B&B Lucca - Il Seminario & Il Seminario 2 - Bed & Breakfast Lucca

LOCAL CUISINE

The town and province of Lucca boast a great variety of local products, the result of a tradition of farmhouse cooking making good use of natural, flavoursome ingredients.
Buccellato (sultana loaf), castagnaccio (chestnut-flour bread), farro (spelt), fresh pasta (maccaroni, tortelli ...), necci (chestnut-flour crepes), olive oil and fine wines are only some examples of the traditional food and drink of Lucca.
With local products of such high quality, it is not surprising that the simple but appetising food of Lucca has gained itself a worldwide reputation.
We would like to offer you some of the most famous recipes, to try at home or to enjoy at one of the many little restaurants dotted around town.

Farro
Ingredients
Spelt, dried borlotti beans, ham bone, carrot, celery, sage, onion, cinnamon, garlic, peeled tomatoes, olive oil, salt, pepper.
Method
• Cook the beans in salted water
• Add the sage, garlic and ham bone
• Sauté the onion, carrot and celery in the oil, and add the tomato, cinnamon, salt and pepper
• When the beans are cooked, put them through the blender and return them to the mixture on the stove
• Add the spelt and cook for one hour
• Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkling of pepper

Tordelli
Ingredients
Flour, a slice each of roast pork and beef, bread, grated parmesan and pecorino cheese, eggs, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper.
Method
Filling:
• Chop the beef and pork up finely; add the parmesan and pecorino, two eggs, the chopped parsley, thyme, salt and pepper
Pasta:
• Spread out enough flour to absorb 4 eggs and work together for a few minutes, adding a pinch of salt. Roll out into very thin strips about ten centimetres wide.
• Place small quantities of the filling regular distances apart on the pasta.
• Fold over the pasta, close up each of the tortelli and cut them into a semi-circle shape using a glass.
• Cook in boiling salted water
• Serve with meat sauce and grated parmesan

Coniglio alla cacciatora (Rabbit in wine sauce)
Ingredients
One rabbit (cut into small pieces), peeled tomatoes, black olives, garlic, rosemary, olive oil, white wine, salt and pepper.
Method
• Sauté the garlic and a sprig of rosemary in the olive oil
• Add the rabbit
• Pour in the wine, add the salt and pepper and remove from the heat
• Add the tomatoes and continue cooking for an hour
• Ten minutes before end of cooking, add the olives

Garmugia (Spring soup)
Ingredients
Spring onions, bacon, lean minced beef, bread, vegetables (artichokes, asparagus tips, peas and broad beans).
Method
• Sauté the onions and the bacon, cut into small strips
• Add the mince and stir together for a few minutes
• Add the vegetables, and stir for another 15 minutes
• Once all the ingredients are well mixed, take off the heat
• Serve on slices of toast