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Passport Kitchen

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Puglia Italian Cooking

Puglia | Apulia & the Adriatic South

Apulian cuisine is built on hard wheat, olive oil, vegetables, and simple seafood, shaped by Adriatic cooking rather than the tomato-heavy traditions of the Tyrrhenian south. In Bari, dishes like orecchiette with cime di rapa define the region’s pasta culture—durum wheat dough, hand-shaped, finished quickly with bitterness and oil. Along the coast in Brindisi and Monopoli, simple seafood preparations reflect Adriatic restraint, while the interior emphasizes legumes, vegetables, and bread. Together, these traditions define Apulian food as spare, agricultural, and deeply ingredient-driven, relying on execution rather than richness.

Key Ingredients in Puglian Cuisine

Puglian cuisine is built around durum wheat, olive oil, and vegetables, with legumes and greens playing a central role. Handmade pasta made from semolina, tomatoes, and fresh cheeses appear regularly, while meat is used sparingly. Ingredients emphasize seasonality, repetition, and simplicity rather than richness.

Key Techniques in Puglian Cooking

Apulian cooking is about repetition, restraint, and making wheat and vegetables do the work.

  • Bread & Dough
    Hard wheat doughs are mixed and shaped by hand, producing pasta and breads with structure and bite.
    You know it from: orecchiette
  • Sautéing
    Vegetables and aromatics are cooked briefly in olive oil to preserve bitterness, freshness, and texture.
    You know it from: orecchiette with cime di rapa
  • Braising & Slow Cooking
    Legumes and vegetables are cooked gently to develop depth without added fat or sauce.
    You know it from: fave e cicoria
  • Sauces & Bases
    Sauces are minimal—often just oil, cooking water, and aromatics—used to bind rather than coat.
    You know it from: pasta con le cozze
  • Baking
    Simple doughs are baked into rustic breads meant to anchor meals and absorb oil and juices.
    You know it from: pane di Altamura