page_title: Molise
section_title: Cuisine
hierarchical_section_title: Molise / Culture / Cuisine
caption_attribution_description: Italiano: Pasta e fagioli rapidaEnglish: Quick pasta e fagioli, a traditional Italian soup
context_page_description: Molise is a region of Southern Italy. Until 1963, it formed part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise, alongside the region of Abruzzo. The split, which did not become effective until 1970, makes Molise the youngest region in Italy. Covering 4,438 square kilometres, it is the second smallest region in the country after the Aosta Valley, and has a population of 313,348.
  The region is split into two provinces, named after their respective capitals Campobasso and Isernia. Campobasso also serves as the regional capital.
context_section_description: The cuisine of Molise is similar to the cuisine of Abruzzo, though there are some differences in the dishes and ingredients.  The flavors of Molise are dominated by the many aromatic herbs that grow there. Some of the characteristic foods include spicy salami, a variety of locally produced cheeses, dishes using lamb or goat, pasta dishes with hearty sauces, and vegetables that grow in the region.
  In addition to bruschetta, a typical antipasto  will consist of any of several meat dishes, such as the sausages capocollo, the fennel-seasoned salsiccie al finocchio, soppressata, ventricina, frascateglie or sanguinaccio. In addition to these sausages, a variety of ham is available, such as smoked prosciutto.  Frequently, the sausages are enjoyed with polenta.
  Main dishes of the region include:
   Brodosini made of tagliatelle in broth with pork cheek and fat
  Calcioni di ricotta, a specialty of Campobasso, made of fried pasta stuffed with ricotta, provolone, prosciutto, and parsley, and usually served with fried artichokes, cauliflower, brains, sweetbread, potato croquette, and scamorza cheese
  Cavatiegl e Patane, or gnocchi served in a meat sauce of rabbit and pork.
  A variety of pasta such as cavatelli, lasagna, or maccheroni served with a ragù of lamb or goat
  Pasta e fagioli, pasta-and-white-bean soup cooked with pig's feet and pork rinds
  Polenta d'iragn, a polenta-like dish actually made of wheat and potatoes, sauced with raw tomatoes and pecorino
  Risotto alla marinara, a risotto with seafood
  Spaghetti with diavolillo, a strong chili pepper sauce
  Zuppa di cardi, a soup of cardoons, tomatoes, onions, pancetta, olive oil
  Zuppa di ortiche, a soup of nettle stems, tomatoes, onions, pancetta, olive oil.
  Common second dishes (often meat and vegetable dishes) are:
  Lamb, the most popular meat, served grilled, roasted, or stewed.
  Many organ meats of lamb, especially tripe, are popular
  Coniglio alla molisana, grilled rabbit pieces skewered with sausage and herbs
  Mazzarelle, tightly wrapped rolls made with lung and tripe of lamb
  Ragù d' agnello, braised lamb with sweet peppers, a specialty of Isernia
  Torcinelli, rolled strips of lamb tripe, sweetbreads, and liver
  Pamparella or pork pancetta dried with peperoncino, soaked in wine and cut into small pieces. Pamparella is used to flavor sauces, in particular the sauce for dressing the tacconi, a rustic pasta made with flour and water.
  Saucicc', Paparuol' e Ova Fritte, sausage with sweet pepper and fried eggs
  Typical vegetable dishes may include:
  Carciofi ripieni, artichokes stuffed with anchovies and capers
  Peeled sweet peppers stuffed with breadcrumbs, anchovies, parsley, basil and peperoncino, sautéed in a frying pan and cooked with chopped tomatoes
  Cipollacci con pecorino, fried strong onions and pecorino cheese
  Frittata con basilico e cipolle, omelette with basil and onions.
  Fish dishes include red mullet soup, and spaghetti with cuttlefish. Trout from the Biferno river is notable for its flavor, and is cooked with a simple but tasty sauce of aromatic herbs. Zuppa di pesce, a fish stew, is a specialty of Termoli.
  The cheeses produced in Molise are not very different from those produced in Abruzzo. The more common ones are Burrino and Manteca, soft, buttery cow's-milk cheeses; Pecorino, sheep's-milk cheese, served young and soft or aged and hard, called also "Maciuocco" in Molise; Scamorza, bland cow's-milk cheese, often served grilled; and Caciocavallo, sheep's-milk cheese.
  Sweets and desserts have an ancient tradition here and are linked to the history of the territory and to religious and family festivities. Most common are:
  Calciumi (also called caucioni or cauciuni), sweet ravioli filled with chestnuts, almonds, chocolate, vanilla, cooked wine musts, and cinnamon and then fried
  Ciambelline, ring-shaped cakes made in the countryside. They may be all'olio (with olive oil) or al vino rosso (with red wine).
  Ferratelle all'anice, anise cakes made in metal molds and stamped with special patterns
  Ricotta pizza, a cake pan filled with a blend of ricotta cheese, sugar, flour, butter, maraschi
caption: Pasta e fagioli
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