Lazio – lisa loves to travel

World Pasta Day: Italian Pasta Festivals & a Craft Pasta Excursion

October 25, 2017@lisastravelguidesLeave a comment

“Everything you see, I owe to pasta.” – Sophia Loren

Pappardelle with Wild Boar Sauce at da Mario by Lisa Vogele — *Pappardelle al Cinghiale (Wild Boar Sauce) Prepared by Chef Christian at Ristorante da Mario in Buonconvento, Tuscany*

Pasta. Pasta. Pasta. October 25th is World Pasta Day! There are over 300 types to choose from. You can get it in short lengths or long, baked or boiled, slathered in a multitude of sauces. Each region of Italy has their favorite pasta shapes, sizes, and toppings. A savory ragu in Emilia-Romagna, basil pesto in Liguria, spicy peperoncino in Calabria or a cheesy lasagna oven baked in Campania (prepared al Forno); the variations are endless.

Pasta can be mass-produced or made by hand (Fatto a mano). After more than 10 trips to Italy, I am quite picky about the pasta I eat here in the United States. Purchasing options range from large-scale factories like Barilla on your grocery store shelf to craft pasta makers like the Martelli family of Lari, Tuscany. A fun trip for all ages is an excursion to the Martelli family’s craft pasta facility. It takes more than 50 hours to dry their pasta before it’s ready to be packaged and distributed. According to Lonely Planet, the mass-producer Barilla can make as much pasta in 20 minutes as the Martelli Family makes in one year. Mangia!

October 27th is World Pasta Day & October 17th is USA National Pasta Day

…in case you were wondering

PASTA FACTORY VISIT

La Pasta dei Martelli in Lari, Tuscany – see website for more information or contact me to arrange your transportation & visit

ITALIAN PASTA FESTIVALS

Here is a list of festivals throughout the year in Italy form my book Food & Folklore: A Year of Italian Festivals

May – Tuscany – Sagra della Pastasciutta in Siena [20 different varieties of pasta; a pasta lovers dream]

June – Lazio – Sagra del Gnocchi in Riofreddo [Gnocchi]

June – Piemonte – Sagra della Foccaccia al Formaggio e delle Trofie al Pesto in Casal Cermelli [Trofie shaped pasta with pesto and cheese foccaccia]

July/August – Campania – Sagra dei Fusilli e del Pecorino in Ceppaloni [Fusilli shaped pasta & pecorino cheese]

August – Tuscany – Sagra del Raviolo in Contignano [Ravioli]

August – Marche – La Sagra dei Maccheroncini in Campfilone [Spaghetti]

October – Emilia-Romagna – Sagra del Tortellino in Reno Centese [Tortellini]

Tip to search on your own: Search formula = “sagra” + “pasta” + region of Italy or the shape, sauce or preparation of your favorite pasta

GLUTEN-FREE?

Restaurants throughout the world have increased their offerings for friends that are gluten-sensitive or gluten-free for sourcing a pasta fix (look for “senza glutine” on an Italian menu). Check out Jodi Ettenberg’s Legal Nomad blog post: The Essential Gluten Free Guide to Italy providing very helpful information & list of additional resources for planning a gluten-free trip to Italy.

ABOUT

Lisa Vogele is passionate about sharing her love of travel, festivals and genealogy with fellow travelers and enthusiasts. Lisa is the author of Food & Folklore: A Year of Italian Festivals, her first installment in a series of travel reference guides about food and folklore festivals in various countries. Lisa’s Travel Guides is a full-service travel, tour and custom travel agency helping others to go local as a traveler and not a tourist. In 2017, Lisa combined her passions and created Travel Your Tree providing research services and travel planning for ancestral destination adventures. Lisa can be reached at lisa@lisastravelguides.com or follow her: Twitter @travelwithlisa; Instagram LisasTravelGuides and travel blogging at Lisa Loves to Travel.

PHOTO CREDITS

Pappardelle al Cinghiale, Lisa Vogele

Lasagne Romagnola, BY SAMBAWAMBA VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

67th Ladispoli Artichoke Festival

April 8, 2017@lisastravelguidesLeave a comment

7431108814_d95073529a_b (2)

The Sagra del Carciofo Romanesco in Ladispoli outside of Rome, claims to be the first festival honoring the artichoke in the world. Ladispoli is just over twenty miles northwest of Rome on the Mediterranean coastline along the ancient Roman road, the Via Aurelia. Named after Ladislao Odeschalci who founded the city in 1888, Ladispoli a coastal resort town in the Lazio region. There were settlements in the area since Etruscan times.Started in 1950 to promote artichokes, particularly tourism in Ladispoli, the festival has endured and is held in early April each year over a three day period.

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This festival celebrates the Romanesco variety of artichoke, which is globe-shaped and purplish in color. Leading up to the event, the restaurants in the area highlight the use of artichokes and offer fixed price menus. Two popular ways to prepare and eat artichokes are Carciofi alla Romana and Carciofi all Giudia. Carciofi alla Romana are stuffed with mint, garlic and parsley and then cooked slowly in olive oil. Carciofi alla Giudia, a classic Roman Jewish dish, they are flattened and deep fried to a golden crispy finish.

The 67th festival runs today thru Sunday. There will be stands for tasting the artichokes as well as musical entertainment and cooking demonstrations. It’s an easy start or finish to your vacation if you are arriving in Rome via Aeroporto Fiumicino and easily accessible by train from Rome or Pisa.

Carciofi alla Giudia — Carciofi all Giudia

Ladispoli, Lazio on Google Maps

Sagra del Carciofo Romanesco info Pro Loco Ladispoli

Photo Credits:

Carciofi Romanesco Stefano Pellicciari via Foter.com / CC BY-SA

Carciofi for Sale blucolt via Foter.com / CC BY-SA

Fried Artichokes fugzu via Foter.com / CC BY

Carciofi alla Giudia SignorDeFazio via Foter.com / CC BY-SA

Carciofi alla Romana lisa_shen via Foter.com / CC BY-SA

Roasted Chestnuts and Savory Sausage South of Rome

December 10, 2016December 10, 2016@lisastravelguidesLeave a comment

1024px-panoramaprossedi-2 — *Panorama of Prossedi*

The smell of roasting chestnuts wafting in the air always reminds me of the holidays. Tonight, that aroma is accompanied by the smell of grilled sausage for the residents of Prossedi at their annual sausage festival. The Sagra della Zazzicchia (Festival of Sausage) began at 7:00 PM in the central Piazza Umberto, filled with dancing and music.

Sausages on the Grill

Gate of Prossedi on Piazza Umberto

Sausage contains a variety of meat and seasonings. The sausage served at Sagra della Zazzicchia includes a seasoning of chili, salt and orange peel that is mixed in and sits overnight to marinate in the seasoning before being stuffed into its sausage casing the next day. The sausage cures for up to 4 days then is grilled and served with broccoli.

panorama-prossedi — *Panorama of Prossedi Countryside*

The Baronial Palace of Prossedi sits proud and dominant on Piazza Umberto. At one time the palace boasted a moat and a drawbridge. It has passed through the hands of several families and continues to be privately owned. Prossedi was founded in the 7th century by refugees from neighbor Priverno. It sits on a hill overlooking the Amaseno Valley, less than two hours south of Rome.

palazzo-barrone — *Palazzo Baronale in Prossedi*

INFORMATION

Map Prossedi, Lazio Region, Italy

ABOUT

Lisa M. Vogele is the author of Food & Folklore: A Year of Italian Festivals, a travel reference guide that “helps you go local” by incorporating festivals into your travel planning. You can find out more information about Lisa’s books and “Fun with Food & Festivals” Tours at Lisa’s Travel Guides.

PHOTO CREDITS

Panorama of Prossedi Croberto68 via wikimedia commons

Panorama of Countryside at Prossedi andynax via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

Palazzo Baronale Raoul De Michelis via Foter.com / CC BY-NC

Clocktower Entry Gate on Piazza Umberto SignorC via Foter.com / CC BY-SA

Sausages on the Grill Julien Menichini via Foter.com / CC BY

Roasted Chestnuts paolo.r via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

@Visit_Lazio

66th Ladispoli Artichoke Festival

April 8, 2016@lisastravelguides1 Comment

7431108814_d95073529a_b (2) — *Carciofi Romanesco*

2160339830_ec04030e94_b (2) — *Carciofi for Sale*

Fried Artichokes

Carciofi alla Giudia

Carciofi alla Romana

The 66th festival runs today thru Sunday. There will be stands for tasting the artichokes as well as musical entertainment and cooking demonstrations. It’s an easy start or finish to your vacation if you are arriving in Rome via Aeroporto Fiumicino.

Ladispoli, Lazio on Google Maps

Sagra del Carciofo Romanesco info Pro Loco Ladispoli

Photo Credits:

Carciofi Romanesco Stefano Pellicciari via Foter.com / CC BY-SA

Carciofi for Sale blucolt via Foter.com / CC BY-SA

Fried Artichokes fugzu via Foter.com / CC BY

Carciofi alla Giudia SignorDeFazio via Foter.com / CC BY-SA

Carciofi alla Romana lisa_shen via Foter.com / CC BY-SA

Broccoletti on Lake Bracciano

March 4, 2016@lisastravelguidesLeave a comment

2889576282_132d914697_b (2) — **Anguillara Sabazia on the Shores of Lago di Bracciano in the Lazio Region**

Rapini is a vegetable with multiple identities. It’s a green, leafy vegetable with buds that resemble broccoli, but aren’t broccoli. In the United States it’s on produce shelves as both rapini and broccoli rabe. In Italy it varies by area of the country. In Rome it’s broccoletti and in Naples friarelli. If it’s a favorite of yours and you are in Puglia ask for cime di rape (direct translation: ”turnip tops”). 2050516289_1837d67b80_b

View of Lake Bracciano from Anguillara Sabazia

This Sunday is the 15th Broccoletti in Piazza at Anguillara Sabazia’s Piazza del Molo. A lakeside medieval town on Lago di Bracciano, Anguillara Sabazia is 19 miles northwest of Rome by car or 40 minutes by train. Named after the Anguillara family that ruled the area until 1488, the name was changed in 1872 to add Sabazia, after an ancient city located near current day Trevignano Romano.

3502971101_0ea04011ec_b (2) — **Broccoletti**

The food stands will be serving broccoletti deliciously prepared by blanching then cooking in frying pans with some local sausage. Planted last fall, this feast is held on the first Sunday in March to capture the broccoletti at peak harvest time and promote it. Year-round agricultural production in the area includes: pumpkin, peppers, tomatoes, beans, peas and squash.

Anguillara Sabazia Walk Along Lake Bracciano

Anguillara Sabazia Street 1

Anguillara Sabazia Street 2

#broccoletti #anguillarasbazia #turismobracciano #lazioinfesta #anguillaraturismo #rapini

Broccoletti in Piazza Event Website

Anguillara Tourism Information

Bracciano Tourism Information Site

Photo Credits:

View of Anguillara Sabazia Nick Peters1 via Foter.com / CC BY

View of Lake Bracciano from Anguillara Sabazia sunshinecity via Foter.com / CC BY

Broccoletti naotakem via Foter.com / CC BY

Anguillara Sabazia Walk on Lake Bracciano Simone Tagliaferri via Foter.com / CC BY

Anguillara Sabazia Street 2 sunshinecity via Foter.com / CC BY

Anguillara Sabazia Street 1 sunshinecity via Foter.com / CC BY

Sagra della Frittella in Tuscania, Lazio

January 16, 2016January 16, 2016@lisastravelguidesLeave a comment

5706594672_a7069866c5_b — Basilica di San Pietro, Tuscania, Lazio, italy

Photo credit: Rome Cabs via Foter.com / CC BY-SA

This weekend there are numerous feasts and religious celebrations throughout Italy honoring Saint Anthony, the patron saint of animals. Each celebrates with their own local spin but many have several things in common: blessing ceremonies for animals and pets, great food and bonfires. In the northern Lazio province of Viterbo, the town of Tuscania will celebrate Saint Anthony and hold its 46th “Sagra della Frittella” this Sunday, January 17th.

frittelle-cavolfiore — Fritelle al Cavofiore/Cauliflower Fritters

The day begins at 10:30 in the morning with a procession of cowboys, horses and animals brought by farmers to a blessing ceremony at the Church of Santa Maria del Riposo. Then it’s time for the frittelle. “Frittelle” are fritters that can be made up of a variety of foods. The frittelle at this feast are battered chunks of fried cauliflower (frittelle al cavofiore in Italian). A large frying pan will be set up in the old town center on Piazza Italia and local cauliflower will be fried up and served with salt or sugar while singers perform throughout the town. After the sun sets at 6:00 pm, a traditional bonfire is held at the edge of town, rooted in pagan tradition.

371617993_bbcc19cc3b_b — Interior of Basilica di San Pietro

Photo credit: Pelagiodafro4 (Giuseppe D’Emilio) via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

Tuscania also has an Etruscan museum, Romanesque Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore and the Fontana delle Sette Cannelle, a roman fountain made of medieval materials. Tuscania is about 2 hours by car from Rome and 3 hours by car from Florence, very close to the Tyrhennian coastline.

sagra-della-frittella-