The Monferrato offers flavor experiences for all tastes, from wine lovers to foodies. After our posts highlighting traditional recipes and their histories, today we’ll continue with more Christmas proposals that will delight your palate—perfect for a Christmas full of homemade flavors!
Donkey agnolotti
Italy is the undisputed queen of pasta, and its stuffed pastas are endless. In Piedmont, agnolotti are as famous as the gianduia chocolate. These square stuffed pockets were originally made to use up the leftovers from various roasted meats, which were minced and mixed together and added to finely chopped vegetables, rice, and other ingredients. Certainly, in the past, nothing was wasted; today, the agnolotti are a delicious symbol of good habits.
Out of the equine tradition in the Monferrato, one filling in particular has become popular for agnolotti: that with a base of donkey meat. In particular, agnolotti all’asino, as they’re called, are most traditional in the municipality of Calliano d’Asti, which still holds a dedicated sagra every June. You can also find these agnolotti at Asti’s Festival delle Sagre that takes place during the second weekend in September.
Suggested wine pairing: Riserva della Famiglia – Barbera d’Asti Doc Superiore Nizza
La Finanziera
La cultura dei nostri genitori e ancora di più di quella dei nostri nonni ci ha ben insegnato: quando si parla di cibo non si spreca nulla, soprattutto quando è una fonte di proteine animali. Bovino, maiale o pollo, si utilizzano tutte le parti dell’animale, sia per “onorare” il suo corpo e non vanificare la sua morte, sia per avere il massimo beneficio in periodi di scarsità e povertà. Ebbene, nonostante i tempi siano cambiati, molti piatti della tradizione continuano ad esistere grazie a questo semplice principio.
La finanziera è un piatto preparato con gli scarti della macellazione di galletti e bovini, tipico piemontese nato durante il medioevo; la prima ricetta pare essere stata ideata dal Maestro Martino, le cui ricette vennero incluse nell’opera del Platina, nel 1450. L’etimologia è incerta, tuttavia pare che nonostante le origini umili, il piatto sia giunto alle tavole dei nobili piemontesi e che abbia quindi preso il nome dalla giacca da cerimonia, detta appunto finanziera, indossata a Torino nell’800 dai rappresentanti della finanza piemontese.
Suggested wine pairing: Camp du Rouss – Barbera d’Asti DOCG
Robiola di Roccaverano cheese
The Robiola di Roccaverano is the only Italian goat cheese with a DOP certification. It has an ancient history behind it. Already noted by the Celts and later by Pliny (23-78 AD), this cheese was also cited numerous times in texts written by Pistone the priest in 1899. A famous robiola, therefore, that has a complex and seductive flavor when eaten young, with notes of yogurt, green grass, and hazelnuts on the nose and an extraordinary savoriness in the mouth. The Robiola di Roccaverano is also a Slow Food Presidium, to help protect and promote the small producers of classic robiola—the kind made with exclusively unpasteurized goat’s milk.
Suggested wine pairing: Gavi – La Rocca
