pesaroUrbino
La pasticciata is a special a dish of the area of pesaro. it
was an unknown recipe until 1931, the year in which
it appeared for the first time in a written form in the
“ Guida gastronomica d’italia “, published by the tou-
ring Club. Until then, the recipe orally was passed on
and we know it was a classic course of every feast day.
in the childhood memories of those who used to
spend their winter holidays with their family there has
always been the preparation of this ancient traditional
dish. it was cooked for Boxing Day lunch, for example,
or other convivial occasions,
La pasticciata was served as a main course which fol-
lowed a delicacy in broth and preceded the various
types of roast meat.
the importance reserved to such a dish was, in popu-
lar belief, due to the fact that it was prepared to seal
an official engagement between two lovers.
t’ha magnet la pasticèda? Was a local expression,
friends used to ask a boy if the announcement of his
engagement had been made. the night before the
official dinner, the bride’s mother, in fact, as a gestu-
re of welcoming the future son-in-law into the family,
tied diligently a piece of larded round steak, which she
had seasoned expertly before with some cloves and
“foglia bona” (marjoram leaves), and then she marina-
ted it in wine and pepper.
the preparation itself was an unavoidable ritual that
required cooking in a pan with oil, lard and a few
cloves of garlic, a bed of spices for the meat. a lard,
onion, carrots and celery mince, dry wine, tomato pa-
