Umbria is a landlocked region in central/northern Italy. Often overlooked, due to its proximity to the tourist mecca that is Tuscanny, Umbria has a rich cultural and gastronomic history all of its own, with beautiful cities like Peruggia, Terni, Spoleto, Assisi, and Gubbio, and important centres of food production like Norcia and Orvietto, it's no surprise that this region is often described as 'the new Tuscanny' (then again, so is the Marche).
Umbria takes its name from the Umbri, a bronze-age people who settled the area. They were described by Pliny, erroneously, as the oldest tribe in Italy and were contemporaries of the Etruscans (with whom they fought). The region was partly colonised by the Romans in their northward expansion (Spoleto, for example is a Roman founded city) through Italy, with the important Via Flaminia passing through Umbrian territory. The region through the middle ages charted a path similar to neighbouring regions like the Marche and Emilia Romagna, caught between periods of autonomy and inclusion in larger territories. Territory fell, variously, into the hands of the Lombards, Charlemagne, the Pope, and Napoleon.
The main industries in the region include steel production (at Terni), agriculture (Olive oil, chocolate, meat products, and wine), and increasingly tourism.
Tagliolini al tartuffo nero di norcia is a simple, and profoundly regional dish, but one with a strong flavour and identity.
Tagliolini are a fresh egg-based pasta that is quick to cook, and goes well with light sauces. In essence they’re the same length as spaghetti, and slightly less wide than tagliatelle, but wider than capellini [...]
