Molise’s regional cuisine is characterized by its great simplicity, with recipes made from a few simple local ingredients. Despite this simplicity, it is also a very varied cuisine, featuring many traditional products, among which extra virgin olive oil, bread (also made with potato starch), pasta, dairy products, and cheeses such as Caciocavallo and Mozzarella stand out. Among the cured meats, there are Sopressata, Capocollo, and Sausages with wild fennel. Ventricina, a sausage produced both in Abruzzo and Molise with the best cuts of pork, is named after the stomach historically used for encasing it, which also gives it its shape. Other cold cuts  include Saggicciotto, a characteristic Molisan salami. Sheep and lamb meats are also widely used, while seafood dishes along the coastal strip are based on locally caught fish, especially blue fish.

First Courses with Wine Pairings

Molise’s first courses are primarily pasta-based, such as maccheroni alla chitarra and fusilli, with meat sauces or Molisana sauce, made with tomato, bacon, olives, and pecorino cheese. Among the soups, there are Sagne (a typical pasta shape) with beans, Nettle soup, and Ditalini in Termolese broth, with fish and tomato. Along the coast, as in all the Adriatic regions, there is fish stew, (Brodetto) particularly noteworthy is the one from Termoli, which can be paired with a Falanghina or a rosé wine from the DOC Biferno, made from Montepulciano grapes.

Second Courses with Wine Pairings

The second courses of Molise’s cuisine feature dishes based on lamb offal. Lamb and kid are often grilled. Molisana-style rabbit is cooked on skewers, wrapped in slices of raw ham. Pampanella, pork meat baked with spices and lots of both sweet and spicy red chili pepper, is characteristic of lower Molise. In mountain areas, various types of polenta are served with meat or vegetables. These dishes can be paired with a Tintilia, a Pentro d’Isernia, or a Biferno rosso. Among the vegetables grown in Molise are various types of broccoli and turnip tops, as well as celery and peppers, used for Affunniatelle, sautéed with eggs, sausage, onion, and tomato. Fried breadcrumbs (often mixed with aromatic herbs) are used as a seasoning for pasta or vegetables. The traditional Easter Frittata, 30 cm tall, made with 101 eggs mixed with ham, cheese, and coratella, is typical of the Valle del Volturno, in the province of Isernia. Truffles (both black and white) are widespread throughout the region.

Desserts with Wine Pairings

Typical desserts from Molise include Ferratelle, similar to waffles but thinner and more brittle, with the addition of fennel seeds; Piccillati, baked ravioli filled with sour cherry jam; and Pigna, similar to panettone but lighter, traditionally prepared for Easter. Caragnoli, pieces of rolled pasta, fried and then dipped in honey, are typical Christmas sweets. With Molisan traditional desserts, a Moscato passito from the DOC Molise, made from white Moscato grapes, can be paired.