Tuscany’s Forgotten Pasta-Bread Hybrid Cooks at 500°C in Cast Iron | The Lost Breads of Tuscany Ep 1

A bit of a bread and pasta hybrid, testaroli are often considered the oldest
form of pasta that you can find here in Italy. Testaroli are typical of a part of Tuscany called Lunigiana. A very rustic, still pretty wild part of the region, very unexplored,
where a lot of traditional cooking is still preserved with farms nestled in between mountains,
like the Vecchia Cascina, which is the farm that I’m visiting today,
where we’re going to meet with mother and daughter duo Katia and Giulia,
and they’re going to show us how the testaroli are prepared. They are made using testi, cast
iron cooking vessels, one of the oldest, most rustic forms of
cooking that you can find here in Italy. Testi are first heated until red hot, reaching very high temperatures up to 500°C. The testi are then taken off the fire and the food is placed inside so it cooks slowly while the temperature goes down gradually. Dishes that require long cooking
times, like roast meats, use heavier testi that can weigh up to 40 kg. Testi used to be in terracotta and then transitioned to cast iron
because it’s more resistant. They are less and less popular now. They are mostly found in homes
where nonnas are still cooking. Giulia and Katia run one of the only two
restaurants serving dishes cooked in testi. There are only two artisans who are still
making the testi themselves. Their names are on the testi, along with the name of the nearby
city Pontremoli, and the region, Lunigiana. The dishes we’re going to see prepared today
all have different cooking times. They go from 2 hours for the roast meat, to as little as one minute for a testarolo,
giving it a crispy yet airy and light texture. Discovering these local traditions here in Tuscany really inspires me to look for others elsewhere. Lately, I’ve have been getting a lot
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for sponsoring today’s video. Although equally delicious straight off the fire, testaroli are often cut into diamond shapes and cooked in boiling water, just like pasta. There are two traditional ways to serve testaroli: with basil pesto, or with parmigiano and olive oil. Another iconic dish from Lunigiana is the Torta d’erbi: an aromatic herbs and vegetable pie
that changes seasonally. This one we’re seeing today is the spring version. Apart from salt, the parmigiano, and
the flour used to make the base, all herbs Giulia and Katia are using are
from their family’s own garden. They also make olive oil, wine, and eggs
are from Giulia’s grandparents’ chickens, What we’re seeing today are their family recipes. After working other jobs, Giulia and Katia decided to share their traditions with
others and open a restaurant. The smell is unbelievable. Let’s move onto the roast lamb and
chicken with potatoes. Then we have the final three dishes: Arbadela: another savory pie made with onions, corn flour,
parmigiano, salt, and olive oil. Canestrello: a cake made with flour,
sugar, eggs, milk, and anise liqueur. Carsenta: another traditional nonna’s bread
made with flour, water, yeast, and salt. After resting for one hour, it cooks
for 20–30 minutes in the testo. Not going to lie. This was a feast and we kind of lost
the sense of time chatting at the table. So I don’t have much of a formal
commentary for this tasting section. The other dishes were all incredible,
though. As a vegetable lover,
the torta d’erbi won my heart. And I have a soft spot for potatoes cooked in meat juice. That’s it from La Vecchia Cascina
with Giulia and Katia. Let me know.
Have you tried any of these dishes? And if not, which one are you
the most curious about? I’ve got to say, I have a soft spot for the torta d’erbi, the savory pie. That, in a way, reminds me of the pies
I used to eat as a child. Of course, we have different herbs
where I come from, but I do love the idea that it changes seasonally depending on
what is available in the garden. As always, thank you so much for watching
and stay tuned. Part two of my Lost Breads of Tuscany
series is dropping soon. This time we’re going to see
how panigacci are prepared. They’re actually pretty similar
to testaroli, but prepared on a different type of testi, which gives them a completely different
look and taste and texture. So, a lot more to discover
about this beautiful part of the region. See you there. This is a test caption
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Nestled in the mountains of northern Tuscany is a farm still making testaroli: Italy’s most ancient pasta. Testaroli are cooked in cast-iron pans called testi over an open fire. The pans are heated until they’re red-hot, reaching up to 500°C, before the batter is poured in. I visited mother and daughter, Katia and Giulia, in Lunigiana to see how testaroli and other traditional dishes are prepared.

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00:00 Welcome to rural Tuscany
00:53 Testi: cast-iron cooking vessels that reach up to 500°C
04:41 Testaroli: the oldest pasta (or bread?) in Italy
07:30 Torta d’erbi: the queen of Lunigiana
08:38 Giulia and Katia’s story
09:32 Torta d’erbi in the testo
10:44 Roast lamb and chicken
12:37 Arbadela: onion and corn flour savory pie
13:11 Canestrello: anise liquor cake
13:31 Carsenta: a traditional nonna’s bread
14:20 Tasting
16:10 Part 2 coming soon: Panigacci

This video is a food documentary part of my traditional food stories series. Subscribe to my channel if you love food and travel
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#tuscany #bread #food #traditionalfood #cooking #foodvideo #foodie

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I’m a journalist and producer with over 9 years of experience covering traditional dishes, food culture, and culinary craftsmanship. Originally from Bari, Italy, and now in London, I’ve built my career exploring how food reflects the identity of people and places. You may know me from Business Insider’s Regional Eats, So Expensive, and Food Tours. Now, on my YouTube channel, I tell stories behind iconic foods, meet local artisans, and explore the link between land, culture, and cuisine.

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