Sienese typical dishes that you should taste in Summer

When we think about the typical dishes of the Tuscan cuisine, there are speciies in mind that it is better to taste in winter, such as ribollita, pappardelle with hare sauce or Florentine steak.

However, Tuscan cuisine is incredibly varied, so we show you a menu of dishes suitable for summer and especially for the warmest days.
Don’t give up on the scents and flavors of the Sienese tradition, take the chance of a summer holiday to discover lesser known dishes and of course the best DOC wines to match with!

Let yourself be intrigued by the summer menu that we propose, you will find these speciies in the restaurants of the historic center of Siena.

Panzanella Tuscan salad

 

Panzanella is a dish spread in central Italy, deriving from the peasant tradition, is easy to prepare and delicious to eat in the summer because it’s entirely made with seasonal vegetables.

There are many varieties of panzanella, the Sienese one is prepared with onion, salad, cucumber, tomato, basil, stale bread, oil, vinegar and s.
This dish is a great appetizer or can replace a first course, however we suggest trying it at a restaurant specializing in Sienese cuisine and matching it with a white wine, such as Vernaccia di San Gimignano.

Pici with Breadcrumbs

We wrote about pici many times, for example in the post about the best restaurants in Siena, however this recipe is quite different from the classic ones quoted everywhere.

This is an easy variant that emphasizes the tastiness of this handmade pasta typical of Tuscany. Pici with breadcrumbs are cooked with crushed chilli, anchovy and crushed garlic. In a frying pan with the oil, add the breadcrumbs and make a sauté with the just drained pasta.
The wine we recommend as a pairing is Val d’Arbia white, characterized by straw yellow color and delicate scent.

Sformato d’erbe

 

A great classic of Tuscan cuisine is the sformato (vegetable pie): there are many different recipes of this pie, including ingredients such as cardoons, artichokes, cauliflowers, eggs, cheese and besciamella.

In addition to the vegetable pie, we suggest the potato pie, cooked with eggs, grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, raw ham, nutmeg, s and pepper.
This dish is strong and delicate at the same time, so it ideally matches with a balanced wine such as the Morellino di Scansano DOCG.

Rice Pudding tart and rice pancakes

Dessert is essential in every typical menu, so even on hottest days you can enjoy something sweet that has to do with traditional recipes.
As an ernative to an ice cream, we recommend trying the rice pudding, which is actually a pastry pie filled with rice cream. The tart has a vanilla scent and you can find it in Sienese pastry shops.

The rice and orange pancakes of Piazza del Campo are traditionally related to the feast of San Giuseppe, which is celebrated on March 19th, so it’s a sweet out of season. However, we also point out this delicacy because it is a lesser known dessert than Panforte and other historical Sienese desserts.
Yet these pancakes are very delicious, as they can be tasted with Vin Santo and are an excellent example of street food, a trendy label that Siena declines in a number of typical products, known since the Middle Ages.

We are sure you won’t be disappointed by the Sienese summer menus you will discover during your next stay in the city of Palio, so what are you waiting for to delight the palate with these fine speciies?

Creditspreview photo: Panzanella, www.ediempoli.eu/la-panzanella/.