Castagnaccio - Credit: Aurelio Barattini, Antica Locanda di Sesto
Castagnaccio (you can find it throughout the Region): one of the most famous Italian desserts is Tuscan Castagnaccio: a flat cake made with chestnut flour, water, extra virgin olive oil, walnuts or pine nuts and raisins. They say in the winter it warms the heart and fingers (since you don’t need a fork, but just your hands to eat Castagnaccio). You can find the recipe here.
Torta di Marroni (traditional dessert from Marradi - Florence's mountains): a shortcrust pastry stuffed with mixture of chopped chestnuts, milk, eggs and alchermes liquor.
Necci (from Pistoia mountains and Garfagnana): up in the Pistoia and the Garfagnana mountains you can find Necci: delicious chestnut flour crepes stuffed with fresh cottage cheese or chocolate. Check out the recipe here in this article by Emiko Davies.
Pattona (specialty from Comano - Lunigiana): a sort of bread made with a mixture of chestnut flour, water, salt and milk and then baked in a wood oven among chestnut leaves.
Lasagne bastarde (from Licciana Nardi - Lunigiana): a very special type of lasagna pasta made with chestnut flour. It is usually assembled in layers with cow's milk cheese and then baked.
Chestnut polenta (traditional dish from the Garfagnana and Mount Amiata): A sweet polenta made with chestnut flour and water and consumed as a first course with fresh ricotta cheese, grated parmesan or sausages.
Marocca di cassola (from the Lunigiana): the name Marocca appears to come from the dialect word marocat, which means “unpliable,” so named because in the past this bread was very hard. It is made by mixing chestnut and wheat flour with mashed potatoes. Traditional to the Lunigiana area, the bread was baked all year round thanks to the long life of chestnut flour, the only kind always available in the mountains (wheat was grown only on the valley floor).
