What are some of the typical regional dishes of Tuscany?

With Italian food being renown worldwide, you might be surprised to know that some dishes are distinct to different regions of Italy. Get excited for some of these Tuscan dishes that you won’t regret trying!

Tuscany is an enchanting, triangular-shaped region with almost half of Italy’s artistic heritage and landscapes. From the visual harmony of rolling hills, striking landscape, and immaculately fresh air, Tuscany is the perfect destination for an amazing vacation. Once you’ve ticked off the great museums, panoramic vistas, and energetic nightlife, indulge in a culinary adventure to satisfy your taste buds!

Here we’ve master-crafted a list of typical regional dishes you ought to try when exploring Tuscany.

Popular dishes in Tuscany

• Savour every bite of Torta di Ceci

  Torta di Ceci is a traditional Tuscan flatbread made with simple ingredients including chickpea flour, extra virgin olive oil, water, salt, and rosemary. It is crispy on the outside and creamy like custard on the inside. In fact, this typical dish is suitable for even those following strict diet regiment as it is dairy-free, glutton-free, vegan and keto-diet friendly. No pancake is as lip-smackingly good as this savoury chickpea flatbread from Tuscany.

• Sink your teeth into a Bistecca alla Fiorentina

  As the name suggests Bisetecca alla Fiorentina is a regional dish from Florence. It is a juicy T-bone steak drizzled with Tuscan olive oil, seared on the chargrill, garnished with salt and pepper and served al Sangue (bloody). While the outside of the steak ought to be almost charred with a distinct grill line, the inside is incredibly warm and tender. Devour the steak with a side dish of earthy, slow-cooked white beans for a total Tuscan immersion.

• Relish a bowl of Cacciucco

  Cacciucco is a hearty Tuscan stew served over slices of flavoured Tuscan bread croutons. Traditionally this dish was supposed to have five different types of fish-each represented by a ‘c’ in Cacciucco. However, today the dish comes with fish of all sizes and is usually served in generous portions. Forming the base of the dish is a mixture of garlic, pepper, sage, tomato and red wine vinegar that add to the taste of the stew. Mouthwateringly delicious!

• Indulge in Tortelli Lucchese

  Tortelli Lucchese is the trademark of Tuscan cuisine that is similar to meat ravioli. The dish comprises of egg-based bright yellow pasta stuffed with a mixture of seasoned beef and pork meat smothered in heavily meat-laden ragu, widely used meat-based sauce in Italy. This authentic pasta fresco is neatly rolled, carefully cut in circles and beautifully served for visitors to experience a rich Tuscan indulgence.

• Tuck into a refreshing Panzanella 

  A Tuscan chopped salad of soaked bread, onions and tomatoes, Panzanella is perfect for cooling down in the summer sun. As you might have learned from our previous article on Food to Pair with Chianti, the Tuscans hate to throw away bread, even when it gets stale! Instead, they put it in stews, soups and salads as a way to use up the precious loaf leftovers. This is what inspired the dish’s name, with ‘pan’ being short for pane which means “bread” and zenella being an old Italian name for “bowl.”

• Experience homemade Fettuccine

  A type of pasta that has become widely used over Europe and internationally for carbonara, mushroom and alfredo dishes. This pasta is flatter and thicker than spaghetti, made with egg and flour, similar to tagliatelle. Popular in Tuscan cuisine, this pasta dates back to the Romans, who settled in Tuscany in the 1st century, taking over from the Greeks. Classically eaten with beef or chicken ragu, fettuccine is best served fresh by those who know what they’re doing. What better place to try!

• Spoon a wholesome bowl of Ribolita 

  Once again it’s all about the bread in Tusncay, they’re obsessed! But we don’t mind as long as they keep making these delicious dishes to go with it. Ribolita is a bean and kale soup served with toasted bread, although the recipe varies depending on who’s making it. It can also include different kinds of cabbage, onions and carrots, a perfect mix to face the cold season. And waste not want not in Tuscany, so usually the second-day soup is cooked again in a pan of olive oil to be enjoyed for a second time – hence the name ribolita, which means “boiled twice.”

• Devour some Acquacotta

  Another soup-based dish or broth that became popular in Tuscan cuisine after becoming relied upon by the poorest in society. Originating in Maremma, which was historically a poor area, the people there had to find clever ways to give flavour to even the most wilted vegetables, and so Acquacotta was born! The name actually means “cooked water”, which isn’t too far from the truth. Today the dish is enriched with more flavours, a poached egg and a grating of pecorino for extra taste.

Happy eating!

See if you can spot some of these special regional dishes on our 2 Night Tuscan Escape delicious meals made with local produce and 3 wine tasting sessions.

Related article: Where to find the best wine in Tuscany?