Tiella Barese di riso, patate e cozze: layers of rice, potatoes, mussels, tomato and herbs baked until the grains are tender and the top is golden. Tiella Barese di Riso, Patate e Cozze is one of the defining dishes of Bari and coastal Puglia. It is a layered oven preparation in which rice cooks between potatoes and mussels, absorbing shellfish liquor, tomato, onion, herbs and olive oil. The word tiella refers to the baking vessel as much as the composition itself. The dish i

Pancotto is one of southern Italy’s great examples of cucina povera: stale bread is transformed with water, vegetables, olive oil and whatever the territory provides. On the Gargano peninsula in Puglia, the proximity of the Adriatic naturally invites a coastal version enriched with mussels.

Fregola Sarda con cozze is a direct expression of Sardinia’s relationship with grain and sea. Fregola, the toasted semolina pasta formed into tiny irregular pearls, absorbs shellfish broth differently from ordinary pasta: it releases enough starch to create body while keeping a distinctive toasted bite.