History Despite that tomatoes were only introduced to Italy in the mid-16th century, tomato sauce, or la salsa di pomodoro, is another staple of cucina povera, which literally translates to poor kitchen – peasant food. The first recipe for tomato-sauce-topped pasta and pizza appeared in 1779 in Antonio Nebbia’s cookbook Il Cuoco Maceratese. Today, the humble tomato sauce is ubiquitous,…
tomato sauce
Neapolitan Classics: Neapolitan Minestrone
Minestrone is a staple of cucina povera. It has existed in one form or another since Roman times. This is the Neapolitan version and it always contains a base of tomatoes and potatoes, which, despite their being fundamental today, were only introduced in the mid-16th century.