Nicola from the Stella restaurant in Perugia tells us about a recipe inspired by seasonality and all the ingredients he uses come from our region of Umbria!

The recipe is a symphony of Umbrian flavours, a tribute to local producers and our generous land. The prized saffron of Cascia, known for its unique aroma, is combined with fresh courgettes and squash flowers lovingly grown by their young gardener, Lorenzo, just a few steps from the kitchen. These local and genuine ingredients are the soul of the preparation.

Stringhetti, the star pasta of this creation, are made with organic flour from a local mill, using soft and hard Senatore Cappelli grains grown here in Umbria. Their shape, thin and long, is reminiscent of shoe laces, skilfully crafted and cut one by one by hand.

The onion, a small but important contribution to the recipe, comes from Cannara, a locality between Assisi and Foligno famous for the cultivation of this tuber of excellence. These ingredients are our resource and our inspiration, and we transform them with passion and dedication into dishes that tell the story and culture of our Umbria.

We join those who produce these treasures with love and effort, exalting craftsmanship and preserving the unique characteristics of our local products. Welcome to our kitchen, where tradition combines with creativity to give you unforgettable culinary experiences.

Whatch the recipe on 

Sringhetti preparation

1. We mix the two flours
2. Make a well on the work table and break the eggs inside, using a fork to beat them.
3. We incorporate the flour and continue until the dough is compact and smooth.
4. We form a ball and let it rest, covered, for about 30 minutes.
5. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin.
6. We roll it up and cut stringhetti about 2 mm wide.

Dressing preparation

1. We peel and dice the onion for the sauté.
2. Take the courgettes, remove the ends and separate the green part from the white flesh.
3. The green part is cut perpendicularly into small sticks,
4. The white pulp is roughly diced and added to the onion fry and cooked for about ten minutes on a low heat. Once ready, we whisk in an immersion blender to obtain a cream.
5. The courgette sticks should be blanched for a couple of minutes in boiling water then immersed in cold water so that they remain firm without being raw.

Assembling the dish

1. Cook the stringhetti in plenty of salted water, drain them,
2. We pour them into the pan with the courgette sauce and add the saffron stems with the infusion, while sautéing the pasta we add the chopped zucchini flowers,