Pasticciotto is a popular Italian dessert consisting of a shortcrust pastry filled with flavorful pastry cream. Traditionally, the crust is made with lard, so that it is moister and softer than the regular crust prepared with butter. It is recommended to consume pasticciotto fresh out of the oven when it is still piping hot.
Many believe that the dessert was invented in the 18th century by Andrea Ascalone, a chef from Galatina.
MOST ICONIC Pasticciotto
This traditional Italian savory treat is prepared with various fillings that are enclosed between two layers of puff pastry. Typically round in shape, rustico is usually filled with a combination of béchamel sauce, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese, but there are also varieties that employ spinach or ricotta.
Unlike other local delicacies from Salento and Lecce, rustico is not part of the traditional country-style cuisine and is believed to have developed in the 1700s, following the invention of béchamel sauce. The pastry is a common street food item, and it is mainly enjoyed as a breakfast or an afternoon snack.
MOST ICONIC Rustico
View moreCiceri e tria is a traditional Apulian dish with Arabian and Sicilian origins. Today, it has become an unofficial symbol of the Salento region in Apulia. The dish consists of pasta and chickpeas, and is usually served as a first course in Italian restaurants.
Additionally, the dish can be enhanced with onions, carrots, garlic, or black pepper. One part of the pasta is fried in olive oil, a process that was originally done in order to create a feeling of meatiness in the mouth during the times when meat was scarce.