During your stay in the district of Terni, in Umbria, you can taste ciriole, pappardelle and testo cake, the traditional dishes of Umbria.
Ciriole al sugo
The Ciriole with sauce, or ciriole alla ternana, are a main course of fresh pasta. This kind of pasta made with only flour and water is rather rough and is perfect to hold the seasoning. The most common sauce for this type of pasta is the ternana sauce which is prepared with garlic, olive oil, a pinch of chili pepper, basil and ripe tomatoes. The simplicity of this dish betrays a poor and simple origin, in fact it was prepared by the peasant families.
Pappardelle with boar
Pappardelle al Cinghiale
The pappardelle with boar are a main dish of the district of Terni. It is a rich and elaborate recipe with rustic and tasty flavor. Fresh pappardelle are prepared with eggs, oil, water and flour. The boar, however, requires a long preparation, especially when they use wild boar. It has to marinate from 12 to 24 hours with wine, carrots, celery, onions, rosemary, sage or other aromas. Marinating time is reduced if you are using meat from the breeding farms. Afterwards, the boar meat is smashed and fried in a frying pan. The cooking continues with the liquid of the marinade and some tomato, two or three tablespoons max, in order to obtain a thick sauce.
Torta al Testo
The testo cake is a type of bread with ancient origins. In Roman times they used to prepare it and cook it on terracotta tiles called “testum”, that’s the origin of the name “testo”. Today the testo is an iron grill where the bread is cooked slowly until it reaches a golden color on the surface. The cake is stuffed with cured meats, cheeses and vegetables, is very common in Umbria and is considered one of the oldest street foods because it is also prepared in the banquets at events and festivals.
