Tuscany is famous for its “cucina povera” (peasant cuisine). This might come as a surprise if you’re more accustomed to capital Florence’s famous Bistecca alla Fiorentina (porterhouse steak) and truffle-shaved delights. But for much of the region, for much of history, dinner meant seasonal ingredients, harvested locally, grown in their own fields and gardens, and served without fanfare.
Meat was hard to come by, eggs were an occasional luxury and soups and stews were great for using up old bread and the abundance of leafy green vegetables. That isn’t to say “cucina povera” isn’t delicious! To the contrary, like much Italian fare, its emphasis on seasonal, simply prepared dishes celebrates its ingredients with a heartiness you’ll crave when you return home.
Traditional Tuscan fare is also as varied as the region itself and defined by the ingredients close at hand – porcini mushrooms in the mountains, fish by the sea, wild game in the woods.
In terms of wine, a traditional trattoria is not likely to have an extensive wine list. Expect the classic and local champions, like Chianti and maybe a Brunello, as well as the odd white, like an aromatic dry Trebbiano and if you’re lucky- a Vernaccia di San Gimignano. But most of the time, you’ll get the house white or red served by the ¼ l or ½ l – that’s a quarter litre (a glass) and half litre (500 ml). Some trattorias are tollerant to BYOB and might charge a nominal fee for corkage.
With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of some our favorite traditional Tuscan dishes. These are the must-order items for when you find yourself in a true Florentine trattoria – the sort of place that does local dishes extremely well. This does not translate into “locals only/tourist-free” since you clearly would be there and Florence by now is a touristic hotspot destination.
By local dishes, we mean th sort of place that embraces authentic “cucina povera” peasant cuisine over the widespread hits such as lasagna or pizza. Or in the words of famed Florentine trattoria, Vini e Vecchi Sapori, no pizza, no Bistecca, no spritz.
Please note there are many more traditional dishes we love but can’t fit in this page. We highly suggest you to take our Market Tour or Progressive Dining Crawl if you’d like to explore our favorites with an expert in the know.
Photo: Coral Sisk.
Antipasti
Crostino Toscano
This innocuous sounding antipasto is the ultimate “cucina povera” comfort food. Also known as crostini di fegatini and crostini neri, it’s bread topped with creamy chicken liver pâté simmered with onions, carrots and celery. In days past, it was made with stale bread dipped in broth to soften before being smeared with liver paste.
Fettunta con fagioli
Beans are the perennial favorite in traditional Tuscan cooking. In this bruschetta, cannellini are stewed in garlic and tomato sauce before topping a slice of bread brushed with even more garlic. According to legend, this dish was payment to the Lombard workman who came to the region to pick olives and grapes. In some restaurants, you’ll find it served with a slice of lardo di Colonnata – finely sliced pork fat that melts in the mouth.
Primi (first course dishes)
Ribollita
Tuscany’s answer to minestrone is a white bean stew thickened with seasonal leafy green vegetables and day-old bread. Its name, in fact, means “reboiled” and comes from the tradition of adding old bread to leftover soups to make them more filling.
Minestra di farro
Farro is another favorite in Tuscan cooking. Farro resembles brown rice and has a nutty flavor that is similar to oats and barley. It’s popular in insalata di farro – a summer grain salad seasoned with an array of vegetables, but it’s also a key ingredient in this famous soup from Garfagnana, in which it’s simmered with white beans, potatoes, vegetables and a little pancetta. You might find this dish more common in Lucca but we thought it deserved a mention.
Pappa al pomodoro
A Tuscan tomato bread soup made with the simplest of ingredients; tomato, bread, basil and garlic. It can be served hot or cold.
Crespelle alla Fiorentina
This is a classic Florentine savory crepe dish that has almost disappeared from menus around Florence. But if you see them, get them. These are filled with a ricotta and spinach mixture and doused in a bechamel sauce and a touch of tomato.
Topini
A confusing one given that “topo” means mouse and “ini” is a diminutive, but these are in fact, not little mice, but potato gnocchi in the Florentine dialect. Topini al sugo is the most common version served with a minced meat sauce.
Secondo (usually meat or fish-based mains)
The wonderful world of game
You will have most definitely heard of the famed Tuscan steak, but for most Tuscans in days past, meat meant game and traditional Florentine trattorias today haven’t kicked the habit.
Cinghiale (wild boar) is king in a part of southern Tuscany known as the Maremma, and is served both with pappardelle (a type of long, thin noodle) and in a rich red wine, tomato and black olive sauce.
Coniglio (rabbit) is widespread and deliciously roasted “in bianco” (without tomato sauce) and potatoes or breaded and fried like a pork chop.
Anatra (duck) is a popular alternative to pork in mince meat sauces, especially when served with fresh homemade pasta. In Pistoia, it’s served on their patron saint day (25 July) with maccheroni (not the tubes as we known them, but thick ribbons of pasta) in honour of the “anatra muta” (Muscovy duck), which is found in the area.
Arista al forno
If game is not your thing, try this traditional pork loin roasted with pepper, rosemary, garlic and fennel and served thickly sliced with pan juices and potatoes.
Peposo
A traditional Tuscan beef stew braised in a garlicky bold Chianti wine and black pepper sauce until it melts in the mouth. Traditionally served with polenta, the story goes that it was invented by the furnace workers (fornaciai) who baked the terracotta tiles for Florence’s Duomo.
Umido, bolito and stufato
I think we have established that Tuscans love cooking things low and slow. There are three main types. “In umido” means ‘wet’ or ‘damp’ and translates to a kind of tomato-based stew – such as lampredotto in umido con patate e cavolo nero (cow’s stomach with potatoes and cavolo nero). “Stufato” means ‘stew’ – you’ll also find it as “spezzatino” like in the famous spezzatino toscano, which is veal slow cooked in red wine, tomatoes and rosemary. “Brasato” or “bolito” is ‘boiled’ like in a bolito misto – a mixed stew that features everything from beef chucks to beef tongue and cotechino (pork sausage).
Baccala' Livornese
Baccala’ is a salted cod fish common across Italy. In this Livornese recipe, popular at Easter, it’s cooked in a white wine sauce with parsley, capers, anchovies, garlic and chili.
Braciole "rifatta” alla Livornese
“Rifatta” is another Tuscan speciality. It means “recooked” – in other words, breaded meat is fried like a schnitzel and then “rifatta” (recooked) the next day. In the Livornese version, it’s a beef chop braised in a tomato sauce.
Zimino
Another traditional Florentine recipe, it’s a way to braise seafood (usually cod, cuttlefish and calamari) with chard, tomatoes and a little red wine. Sometimes tripe is also prepared this way.
Tagliata di manzo, rucola e grana
Still feel like a steak? Order this and you’ll get slices of beef quickly pan-seared and served on a bed of peppery arugula and thin shavings of grana Padana cheese with a drizzle of olive oil. NB: This steak is served rare, end of discussion.
Bistecca alla Fiorentina
Don’t order Florence’s seared rare porterhouse steak if you are only in 2- you’ll be wasting a lot of meat or putting yourself through a lot of pain. It comes out as a min. of 1 kilo if you’re lucky but the average is 1.5 kilos. Take our progressive dining crawl to fight food waste.
Contorni (side dishes)
Piselli
Peas are a common side dish and go with just about anything, if you’re lucky they’ll be cooked in wine with pancetta alla Fiorentina.
Fagioli all'uccelletto
The Tuscan take on baked beans, packed with garlic, sage and a silky tomato sauce. Lovely with any meat main.
Fagioli al fiasco
The OG side for Bistecca alla Fiorentina is cannellini beans cooked “in a flask” (al fiasco) with sage and garlic. In the old days, Tuscan farmers would place a glass flask of beans in the corner of the fireplace on the hot ashy embers before going to bed. The next day, they’d enjoy freshly cooked beans.
Carciofo alla Toscana
A trip to a Tuscan trattoria isn’t complete with artichokes when in season. We aren’t like the Romans in terms of the interesting preparations but we are quite proud of our lemony carciofi ritti braised with pancetta and parsley, but keep an eye out for any version breaded and fried.
Ceci all’olio
Tomato-sauced to exhaustion? This simple chickpea dish is served with garlic and olive oil.
L’insalata mista (mixed salad)
This isn’t necessarily Tuscan but worth a mention. Salads are considered a palate cleanser and digestive aid to some degree, so it’s served alongside main courses and intended to be consumed last. They are usually functional rather than thoughtful, and can be quite sad and boring. Don’t expect much else besides some lettuces, perhaps radicchio and tomatoes.
And anything seasonal you see as a special such as porcini, artichokes, fava beans with pecorino, asparagus, cardoons, tiny strawberry fragoline del bosco (more as dessert) and persimmons. The rest above are comfort food staples that are on the menu’ more or less year-round.
A note about wines
A traditional Tuscan trattoria is not going to have an extensive wine list. Expect the classic and local champions, usually reds like Chianti and Morellino di Scansano, as well as the odd white, like a Vernaccia San Gimignano or Bianco di Toscano with a blend of local grapes. But most of the time, you’ll get the house white or red served by the ¼ l or ½ l – that’s a quarter litre (a glass) and half litre (500 ml). Some trattorias are also BYOB.
NB from Coral: I am not a fan of house wine at most trattorias and usually prefer to bring a nicer bottle of wine from a independent shop and offer a pour to whoever is hosting our table as gratitude, as well as tipping. But that’s just a personal practice.
