Focaccia di Recco & Liguria’s Splendors

There are certain places in this world that feel magnetic. They’re poetic, splendorous and beautiful beyond all comprehension. Liguria is one of those places. Sandwiched between the crystal waters of the Liguria Sea and the rolling Alps and Apennines mountains, Liguria is a treasure trove of charming fishing villages dotting the coastline, mythical coves and downright dreamy destinations.

Besides its beauty, Liguria is known to be the birthplace of Italian focaccia. Known and beloved for its airy, crunchy texture and savory flavors, the flatbread’s legacy belongs to the Mediterranean shores of Liguria.

To me, focaccia is the essence of summer snack-age. It’s the vehicle for all deliciousness. Diving into the Ligurian region, I would be remiss to not delve into the delicious world of focaccia variations and share some of my absolute favorite memories of experiencing La Spezia’s coastal towns. Here we go!

Liguria’s Splendors

When one things of the Italian Riviera, the images of hilly, seaside towns dotting the coastline like jewels atop a crown come to mind. Cinque Terre, Portofino, Camogli, Genoa, the Bay of Poets. Liguria’s lush and romantic destinations are seemingly endless - making it a traveler’s dream destination.

I’ve been lucky enough to explore Cinque Terre’s Riomaggiore and within one eyeshot of its colorful, staggering landscape, I remember thinking “oh, so fairytales are real.”

Cinque Terre is just one of Liguria’s gems tourists flock to, and for good reason. Who wouldn’t want to dive into the aquamarine waters, only to see the kaleidoscope of colorful homes bedazzling the hills behind you?!

LIGURIA AT A GLANCE

Located in the north western corner of Italy, Liguria is flanked by the Alps, Apennine mountains and the coastline of of the Liguria sea. It’s also the neighbor of France! Its capital, Genoa is also its most populated province. Liguria has four provinces, each named after its capitals: Imperia, Savona, Genoa and La Spezia. Perhaps the most globally known (due to its touristic destinations), La Spezia is home to Portofino, the Cinque Terre and more… but is actually the smallest of the provinces.

Its Autostrada A10 or Autostrada dei Fiori is the main connection between most of Liguria, connecting the coasts from Ventimiglia to Genoa. If you’re an adventurous overseas driver, take this route to see the most gorgeous coastal towns and hillsides. Otherwise, the train system gives travelers great access to the smallest of seaside villages!

POETS, WITCHES AND MONET - A GLANCE AT LIGURIA’S CHARMS

Over the centuries, Liguria has charmed a menagerie of characters. Perhaps the most noted area of the region that has bewitched creators is the Golfo dei Poeti, or the Gulf of Poets. The gulf’s intense beauty is an “amphitheater of water” that has attracted hundreds of poets, writers and artists (some notable names include Lord Byron, P.B. Shelley, Montanelli, George Sand, Soldati and D’Annunzio). The Medieval hamlet of Dolceacqua and its breathtaking bridge, located on the west side of the region, also famously inspired Monet. Triora is a lesser known destination, but its history is tied with the dark witch trials of the 1500s. Even today, the town has a witch festival!

And to touch on Liguria’s most Instagrammed villages, Portofino has become synonymous of international jet setters, Camogli is a charming hillside town that attracts many a traveler and Cinque Terre includes five small villages (Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore) resting on the ocean and is a UNESCO sight connected by hiking trails and gorgeous ocean waters.

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LIGURIAN CUISINE

The Ligurian cuisine has major influences of two elements, the sea and basil. Mix in olive oil (some of the best in the world is produced here!), pine nuts, garlic and focaccia…. and there you have it!

Ligurian-bound travelers should add these regional treats to their foodie bucket lists:

Focaccia of all varieties!
- Focaccia Genovese: the traditional variety with extra-virgin olive oil, water and salt
- Focaccia with olives, onions, salvia or rosemary
- Focaccia di Voltri: a crispy, thinner variety
- Focaccia di Recco: stuffed with cheese (recipe and more below!)
Pansotti Alla Genovese: ravioli filled with vegetables and with a walnut sauce
Cartoccio di Fritto Misto: fried fish, squid, anchovies, shrimps and red mullets
Trofie con Pesto: okay, let’s be real… try all the pesto here!
Cima Alla Genovese: veal filled with eggs, peas, artichokes, pistachios, pine nuts, ham and sweetbread
Buridda: a dish of cuttlefish, peas and tomato
Fish Alla Ligure: sea bass / sea bream with tomato, pine nuts, olive oil, olives and rosemary
Panera: an ice cream-like dessert with coffee
Sacripantina: a spongecake filled with buttercream, cocoa and hazelnuts

Why Focaccia di Recco?

Liguria is plush with variations of its iconic focaccia. How’s a girl to choose one? The most classic focaccia is Foccacia Ligure or Genovese, the thicker, soft, pizza crust like bread sprinkled with olive oil, salt and various spices. A classic Genovese Focaccia recipe is a dime a dozen here on the internet, but there’s one variation that I hold dear… and I haven’t seen it shared nearly enough! Focaccia di Recco.

Recco Focaccia, from the town Recco consists of thinner layers of dough and soft, fresh, bubbly cheese in between. We were lucky enough to try this delicacy in my last trip to Italy (not in Recco, but from this religiously loved Recco restaurant in Milan). Immediately, we were hooked. Chewy, yet crisp, bubbling and warm with soft cheese… this recipe is everything!

Recco

The waterfront town of Recco is the epitome of an Italian Rivera atmosphere. Waterfront restaurants, beaches, staggering hills and sunny weather are abound here. Its pastel exteriors, neo-classical churches and oceanfront promenade is sure to charm any traveler. However, Recco is a less tourist centered town than its fellow Ligurian destinations. (Making it an excellent option for slow travel and an opportunity to view a more authentic side to the region!)

Recco’s beginnings stem from the Casmoriti people, a Liguri tribe predating Roman rule. The town as certainly seen its fair share of conquerers after its creation. The Romans conquered the town and renamed in Recina, followed by the Lombard invasion in 568 and the pillage of the Saracens in 1550’s and 1600’s, French rule in 1797 and the Kingdom of Sardegna in 1815. It’s hard to imagine such a sunny seaside town’s constant conquer-age today!

To understand modern Recco, it’s important to note how this small town was devastated by WWII. Recco was home to the longest elevated railway bridge in Liguria pre-WWII, and the destruction of the bridge meant the isolation between Rome and its northern cities of the country. This made Recco a focus for Allie forces. The town suffered intensely from the bombing of the Allie forces in WWII (for about 9 months the Allies flew nearly 30 bomb raids over the town)… leaving about 90% of Recco’s homes, infrastructure and commercial buildings destroyed, and 130 citizens dead.

From this devastation, post-war, Recco rebuilt and transformed itself into a pastel-painted resort town and flower-growing area, plush with olive trees, grapevines, pomegranates, rosemary, sage, basil and gorgeous blooms of all varieties. Homes were painted pastel hues, and its people remain focused on cucina semplice (“a simple cuisine”).

Recco’s now famous for its iconic focaccia con formaggio throughout Italy, especially because of Manuelina. This simple trattoria became a staple for locals at the end of the 19th century. Legend has it that locals would knock on Manuelina’s door late at night begging for her delicious, bubbling Stracchino laden bread. Today the restaurant still stands, and even has an attached hotel, where visitors can see the delicacy being whipped up through all hours. Personally, I’m dying to experience this first-hand. Recco, I’m coming for you post-pandemic!

Focaccia di Recco

Region: Liguria

Process

Pour flour, water, olive oil and salt into stand mixer. Mix dough using a dough hook on low speed until it forms a springy, soft ball. This should take about 5 - 6 minutes.
Roll dough into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature for about an hour.
Drizzle olive oil on a 13-by-9 inch pan and dust with cornmeal.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Unwrap rested dough and cut into equal quarters. Give each quarter a good dusting of flour and form into a rectangle. Roll each piece of dough out to about 3/8 inch thick rectangular shape.
Dust your hands with flour. Pick up dough and begin gently stretching and rotating it until it’s paper thin, allowing the weight of the dough to stretch until it’s large enough to fit over the sheet pan.
Drop about 6 tablespoons of crescenza or stracchino cheese onto the stretched dough.
Take another piece of dough and fit it over the bottom dough so the cheese is enclosed between. You may need to take a rolling pin over the edges of the pan to cut the edges. Or you can tuck and fold your edges together on the pan so they are fully sealed.
Pinch, pull and tear a few small holes in the top layer of the dough.
Drizzle flatbread lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
Bake for about 6 - 7 minutes, or until bread has many bubbly, blistered spots on top, and the bread has inflated.
Repeat steps to make a second flatbread using the remaining dough.
Cut into quarters and serve warm with arugula or prosciutto.