I have made these with farina integrale and though nice were a little heavy better with ordinary flour.I think they would be delicious also with Nutella

Pannigazzi are a bit like a piadina ( from Emilia-Romagna) and the batter here is white flour, water a little salt and a little oil with a little batter being put in a hot frying pan and moved around to create a thin 'pancake'.  These are generally eaten warm with cheeses or salumi.

Testaroli al pesto Genovese

Simple ingredients for simple pleasures.

Detailed recipes(in italian) can be found on the website of the Comune di Sarzana.