Pumpkin Farinata

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If in Liguria you talk about farinata, everyone thinks of farinata genovese , the batter of water and chickpea flour cooked in the oven in large copper pans (named “testi”).

Everyone, though, except the inhabitants of Sestri Ponente,  an ancient large district of Genoa to its extreme west: for them “farinata” is just the one made with pumpkin, nothing to do with the homonymous Genovese.

farinata

Farinata

The pumpkin farinata  (fainà de succa, in dialect) is, in fact, a savory pumpkin pie: a shell of unleavened dough that contains a filling of pumpkin..

The difference with the Ligurian pumpkin savory pie lies in the filling.  The Sestri pie filling is minimal: only grated pumpkin, cooked raw, seasoned with Parmesan cheese, dry oregano and, if desired, a teaspoon of corn flour. 

It’s an essential recipe, where the sweet taste of pumpkin necessarily stands out.

You can serve it as an appetizer or as a main course. If you opt for an appetizer, remember that the sweet taste of pumpkin goes very well with mature cheeses!

Finally, I recommend you to choose a less watery and more pulpy pumpkin.

Farinata

Farinata

If you are in Genoa and want to taste the original, you can find it in these eateries:

Gastronomia Costa In Sestri Ponente

Gianni e Gianna torte e farinate In Sestri Ponente

Friggitoria Franco e Sabrina In Pegli (a district near Sestri Ponente)

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Ciao! I’m Enrica

a home cook, food researcher and experience curator bred and born in Liguria.
I study, tell, cook, share and teach Ligurian cuisine and the culture surrounding it.
Here we celebrate Liguria’s gastronomic diversity and richness through its recipes, producers, traditions and shops.

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