Food in Lombardy.
Because much of Lombardy is a well-watered plain, this region has a highly productive agricultural industry producing crops such as rice, corn, wheat, sugar beet, and animal fodder. There are also many cattle and dairy farms.
As in the rest of Italy, the most common crops and livestock dictate the cuisine of the region and in fact Lombard cuisine is very different from that of the regions of southern Italy. Rice and polenta are staples here, as are beef and veal.
Lombardy is also home to many famous Italian cheeses such as gorgonzola, robiola, Grana Padano, mascarpone and taleggio. There are also many lesser-known mountain cheeses produced in the northern mountain pastures and valleys of the region.
These 12 pasta recipes from Lombardy.
The pasta and gnocchi recipes that follow are just a taste of the delicious specialties that can be found in Lombardy. Most of them use typical local ingredients and many are recipes that date back to ancient times, when the rural population created dishes with ingredients directly grown, collected or hunted.
CLICK ON THE NAME OF THE RECIPE TO GO TO THE RECIPE POST
Homemade pasta recipes from Lombardy.
1) Chestnut flour maltagliati with mushrooms.
Known locally as ‘foiade’, this homemade pasta with chestnut flour is a type of maltagliati originating from the valleys of the province of Bergamo. Traditionally foiade contain more than one type of flour. I used a mix of chestnut flour and semolina flour. I seasoned the ready pasta with a sauce of dried porcini mushrooms, fresh cremini mushrooms and cream. The result? A fabulous recipe for maltagliati with chestnuts, easy to prepare, but special enough for holiday menus.
2) Ravioli filled with robiola.
If you’re a fan of homemade ravioli, you’ll love these robiola-filled ravioli made with one of the region’s typical cheeses. The ravioli filling is easy to prepare and really tasty without the need for cooking! The pasta dough is made from soft and durum wheat flour and eggs. Serve these ravioli with melted butter, grated cheese and chopped chives.
3) Homemade Casoncelli.
Casoncelli, also called casonsei, are a classic stuffed pasta from Eastern Lombardy. There are numerous versions of this delicious traditional dish. This particular recipe is for casoncelli from Valcamonica, a valley in the Italian Alps.
In this recipe the pasta filling contains boiled vegetables, mortadella, sausage, grated parmesan, potatoes, breadcrumbs, parsley, leek, salt and pepper. The dough is a mix of soft and hard wheat flour and eggs. The ready casoncelli are served with melted butter, sage leaves and crispy bacon!
This fabulous stuffed pasta is definitely a labor of love. It’s not a quick weeknight meal. However, if you try it, you will understand why it is such an iconic dish.
4) Scarpinocc by Parre.
Known in Lombardy as scarpinocc di Parre, this meatless stuffed pasta is a unique traditional dish from an ancient mountain village called Parre. Scarpinocc are a very rustic pasta created with mostly simple ingredients that were available to peasant families of the past. Packed with milk, butter, cheese and eggs this is one homemade pasta you’ll want to try!
The filling of the scarpinocc is not cooked. It has breadcrumbs, grated Grana or Parmesan, butter, eggs, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and milk. The pasta dough contains soft and hard wheat flour, melted butter, milk and eggs. Scarpinocc is usually served with a simple dressing of browned butter and sage.
5) Maltagliati with Mascarpone.
This fabulous creamy mascarpone pasta recipe comes from the city of Lodi, in the heart of the Po Valley. Traditionally made with maltagliati pasta, this is one of the easiest pasta recipes to make. To make the maltagliati you can use homemade or ready-made lasagna sheets. The no-cook sauce is a simple combination of egg yolks, mascarpone, parmesan and nutmeg. Of course you can also use other types of pasta.
6) Pumpkin tortelli.
These divine Mantuan tortelli are filled with roasted pumpkin, crumbled amaretti biscuits, eggs, cheese and nutmeg. They are traditionally served on Christmas Eve topped with butter and sage, but would make a fabulous addition to any festive menu.
Other Pasta Recipes from Lombardy.
7) Braised hare ragout with pappardelle.
Based on an ancient Northern Italian dish known as “lepre in salmi” in Italian, this braised hare ragout is one of the most delicious game recipes in Italian cuisine. The hare meat is marinated in red wine, herbs and spices and then braised in wine and broth until tender. In this version, the cocoa powder added at the end gives the sauce an incredibly rich, deep and slightly chocolatey flavor.
I served the hare ragù with the pappardelle. You can use other egg noodles or even tubes of dried pasta such as rigatoni. Here in Northern Italy this ragù is also served with polenta.
8) Minestrone Milanese.
This hearty minestrone Milanese is a super nutritious Italian vegetable soup originating from Milan, the capital of Lombardy. This soup is thicker than most other minestrone soups and is packed with healthy seasonal vegetables, protein-rich beans, and aromatic herbs. Add the rice or pasta and serve it Italian style with grated parmesan and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
9) Pizzoccheri alla Valtellinese.
Baked Pizzoccheri Valtellinese is a delicious vegetarian buckwheat pasta dish originating from the town of Teglio in Valtellina, a very beautiful and fertile valley in the Italian Alps. The combination of buckwheat pasta, cabbage, potatoes, butter and cheese make this typical mountain dish, substantial and warming, perfect for the cold season! You can serve this dish cooked or raw.
10) Monzese pasta sauce.
Pasta alla Monzese is a rich pasta recipe based on a traditional risotto recipe from Lombardy Brianza. This creamy sausage and saffron pasta is actually surprisingly simple to make and only has 4 main ingredients. However, it is the combination of these ingredients that makes this one of the tastiest sausage pasta recipes I know.
Gnocchi recipes from Lombardy.
11) Bread and spinach gnocchi (strangolapreti).
These delicious bread and spinach gnocchi, known as strangolapreti, are traditional from eastern Lombardy and Trentino-Alto Adige. Made with bread, spinach, eggs and cheese or flour, strangolapreti are often eaten with a simple condiment of sage and butter sauce or in broth. Super tasty and comforting, these gnocchi are a super zero waste recipe that reuses leftover stale bread and even cooked spinach.
12) Gnocchi with Taleggio.
The recipe for creamy taleggio gnocchi is a fabulous Lombard dish that is easy to prepare. All you need are just 5 main ingredients and very little preparation to make this truly delicious recipe combining Italian taleggio with pears and speck and fresh potato gnocchi. You can serve this dish cooked or raw. Both ways are super tasty!
Other collections of regional pasta recipes.
Piedmontese pasta recipes/Piedmont.
12 pasta recipes from the Marche region.
Emilia-Romagna pasta recipes.
Pasta recipes from Rome.
Let me know what you think.
Of course there are many other Lombard gnocchi and pasta recipes to discover. I’ve posted others but the ones in this collection are my favorites at the moment. Plus, I have quite a few on my to-do list and can’t wait to share them here in the future.
In the meantime, if you try any of these 12 pasta recipes from Lombardy, I’d love to know what you think. Please write a comment here on the blog or post a comment on Pasta Project Facebook page.
Your feedback means a lot to me!
Enjoy your meal!
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