Lentils are harvested in summer and can be tasted in autumn and during our gastronomic tour in Onano, Ventotene e Fiamignano. Three typical kinds of lentils from Lazio, to try in different ways.
Lentils with sausages
The Onano lentil has acquired the De.Co brand – Municipal Designation of Origin and PAT – Traditional Italian Agri-Food Products Slow Food presidia. It only grows in the volcanic and sandy territory of Onano, a tiny village in the Tuscia area on the Volsini mountains. They call it “the pope’s lentil”. In fact, it is said that Pope Pius IX had lost his appetite after the loss of temporal power in 1870 and only a plate of Onano lentils could comfort him. Is it just a legend? Maybe. We feel much better after tasting a plate of Onano lentils with sausages and a drizzle of Canino DOP extra virgin olive oil at the festival on August 15th!
Lentil soup with mussels
We are curious to try the Ventotene lentil soup, a smaller and sweeter variant, which make you feel “the summer on you”, as the Italian rapper Jovanotti sings. The soup with mussels is a fragrant marriage sprinkled with chives, parsley, thyme, and pepper. And what about the view? We are visiting one of the six Pontine islands, overlooking the sea of the Marine Protected Area, which includes the islands of Ventotene and Santo Stefano State Nature Reserve!
The celebration of Santa Candida, with the typical paper hot air balloons.
Just like the festivals of lentils, the Patronal Festival of Santa Candida is celebrated in the transition from summer to autumn. It takes place from 10th to 20th September on the splendid island of Ventotene. It is not only a religious festival and a tribute to the Protector of the island, but also a celebration for those who continue to experience summer until the last day by enjoying a cultural, traditional, and extremely evocative event, in the shade of hot air balloons.
Rascino IGP lentils
Let’s move to the mountains to taste Rascino IGP lentils, which grow at 1200 meters. Protected by the Slow Food presidium, they preserve a rich bouquet of flavours. The Rascino plateau is a karst basin in the Cicolano, an area of transhumance for shepherds south of the Sabina, which reaches the valley of the Salto River. For 50 years, in August, Fiamignano has been the protagonist of the Rascino Lentil Festival, a “quality festival”, as established by the National Pro Loco Union of Italy, where you can taste the Rascino Lentil soup. Why is it special? Because the pasta is handcrafted with lentil flour. The recipe includes jaw bacon from Amatrice, Sabino DOP extra virgin olive oil and Sabino chilli pepper… a deliciously spicy recipe!
Jaw bacon from Amatrice