Ligurian Cuisine

Ligurian cuisine is one of the lightest and most aromatic in Italy — Mediterranean, vegetable-focused, with lots of olive oil and herbs.

Classics

• Pesto alla Genovese — The original (see Genoa section). Only eat with Trofie or Trenette, never with spaghetti.
• Focaccia — Liguria's bread of breads: thick, oily, with coarse salt. In Genoa, the variant with onions is called "Focaccia di Recco" (paper-thin dough with cheese). Perfect as breakfast or a snack in between.
• Farinata — Chickpea flatbread from the wood oven, crispy, slightly spicy. A typical street food snack (2–3 €). Best at Antico Forno della Casana in Genoa.
• Pansoti con salsa di noci — Filled pasta (with herbs and ricotta) in walnut sauce. Creamy, nutty, heavenly.
• Trofie al Pesto — THE Ligurian combination: hand-rolled, twisted pasta with potatoes, green beans, and fresh pesto.
• Fritto misto di pesce — Mixed fried seafood (calamari, shrimp, anchovies), light and crispy in the best places.
• Cima alla Genovese — Veal breast stuffed with vegetables, eggs, and herbs, served cold in slices. A traditional festive dish.

Wine

Liguria's wines are rare and often only available locally: Vermentino and Pigato (white wines, mineral-fresh), Rossese di Dolceacqua (red wine, light and fragrant), and the rare Sciacchetrà from the Cinque Terre (sweet passito wine, 25–50 € per bottle).