Recipes From The Italian Riviera

Robin BoyleInternational, International Travel & Photos, Italian, Italy, Main course, Nibbles & Hors d'oeuvres, Recipe

(Continued from Tomato Sauce – Italian Style)

As well as an abundance of herbs and tomatoes, you may well have an abundance of cherry tomatoes. And maybe you also have a surfeit of figs!

Below you will find two simple but excellent Italy-inspired recipes: grilled cheese-stuffed figs and a pasta sauce using cherry tomatoes.

Three years ago on an extended stay in Genoa we made a day trip to the western Italian Riviera to visit three pretty seaside towns: Spotorno, Noli and Varigotti. We explored the narrow streets of their old quarters.

106 Noli

109 Noli (2)

Beautiful figs with ruby red centres were on display in the greengrocer shops nestled into the crumbling facades.

Fig b

We saw displays of stuffed figs ready to be eaten raw or grilled.

Grilled figs a

For a recipe, click here: Cheese-stuffed figs

By the time we had reached Varigotti, it was time for lunch. Walking along its boardwalk overlooking the mass of deckchairs and beach umbrellas, the chance of an interesting pranzo tipico (typical lunch) by the seaside seemed remote.

122 Varigotti (2)

Then we came across Ristorante Aqua di Varigotti! Following is a photo from its Google site – click to enlarge it.

Restaurant Aqua Di Varigotti - From Google maps

We had pasta with the ‘perfect’ tomato sauce – cherry tomatoes in a rich, heavily reduced tomato sugo and a hint of basil. This photo does not quite do it justice; we have called our version of the dish ‘Pasta Varigotti’!

124 Varigotti - lunch at Acqua di Varigotti

For the recipe, click here: Pasta Varigotti