You can come for the beaches, you can come for the towns . . . This savory sauce made of the purest olive oil, finely chopped fresh basil, garlic and pine nuts is, when prepared correctly, a masterpiece of simplicity. A sprinkling of parmesan makes the experience nothing short of sublime. Not surprisingly, seafood plays a starring role in kitchens around the region. Anchovies, squid, octopus, and sea bass are common ingredients.
Ligurian cuisine is a celebration of natural abundance.
While pizza, the quintessential Italian snack, is as beloved in Liguria as anywhere else in Italy, regional snack food includes focaccia with olive oil and herbs and torta pasqualina, a sort of vegetable pie. Since Ligurian wines are not produced in great quantity, not many are known outside the region. Connoisseurs, however, will be familiar with the full-bodied, fruity red Rossese di Dolceacqua, and the delicate whites, Pigato and Vermentino. Beginning at Genoa and extending east, the Riviera di Levante reaches from Genoa to La Spezia. The coastline here is more meandering, and some visitors find it best to leave their car and tour the towns of Levante by boat.