Umbria Food Guide: Traditional Dishes and Regional Cuisine

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Umbria is best known for its black truffles, Norcia’s cured meats, handmade pasta, Castelluccio lentils, extra virgin olive oil, and freshwater fish from Lake Trasimeno. Pork features prominently, but Umbrian cuisine offers much more, especially seasonal vegetables, rustic breads, and excellent local wines.

Umbria, the green heart of Italy, is a landlocked region of wooded hills, olive groves, and fertile farmland. The region also produces high-quality, PDO-protected extra virgin olive oil. Look out for the black celery of Trevi, sweet Cannara onions, and the tiny fagiolina del Trasimeno, a traditional legume cultivated around Lake Trasimeno.

What to Eat in Umbria: Where to Try the Local Specialties

Destination	Foods to look for	When or where
Norcia & Castelluccio	Prosciutto di Norcia IGP, pasta alla Norcina, black truffles, and Castelluccio lentils	Visit traditional norcinerie for cured meats, order sausage-rich pasta in local trattorias, and look for lentil soup in the mountain villages.
Perugia & Assisi	Torta al testo, porchetta, Torcolo di San Costanzo, and rocciata	Try warm flatbread with cured meats, porchetta around Costano near Assisi, and traditional pastries from local bakeries.
Spoleto & Todi	Strangozzi al tartufo, crescionda, and palomba alla ghiotta	Traditional restaurants for handmade pasta and Todi’s wood-pigeon specialty; crescionda is particularly associated with Carnival in Spoleto.
Lake Trasimeno	Tegamaccio del Trasimeno and fagiolina del Trasimeno	Lakeside restaurants for freshwater fish stew; look for the small local beans on seasonal menus.

Starters – Antipasti

It’s tempting to make a meal of the antipasti in Umbria, particularly when Norcia’s cured meats and warm torta al testo are involved. But do leave room for the pasta.

Torta al Testo

Umbria’s specialty cured meats are often sandwiched in torta al testo, a flatbread the region is known for. The bread takes its name from the testo, traditionally a stone or earthenware cooking surface, although cast iron is common today. Frequently served as an antipasto with local cured meats and cheeses, you’ll also find torta al testo served alongside regional soups and stews.

Prosciutto di Norcia IGP

Norcia is a small town in Umbria famous for pork, cured meats, and expert pork butchers known as norcini. The town has several norcinerie, family-owned shops specializing in pork products. Since 1997, Umbria’s most prized ham has held protected IGP status. Prosciutto di Norcia is dry-salted and must age for at least one year, during which it develops intense aromas and flavors.

Wine pairing: A youthful Umbrian Ciliegiolo offers fresh red fruit and lively acidity to balance the ham’s saltiness and richness.

Crostini al Tartufo

Crostini al tartufo are a popular Umbrian antipasto that makes good use of the region’s black truffles. Toasted slices of bread are topped with a truffle preparation made with local olive oil and sometimes a little garlic or anchovy.

Torta di Pasqua al Formaggio

Easter breakfast in Umbria is a rather substantial affair. Alongside hard-boiled eggs, capocollo and prosciutto, you’ll find torta di Pasqua, a tall, savory bread made with plenty of cheese. It’s sliced like a cake, but eaten with cured meats rather than saved for dessert.

First Courses – Primi Piatti

Handmade pasta is central to Umbrian cuisine, especially the eggless varieties made with flour and water. Legumes also feature prominently, with the region’s famous lentils appearing in some of its most satisfying traditional soups.

Strangozzi al Tartufo

Strangozzi are among Umbria’s most characteristic pasta shapes. Made from a simple eggless dough, these long, slightly irregular strands have a firm texture that works particularly well with truffles. Strangozzi can be served in a spicy tomato sauce or with a substantial meat ragù, but the truffle version is especially appealing. A little local olive oil and finely shaved black truffles are enough to turn this simple pasta into something rather special.

Wine pairing: A textured Grechetto from the Colli Martani, particularly one with a little bottle age, has sufficient body to complement the earthy truffles without overwhelming their aroma.

Pasta alla Norcina

A popular regional pasta hailing from Umbria’s city of pork, pasta alla Norcina features pork sausage meat with a creamy sauce enhanced with a splash of white wine. Some versions use sheep’s-milk ricotta, while others use cream. The dish is topped with a hefty amount of grated Pecorino cheese and occasionally grated black truffles for extra local flavor.

Wine pairing: Montefalco Rosso is an excellent choice. Its red fruit, acidity, and moderate tannins complement the sausage while balancing the sauce’s richness.

Ciriole alla Ternana

Typical of the province of Terni, ciriole are long, square-cut noodles made with an eggless dough similar to strangozzi. They’re often served alla ternana, with a fresh sauce of tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and a little chili, sometimes finished with basil. Unlike the richness of pasta alla Norcina, this is a lighter dish where the quality of the tomatoes and olive oil really matters.

Wine pairing: A youthful Trasimeno Gamay offers juicy red fruit and freshness alongside the tomato sauce. Despite its name, this local variety is related to Grenache rather than Beaujolais Gamay.

Zuppa di Lenticchie di Castelluccio

The Castelluccio Valley, high in the Sibillini Mountains, is famous for its lentils. Grown at high altitudes and known for their intense nutty flavor, these Castelluccio lentils have a fine outer layer that doesn’t require soaking before cooking.

In zuppa di lenticchie di Castelluccio, a simple soffritto of vegetables and a little tomato concentrate forms the base, but the lentils are the star.

Main Courses – Secondi Piatti

Pork features prominently in Umbrian main courses, although the region also has a strong tradition of cooking game birds. Lake Trasimeno contributes a very different repertoire, with freshwater fish prepared in traditional soups, stews, and roasted dishes.

Porchetta

While this famous Italian specialty is savored throughout the country, porchetta is particularly popular in Umbria, especially around Costano, near Assisi. Fennel is a crucial ingredient in the Umbrian recipe, alongside garlic, salt, and pepper. The deboned pig is rolled and tied, then slowly roasted for hours until the skin is crispy and the meat is tender. Finally, the porchetta is sliced and sandwiched between two slices of bread to serve.

Wine pairing: Colli Martani Sangiovese has the acidity to cut through the pork’s richness, with savory red-fruit flavors that pair well with the fennel and herbs.

Tegamaccio del Trasimeno

Umbria’s vast Lake Trasimeno provides diverse freshwater fish, such as perch, eel, carp, and pike, either grilled whole or made into a mouthwatering fish stew called tegamaccio. Traditionally cooked in an earthenware pot, the stew combines lake fish with Cannara onions, garlic, tomatoes, chili, and a splash of white wine. It’s served with toasted bread to soak up the flavorful broth.

Wine pairing: A dry Orvieto Classico has the freshness to complement the fish and enough body to stand up to the tomato-rich broth.

Palomba alla Ghiotta

Game birds are also part of Umbrian cuisine, and palomba alla ghiotta is a particular specialty of Todi and its surrounding countryside. The dish features roasted wood pigeon, traditionally served with a rich sauce made from the bird’s cooking juices and giblets, together with wine, vinegar, and aromatic herbs.

Wine pairing: A mature Montefalco Sagrantino pairs well with the dark meat and intensely flavored sauce. The additional bottle age helps soften the wine’s formidable tannins.

Desserts – Dolci

Umbrians have a sweet tooth, particularly at Christmas and during local festivals. Many traditional cakes are substantial, packed with nuts, dried fruit, chocolate, and spices.

Torcolo di San Costanzo

Perugia’s most characteristic ring-shaped cake is Torcolo di San Costanzo, traditionally prepared for the feast of the city’s patron saint on January 29. Made from a yeasted dough flavored with anise and enriched with raisins, candied fruit, and pine nuts, it has more in common with a sweet bread than a conventional sponge cake.

Pampepato di Terni IGP

Pampepato di Terni is traditionally made as a Christmas specialty in Umbria, especially in the province of Terni. This dense, chocolate-rich cake is packed with nuts, honey, dried fruit, and spices, including the pepper that gives it its name.

Wine pairing: Montefalco Sagrantino Passito pairs well, with its concentrated dark fruit and sweetness complementing the chocolate and spices.

Crescionda

Another festive cake, crescionda, hails from Spoleto and is a favorite sweet treat around Carnival.

Made with chocolate, crushed amaretti biscuits, milk, eggs, and often a little anise-flavored liqueur, crescionda is particularly interesting for its texture.

During baking, the mixture naturally separates into three distinct layers, producing a dessert with a soft, creamy center and contrasting textures.

Rocciata

Rocciata is a traditional dessert particularly associated with Assisi, Spello, and Foligno.

Somewhat resembling a strudel, this Umbrian specialty consists of thin pastry wrapped around a filling of apples, raisins, nuts, and spices. Some versions also include cocoa or chocolate.

The dough-filled roll is shaped into a coil and drizzled with Alchermes liqueur or dusted with icing sugar.

Wine pairing: A sweet Orvieto vendemmia tardiva is an attractive choice, with its ripe-fruit and honeyed notes complementing the apple, dried fruit, and warm spices.