1. Frittura di Paranza
A typical Tuscan dish of freshly caught little fish, shrimps and squid coated in seasoned flour and fried. I had this in a restaurant in Porto Santo Stefano overlooking the sea, enjoyed with a glass of Prosecco. Finger lickin good.
2. Pasta with Wild Boar Sauce
Exploring Pisa on a rainy day in June, I wandered into the Osteria Del Tinti. Tucked down an alley, near the centre of town, this restaurant served typical Tuscan cuisine to a discerning Italian clientele. I eat mostly vegetarian and fish, but had to have this hearty meat dish and it scored highly. A bottle of Sangiovese suited the dish perfectly.
3. Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli with Sage Butter
Served on board the classic yacht Eilean after a day’s racing, Stefano (fondly known as Chefano) dished this up for my vegetarian partner Dan. He fended off the meat eating contenders to save his fair share.
4. Gelato
Thankfully priced at only 2 euro a scoop, I tried a new flavour every day. My favourite flavour was ricotta and fig. I’ve been cycling a lot to balance the effects of my over indulgence. Inspired, I made my first ever homemade ice-cream – Ricotta and Black pepper to go with my home grown strawberries. Thank you very much Italy.
5. Sgroppino
As a dessert lover, I can rarely pass up the chance of a sweet something or other after a meal, but sometimes, too many courses camouflaged as tasty morsels beats me. So, the offer of a palate cleansing drink seemed like a good option. Oh my, it’s like whipped lemon snow, made with vodka, lemon gelato and prosecco served in a champagne flute. I had a second helping, just to be sure I liked it.
Do you have a favourite dish, discovered on your travels in Italy? Tell us about it in the comments below.
Faraway Visions | Meraid Griffin
Meraid Griffin is a freelance writer brought up on the west coast of Ireland. In 2010, she went cruising on a small sailing boat and spent over a year travelling from Arctic Norway to Brazil writing about her adventures. Her twin daughters call her ‘Supergran’, a title she secretly loves.
