However, most Ligurian dishes are made with soffritto a famous, lightly fried mixture to which is sometimes added minced sausages, a clove of garlic and blended with herbs. Wheat flour, vegetables, olive oil are the basic ingredients which are always present. These are used in different ways to create different flavours. It is mixed with Parmesan cheese, parsley and marjoram. The sheet of pasta dough is traditionally thin.
Oregano is very important in the local cuisine.
It is often added to fish dishes but it is mainly used by the inhabitants of La Spezia to enhance the flavour of tomatoes. Oregano is picked in summer at the edge of the woods and tied together in little bunches to dry in the shade. The dried flowers are put into jars and stored for later use. The Cinque Terre sea offers a perfect environment for a large variety of fish which grow abundantly. Anchovies from this area have both a unique taste and an unmistakable, bright, grey colour.