On local tables we indeed find spaghetti alla chitarra also called creoli, lamb with cheese and eggs, or roasted turcinelli. Nevertheless, Molise recipes express their own variations that make the dishes special, such as, for example, marinara risottos, spaghetti with clams, and fish soups with white sauces. Or fusilli with tomato with strong sprinkles of chili pepper.
A highlight are the cold cuts, from smoked hams of Rionero Sannitico and Spinete to capocolli, to mulette of Macchiagodena to soppressate, which tradition wants to be sliced in a “trumpet beak” style. Vegetables and legumes are also excellent, such as lentils from Capracotta, which are part of many preparations. Chickpeas, beans, and turnip tops enrich pasta dishes and are the base of fragrant and steaming soups; or they are also used for sweets, like the “crucione” of the Christmas holidays, whose soft chickpea dough is flavored with Milk, the typical Molise liqueur, also present in the yellow flour panettone. Regarding wines, Trebbiano and Montepulciano dominate, although interesting presences of varieties such as Aglianico and Chardonnay are not lacking.
Good places to eat are the Vecchia Trattoria da Tonino, in Campobasso; Trattoria da Nonna Rosa, in Campomarino; Pantagruel and Osteria del Paradiso, in Isernia; Spirito di Vino and Osteria dentro le Mura, in Termoli.
