In this region, handmade pasta and baked goods, so bread, taralli, buns, bruschetta are the typical products par excellence. Let us not forget the oil, since in this region 85 of the arable land is olive trees. It is a kitchen with poor products, but that flavored and cooked properly become a tasty and hearty cuisine. Meat also has many recipes as most of the territory of this region is located in the hills, so it prefers pig and calves and sheep farms and cheeses.
Let’s start with the typical appetizers.
Lucan anchovies
Necessary for anchovies with the lucan
- 800 grams of achovies already cleaned
- 2 cloves garlic
- 6 mint leaves
- 100 grams of wine vinegar
- chilli, flour, olive oil, just enough
Preparation of anchovies with the lucana
Take the anchovies already cleaned, flour and fry in plenty of olive oil. Dry them with paper towels and prepare the marinade. In a bowl cook the vinegar with the sliced garlic, mint and chilli. Add a little water and season for a few minutes. Put the anals in a large bowl that is not very overlapping and pour the marinade. They must remain infused for at least 24 hours. The next day they are ready to be consumed.
Lampascioni salad
It is the typical starter of Christmas lunch.
Needed for lampascioni salad
- 500 grams of lampascioni
- olive oil, wine vinegar, ground chilli, chopped parsley and salt just enough
Preparation of the lampascioni salad
They are bulbs similar to onions, but smaller and with pink streaks. They grow spontaneously in the wild, but are also cultivated. They have a somewhat bitter aftertaste.
We then prepare the lampascioni in the evening before eating them because they should be left at least 24 hours in cold water after cleaning them and remove the outer leaves. Change the water at least a couple of times to remove some of that bitter taste.
The next day put them in a pot to boil in plenty of salted water. Removed from the water, ding with vinegar, salt, chilli, chopped parsley and olive oil. Mix well and serve on the table.
Let’s start now with the latter, the most famous is the aquascan, but maratea bucatini or fusilli with pork sauce are also known.
ACQUASALE
Necessary for AQUASALE
- 6 eggs
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cloves garlic
- slices of toasted bread
- water, olive oil and hot chilli just enough
Preparation of THE AQUASALE
In a pot, possibly of terracotta bring to boil a half liter of water , 4 tablespoons of olive oil, bay leaves, garlic cloves the spicy chilli. Prepare the hard-boiled eggs and just cooked remove the shell and put them in the broth. Serve on slices of toasted bread.
Bucatini di Maratea
Necessary for the bucatini of Maratea
- 600 grams of bucatini
- 2 cloves garlic
- 700 grams of ripe tomatoes
- olive oil, salt and pepper just enough
Preparation of Maratea’s bucatini
Tomatoes should be washed, deprived of skin and seeds. Chop in a bowl with the garlic, which is also very finely chopped. The bucatini should be cooked in plenty of salted water and removed just before cooking al dente. The bucatini are seasoned with tomato, salt, pepper and olive oil. At this point take an earthenware soup and put the bucatini topped over a pot of boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Serve very hot.
Pork sauce fusilli
Necessary for pork sauce fusilli
- 600 grams of fusilli
- 500 grams of ripe tomatoes
- 500 grams of pork pulp cut into a single slice
- 120 grams of bacon
- 2 tbsp parsley
- 2 cloves garlic
- 30 grams of lard
- half a glass of dry white wine
- olive oil, salt and pepper just enough
Preparation of pork sauce fusilli
We prepare the pork pulp that must be cut into a single rather wide slice. On top of the pulp we put a chopped parsley and garlic and the bacon cut into thin slices. Adjust the salt and pepper and wrap the meat type salami, closing it with string. .
In a saucepan with a few tablespoons of oil and the lard, brown the meat, turning it often to cook evenly. After about 30 minutes put the white wine and let it evaporate. Add the flesh of the ripe tomatoes, cut into small pieces and with the lid continue cooking for about 45 minutes,
Cook the fusilli in plenty of salted water and, once drained, season with the meat cooking sauce. The meat cut into thin slices is then put on the dough and served hot.
Now to the seconds, let’s start with the recipe of pork and pepper ribs. Tradition has it that this dish was cooked when the pig was killed and relatives and friends gathered to help prepare the various parts of the pig. Then the lucan chicken and finally the cutTURIDDI traditional lamb dish.
Pork and pepper ribs
Necessary for pork and pepper ribs
- kilograms 1 of pork ribs, cut into small pieces
- 20 grams of lard
- 200 grams of pickled peppers, cut into small pieces
Preparation of pork and pepper ribs
It is a very simple recipe to prepare. Put the ribs to brown in a pan with lard. Turn often to cook them well from all sides, after 10 minutes adjust salt and pepper and add the peppers. Mix well to make the meat taste. Serve very hot.
Lucan chicken
- 1 chicken already cleaned and chopped
- half a glass of white wine
- 2 onions
- 350 grams of chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 5 basil leaves
- a spoonful of lard
- olive oil, salt and pepper as much as you need
Preparation of chicken to the lucan
In a soapdish dish, put a few tablespoons of oil and lard and brown the finely chopped onion along with the chicken pieces. Add the red wine and once the chopped tomatoes have evaporated, adjust the salt and pepper and put the chopped parsley and chopped basil leaves. Pour a glass of water into the pan and simmer slowly with the lid. Add a little water if the sauce tends to dry out too much. Serve warm.
CUTTURIDS
Required for CUTTURIDDI
- 800 grams of lamb in small pieces
- 4 onions
- 1 rib of celery
- 3 ripe tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- broth of meat, chilli and salt just enough
Preparing CUTTURIDDI
Clean and cut the lamb into small pieces, then make a mince in a rather large pan with the celery rib and chopped onions. Add the peeled tomatoes, bay leaves and rosemary sprig, cover everything with the meat broth, a drizzle of oil, salt and pepper and simmer for at least a couple of hours. Before serving, season the meat again with a drizzle of raw oil.
Now let’s move on to sweets, in Basilicata a different one is made for each party.
Ricotta cake
Necessary for ricotta cake
- 2 sheets of ready-made round pastry (found in all supermarkets)
For the filling:
- 800 grams of cottage cheese
- 150 grams of sugar
- 2 sachets of vanillin
- 3 eggs
- a glass of limoncello-type liquor
Preparation of ricotta cake
Add the sugar, vanillin, beaten eggs and a small glass of limoncello to the ricotta. Line a round cake tin with a sheet of ready-made shortcrust pastry and put on top of the ricotta mixture. Finish by cutting strips from the other sheet of shortcrust pastry and putting them on top of the cake like a tart.
Bake already warm at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes.
St Joseph’s Zeppoles
Necessary for the Zeppoles of St. Joseph
- 800 grams of white flour
- 600 grams of potatoes
- 40 grams of butter
- 40 grams of brewer’s yeast
- 1 cup of liqueur to taste
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup of milk
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- icing sugar to garnish
- seed oil for frying (they can also be baked in the oven and are lighter)
Preparation of St. Joseph’s wedges
Melt the yeast and butter in the milk. Potatoes should first be boiled and then crushed. Knead the flour with the eggs, boiled potatoes, a glass of liquor, milk with butter and yeast and the grated peel of a lemon. Work the dough with your hands until it becomes firm and elastic. With this pasta make many small treats like taralli and let them rise on a tablecloth, covered, until they double in volume. At this point you can fry in plenty of seed oil or put in the oven on a baking pan with parchuse paper for a fortnight at 180 degrees.
