Matera Matters: Off to the Southern Region of Basilicata
Benvenuti a Matera! Have a seat. I've been enjoying a splendid month of travel throughout the less-explored regions of Italy in order to discover many of the hidden treasures of Italian cuisine. Come with me today to the ancient city of Matera, in the southern region of Basilicata. Let's take a look at a few of the many extraordinary culinary treasures of this gorgeous part of Italy.
Matera. The ancient city of the Sassi, homes carved into the mountainside. Matera’s history extends back some 8,000 years. In Matera to speak of the 1500s is to speak of yesterday. The same goes for the vast culinary traditions that define this remarkable and unique city carved into stone. Recipes stretch hundreds of years back, some even thousands. The elements that make up the base of the region’s cuisine are quite simple, yet from those ingredients a very complex cuisine is revealed. Most dishes have their roots in the rustic lifestyle that defines generations of Materan people. Meats are typically on the heavy side: salsiccia, soppressata, pancetta. You should be able to find these at your local specialty supermarket. Materan cheeses are especially delicious. Try Matera’s ricotta forte, ricotta salata, scamorza, and also the splendid pecorino. With few cows in the region, cheeses are usually derived from goat's and sheep’s milk. Don’t forget to try these less-known varieties: formaggio di capra and cacioricotta lucano. As for pasta, don’t miss the opportunity to try Matera’s fresh orecchiette, cavatelli, and scorze d’amell. One of Italy’s finest delicacies is found in the region of Basilicata, the tartufo mushroom. Try the bianchetto, white in color, and the scorzone, black, prepared in a sauce over fresh pasta.
Let’s now head off to eat! I spent the afternoon with the very inventive chef Michael Lella. Chef Lella’s restaurant, Il Cantuccio, is located in the heart of Matera and it was there where I found some of the very best examples of the region’s cuisine. Chef Lella’s menu is just superb. No surprise that his restaurant was chosen by the Basilicata region as a participant in the exclusive Settimana del gusto, a week-long event that celebrates the superb culinary traditions of the region each summer. Let’s take a look at a few of Chef Lella’s treasures:
Cavatelli al Frantoio: Fresh cavatelli pasta served in Frantoio oil.
Orecchiette ubriache all’aglianico: Fresh orecchiette pasta “drunk” in an Aglianico wine sauce.
Fagotini al tartufo: Small beans served in a tartufo mushroom sauce.
Agnello nostrano alla contadina: Rustic country-style lamb.
Salsiccia di maiale con cipolla e pomodori: Pork sausage with onions and tomatoes.
Filetto di vitello ai funghi cardoncelli: Veal fillet served in a rich cardoncelli mushroom sauce.
Chef Lella and assistant Pina Spagnuolo exude the proud spirit of Materan cuisine. Matera’s warmer, arid climate does not allow for the vastness of ingredients found in regions like Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. Dishes are instead mostly composed of olives, mushrooms, beans, onions, tomatoes, and herbs. Chef Lella’s Cavatelli al Frantoio, for example, has at its base a very penetrating and dense oil. His filetto di vitello includes the use of the unforgettable cardoncelli mushrooms.
Matera. The ancient city of the Sassi, homes carved into the mountainside. Matera’s history extends back some 8,000 years. In Matera to speak of the 1500s is to speak of yesterday. The same goes for the vast culinary traditions that define this remarkable and unique city carved into stone. Recipes stretch hundreds of years back, some even thousands. The elements that make up the base of the region’s cuisine are quite simple, yet from those ingredients a very complex cuisine is revealed. Most dishes have their roots in the rustic lifestyle that defines generations of Materan people. Meats are typically on the heavy side: salsiccia, soppressata, pancetta. You should be able to find these at your local specialty supermarket. Materan cheeses are especially delicious. Try Matera’s ricotta forte, ricotta salata, scamorza, and also the splendid pecorino. With few cows in the region, cheeses are usually derived from goat's and sheep’s milk. Don’t forget to try these less-known varieties: formaggio di capra and cacioricotta lucano. As for pasta, don’t miss the opportunity to try Matera’s fresh orecchiette, cavatelli, and scorze d’amell. One of Italy’s finest delicacies is found in the region of Basilicata, the tartufo mushroom. Try the bianchetto, white in color, and the scorzone, black, prepared in a sauce over fresh pasta.
Let’s now head off to eat! I spent the afternoon with the very inventive chef Michael Lella. Chef Lella’s restaurant, Il Cantuccio, is located in the heart of Matera and it was there where I found some of the very best examples of the region’s cuisine. Chef Lella’s menu is just superb. No surprise that his restaurant was chosen by the Basilicata region as a participant in the exclusive Settimana del gusto, a week-long event that celebrates the superb culinary traditions of the region each summer. Let’s take a look at a few of Chef Lella’s treasures:
Cavatelli al Frantoio: Fresh cavatelli pasta served in Frantoio oil.
Orecchiette ubriache all’aglianico: Fresh orecchiette pasta “drunk” in an Aglianico wine sauce.
Fagotini al tartufo: Small beans served in a tartufo mushroom sauce.
Agnello nostrano alla contadina: Rustic country-style lamb.
Salsiccia di maiale con cipolla e pomodori: Pork sausage with onions and tomatoes.
Filetto di vitello ai funghi cardoncelli: Veal fillet served in a rich cardoncelli mushroom sauce.
Chef Lella and assistant Pina Spagnuolo exude the proud spirit of Materan cuisine. Matera’s warmer, arid climate does not allow for the vastness of ingredients found in regions like Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. Dishes are instead mostly composed of olives, mushrooms, beans, onions, tomatoes, and herbs. Chef Lella’s Cavatelli al Frantoio, for example, has at its base a very penetrating and dense oil. His filetto di vitello includes the use of the unforgettable cardoncelli mushrooms.
