Why go
Monterosso anchovies point to the fishing tradition. Trofie with Ligurian pesto brings basil, oil, pine nuts and cheese together in a pasta dish. Vegetable pies and rice pie reflect home cooking, while farinata gives you a quick chickpea-flour snack. These names make menus easier to read across the villages.
What to look for
- Trofie is a short pasta often served with pesto.
- Farinata is a thin, savory chickpea-flour bake.
- Torte di verdura are savory pies filled with greens and herbs.
The full story
The cuisine joins ingredients from the sea with crops from a narrow, cultivated coast. Anchovies are closely associated with Monterosso and appear salted, dressed with olive oil or prepared in cooked dishes. Other seafood traditions include cuttlefish, squid and octopus. Inland from the harbors, terraces and gardens supplied olives, herbs and vegetables. Trofie with pesto puts Ligurian basil, olive oil, pine nuts and cheese into one recognizable dish. Thin-crusted vegetable pies use greens and herbs such as chard, borage and marjoram; fillings vary from kitchen to kitchen. Rice pie is another traditional preparation, with local variations including a Manarola association with the feast of Saint Lawrence. For a simpler bakery choice, farinata is made from chickpea flour and differs from wheat-based focaccia. These dishes are useful as a guide to ingredients, not a promise that every menu follows one fixed recipe.