The trianata is a savory dish prepared only in Surbo, a town with around 15,000 inhabitants in the province of Lecce in Puglia. You won't find it just a few miles away in one of the neighboring towns as it's one of those few dishes still strictly connected to its place of origin, where only true locals know what it’s all about.
Surbo: A town of bakers
Back in the days when homes weren't outfitted with private ovens, everyone cooked together at a communal oven in the center of town. Once the oven was switched on, as many dishes as possible were baked simultaneously. Trianata originated as away to use the leftover scraps from homemade pasta. In fact, the word ‘trianata’ derives from ‘tria’ (also called ‘ciceri’) which means fresh pasta in the local dialect.
A dish best shared
Trianata, a dish best shared, has come to mark small moments celebration. The few residents who still make it today always share it with their family, friends, and neighbors.
Don't rush it
Making trianata takes time, care, dedication, and love. If, on the other hand, you're visiting Puglia and fail to score an invitation to one's home, Voglia di Pane di Martina Marco, a family-run bakery, makes it to order, baking it, according to tradition, in a wood-fired oven.
Just enough ingredients
The measurements are always done by eye. The basic ingredients are potatoes, onions, tomatoes, semolina flour, black olives, water, oil, salt, yeast, and aromatic herbs such as rosemary, thyme, parsley, and a bay leaf as well as a little pecorino cheese if desired. But you can get creative and add what you want.
The Trianata Recipe
Start by slicing the potatoes and onions, then soak them in water. Prepare a dough of semolina flour, water, salt, and yeast.
Form the dough into pizzicatelli by cutting into elongated strips and roll between your hands until they're long and thin. Mix the potatoes, onions, black olives, rosemary, bay leaves, parsley, and thyme.
On a lightly greased baking dish, arrange a layer of potatoes, onions, and olives, followed by some chopped tomatoes and sprinkle with grated pecorino cheese. Then arrange a layer of the pasta dough on top, and repeat these steps two more times.
Place the trianata in a ventilated oven at 350°F and bake until ready – it should be crispy and brown on top. Remove from the oven and serve.
The secret to making trianata
Trianata's only secret? It’s all about simplicity by combining the everyday ingredients already on hand in the pantry. Flavors and textures should alternate in every layer, from the crispy pasta on top to the softer pasta on the bottom that soaked up the cooking liquids released by the potatoes and tomatoes.
Browse the photo gallery for more trianata-making tips.