While in Umbria on vacation a few years ago, we went in search of fabled Castelluccio lentils. We had seen these lentils for sale when we were visiting the town of Norcia—so devastated by Italy’s earthquakes earlier this year—but despite the window displays all over town in Norcia, we wanted to see these lentils for ourselves in their natural habitat.

We headed by car to il Piano Grande, a large alpine valley 4,000 feet above sea level in the central Italian Apennine mountains.

Continue reading In Search of Castelluccio Lentils at Our Italian Table.

Like so many other cities in Italy, Perugia (home of Italy’s famous chocolate industry) has its own unique cuisine and dialect. While visiting this lovely hilltop town last year, we stumbled across a tiny restaurant named Fontanella Di Porta Sole. The sign saying that they have served “cucina perugina” since 1940 caught my eye. That it was off the main tourist streets of this popular destination made it all the better.

At the restaurant, I asked about this strangely named dish, ’mbrecciata, and when my ears heard “lentils”, I was sold.

Continue reading ‘mbrecciata – A Perugian bean and ancient grain soup at Our Italian Table.

When we visited Umbria this fall, I expected the region to be a mere stepchild to Tuscany and its cosmopolitan, touristy vibe. Instead, we found a truly distinctive part of Italy, with its own unique character—and a place that includes mountains, national parks, river plains and hilltop towns.

Umbria is the only region in Italy that neither borders another country nor has a coastline. As a result, the land alone and its diversity very heavily influence the cuisine.

Continue reading Pasta alla Norcina at Our Italian Table.