Portofino is located in the Liguria region of Italy, specifically in the area of the metropolitan city of Genoa. Portofino is well-known for being a major fishing spot. Until roughly the 1950s, the primary industry of Portofino was fishing, and even today, when one looks out over the famous Portofino harbor, one can spy hundreds of small fishing boats dotting the waters alongside the yachts and pleasure boats of the rich and famous. Portofino is renowned for bringing in many different kinds of seafood, from white fishes that dominate many of their meals, to squid and octopi, to shellfish like shrimp.

APPETIZERS

When visiting Portofino, one would be remiss to avoid indulging in the local focaccia bread. The people of Portofino eat their doughy, oily, well-seasoned focaccia bread whenever it suits them, as a quick bite to wake themselves up, to a snack during the day, to an appetizer before a larger meal.

Another commonly enjoyed appetizer found in Portofino is octopus salad. The octopus is fished from the nearby Ligurian Sea and served fresh daily. The octopus is boiled to a tender consistency and served with leaves of basil and parsley, then flavored with a mix of garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice from locally grown lemon trees. Octopus salad can be served either warm or cold, but in Portofino is generally served warm.

FIRST COURSE

Pasta dishes are a beloved cuisine in Portofino. Pasta served in Portofino ranges from stuffed varieties, such as Pansoti, which are squares of pasta folded into a triangular shape that tend to be filled with herbs and ricotta cheese, to more basic pastas served in sauces and alongside seafood such as the local Santa Margherita Red Shrimp. Pansotti are often served with salsa di noci, which is a sauce made from nuts, garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and bread.

Perhaps the pasta most traditional to Portofino, and the Liguria region as a whole, is trofie pasta. Trofie are made of short, doughy, hand-formed twists that look like little drill bits or licorice sticks. The people of Portofino also seem to favor linguine pasta, similar to spaghetti but flatter and wider in shape.

One of the most common ways to serve both trofie and linguine in Portofino is, naturally, al pesto. The people of Portofino simply cannot get enough of this fragrant basil sauce. However, another way the locals add some pizzazz to their pasta dishes is by mixing in some tomato sauce with their pesto and creating the eponymous pasta alla Portofino.

For those that desire soup, minestrone is particularly popular in Portofino and the surrounding area. This vegetable soup is beloved the world over and contains a mix of beans, potatoes, celery, and many other delicious veggies. Another favorite is zuppa di legumi, or legume soup, which features legumes, herbs, and whatever vegetables are on hand.

SECOND COURSE

For a second course in Portofino, fish is the name of the game. White fish like cod fill the waters of the Ligurian Sea surrounding Portofino, and they are fished and served up daily. One of the most common ways to enjoy a nice white fish in Portofino is to bake it. The fish are baked whole, under a large mound of sea salt. This technique, called al sale, creates a very tender dish that the locals find incredibly flavorful as it delightfully melts in the mouth. Fish is also served sautéed alongside roasted vegetables and with herbal seasonings.

Other fish that are commonly served in Portofino include anchovies, sea bass, and swordfish. As in other parts of Italy, salt cod is an important part of the local culinary tradition, and the most common dish featuring salt cod in Portofino is baccala’ in agliata, which features fried salt cod served with a sauce made from garlic, olive oil, and vinegar. In some cases, sundried tomatoes may be added as well.

For those who prefer vegetables, though, Portofino offers a number of local stuffed vegetables and vegetable pies. Vegetables like zucchini and eggplant are stuffed with a pesto mix for a delicious experience. The vegetable pies, meanwhile, are often stuffed with delicious artichokes and other greens.

CONDIMENTS & SIDES DISHES

Above all else, the people of Portofino are in love with their pesto sauce. A proper pesto sauce in the area is made with high quality basil, extra-virgin olive oil, pine nuts, salt, garlic, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. These ingredients are all muddled together vigorously, traditionally with a mortar and pestle, until they blend together in a smooth consistency. Pesto sauce is served on and in just about everything one can find in Portofino. And for those that wish to take the experience home with them, pesto sauce is sold in jars at many shops in the area.

Side dishes in Portofino and the rest of Liguria feature locally-grown vegetables, such as zucchini, asparagus, borage, and artichokes.

STREET FOOD

As mentioned, the people of Portofino love their focaccia bread. It is served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner alike, and is even eaten as a snack. On top of being bread to start a meal with, though, it is often eaten with toppings as a street food. Toppings found on focaccia bread in Portofino include such delights as sun dried tomatoes, onions and rosemary, potatoes, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

DESSERT

Perhaps the most iconic dessert found in Portofino is gelato. This creamy treat is served in gelaterie all around the Piazzetta. On a hot summer day, the locals love to take a spot of rest in the Piazzetta with a cone of gelato in hand, enjoying the fresh air and some people-watching.

A dessert native to Portofino is bunettu de laete, a sort of pudding made with milk, vanilla, cream, sugar, eggs, and gelatin. This sweet treat may be enjoyed on its own or with whipped cream, fresh fruit, or a sweet sauce.

WINE

Many white and red wines are enjoyed in Portofino, but perhaps the most beloved wine of the area is Pinot Grigio. For something a little more local, though, one cannot go wrong with Sciacchetrà wine, which is made in the nearby Cinque Terre area.

Sciacchetrà wine is sweet and is often paired with cheeses or desserts. It is amber yellow in color, almost resembling a dark rum. It is a smooth, silky wine, with hints of honey, fig, and apricot and tastes of Vermentino, Bosco, and Albarola grapes. Traditionally, drinking this wine is said to bring good luck.

Located in the sunny Liguria region of Northern Italy, Portofino offers the perfect opportunity to indulge in the fresh flavors of the Italian Riviera. From homemade pesto to freshly caught seafood paired with local wines, each meal in Portofino is bound to be delightful and unforgettable.