Recipes

It is enough to sit down at the table after having visited the churches, monuments, panoramic view spots and residences where the past is still alive and well, to understand that local cuisine is fundamental in this city. A basic cuisine that shrinks from adulterations, genuine and simple, extremely balanced and possessed of great style: the culinary tradition of Montefalco is tied to typical Umbrian gastronomy, using genuine products from the countryside and flavourful meats from local breeders. Montefalco cuisine is made of simple, natural ingredients and powerfully tied to the traditions and festivals of the past.

Here are a few recipes typical of our culinary tradition:

First courses

	Gli Strangozzi (serves 4) - half kilogram of flour, cold water; salt and oil to taste, 1 egg (optional))
To prepare: mix all ingredients until they form a compact mass and roll it out with a rolling pin to the thickness of a piece of spaghetti. Without letting the dough dry out, cut the pasta to make square spaghetti noodles. Cook the pasta in abundant salted water for just a few minutes.
Sauce: Strangòzzi pasta goes well with gosling, goose sauce or tomato sauce. Optional: pecorino cheese.
	La polenta dei nonni (Our grandparents’ polenta) Sauce for 4 people: - half an onion, salt to taste and oil for frying. - 1.5 kilograms of pork (fatty and lean) cut into pieces, 1 kilogram tomatoes (puréed).
Preparing the sauce: fry the ingredients and add tomato sauce last. Cook at low heat for 30-40 minutes.
Cooking the polenta: boil water and slowly add the corn meal, mixing it continuously with a wooden spoon, letting it boil at low heat for 30-40 minutes, then adjust for salt. The polenta is cooked when the wooden spoon stands up in the pot. Spread the polenta on a wooden pastry board, cover with the sauce and finally sprinkle generously with grated pecorino cheese.
	La Stracciatella - chicken broth, eggs, salt, - parmesan cheese and lemon rind.
To prepare: beat the eggs and add salt, the grated lemon rind and parmesan cheese, mixing well with the beaten eggs. Pour the mixture into boiling chicken broth and remove the pot from the heat; the soft grains created by the mixture have a delightful flavour.
	Gnocchi e gnocchi al Sagrantino - 1 kilogram of potatoes (for 4 servings) - flour as needed; - Sagrantino.
To prepare: boil the potatoes (1 kilogram is enough for 4 people), peel them and mash them. Mix the potatoes with the flour. Divide the dough into lengths 2 centimetres in diameter and cut into small squarish pieces. For Gnocchi al Sagrantino, add a little less than half a glass of Sagrantino to the dough.
Second courses
	Roast goose or duck - goose or duck meat; - lard or olive oil; - rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper.
To prepare: the meat must be prepared in a pan the night before, spreading it with lard or oil, adding salt and pepper, tucking rosemary and garlic cloves along the body, the thighs and the wings. Bake in a hot oven.
	La coratèlla d'agnello (lamb innards) - lamb innards, olive oil, garlic and rosemary; - half a glass of white wine, sage, salt and pepper, tomato sauce; - onion (optional);
To prepare: cut the lamb innards (liver, lungs, entrails) into very small pieces, put in a terracotta pan and dress with olive oil, garlic, rosemary, sage, salt and pepper. Boil for about two hours, adding white wine and some tomato sauce when almost done.
Side dishes
	La Panzanella - salad greens, stale bread, oil, vinegar and salt; - sliced onion and tomato; - chopped celery, fennel and cucumber.
To prepare: soak the pieces of stale bread in water and dress with oil, vinegar and salt. Prepare the salad greens separately, adding sliced onion, tomato, chopped celery, fennel and cucumber. Mix well and serve on the prepared bread.
	Courgette flower fritters - flour as needed, one egg, water, a pinch of salt, courgette flowers.
To prepare: prepare a batter with one beaten egg, flour, water and a pinch of salt. Wash and carefully dry the courgette flowers, then dip them in the batter before frying.
Desserts
	I Maritozzi al mosto - 2 litres of white grape must, flour as needed for a soft dough; - a half litre of olive oil, 1 kilogram of sugar, 1 kilogram of leavened dough; one tablespoon of salt, raisins and aniseed (optional).
To prepare: put all ingredients in a bowl except the flour and warm in a bain-marie. Put the flour in a bowl and add the warmed, previously mixed ingredients. Put the dough in a container, cover it with a kitchen cloth and let rest for about a half hour. After a half hour, take a little of the dough at a time and make rolls that will be cut in pieces about eight centimetres in length. Shape with hands, sprinkling flour to keep from sticking. Gently place the maritozzi (sweet buns) on a tablecloth and cover them with a second tablecloth to aid rising. Bake in a hot over for 15 minutes.
	La 'ntorta ( or rocciata, a strudel-like cake ) Pastry: 1 kilogram of wheat flour, 200 grams sugar, 200 grams olive oil, 2 eggs. Filling: 1 1 kilogram of apples, peeled and cut into small pieces, 200 grams crushed walnuts, 200 grams chopped figs, 200 grams pine nuts, 200 grams raisins, 300 grams sugar, 5 grams cinnamon and 150 grams sweet powdered chocolate, one grated lemon and breadcrumbs as needed.
To prepare the pastry: form a hollowed-out mound with the flour on a pastry board (or table) and mix in the various ingredients adding oil to mix the dough. Spread the dough to form a thin sheet.
To prepare the filling: mix the ingredients in a pot to obtain a dense mixture. Spread the mixture into a layer on the previously prepared pastry dough. Roll. Coat a baking sheet with olive oil, then sprinkle it with flour. Coil the roll and bake at 180° for 30-40 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or spray with Alchemes liqueur and sugar. Optional: served topped with warmed honey.