Autumn flavors from Trentino

October and November are two months that offer high-quality products in Trentino, let's discover together what delicacies Chef Venturini and his brigade cannot do without! 

Short supply chain and seasonality: these two concepts are the foundation of the cuisine at the Grand Hotel Terme di Comano,the kitchen team at the Il Parco Lounge Bar Restaurant is always attentive to the quality and origin of the products.

Fruit, vegetables, cured meats and much more are purchased locally to offer our guests a true Trentino culinary experience.The valleys surrounding Comano Terme are indeed rich in famous and renowned regional specialties, many of these products make up the dishes on our daily and à la carte menu!
Don't miss Chef Venturini's tips on how to use them at home too! 

This vegetable, available in white or red, is one of the classic ingredients of autumn cuisine in the Trentino region!
Chef Venturini uses it raw, knife-cut, for fresh salads, as a centrifuge to cream risottos, or to flavour and colour our fresh pasta!

In the Comano Terme and Bleggio area, it is used to make the famous Ciuìga del Banale, a sausage made from minced meat and white turnip, shaped like a pine cone, hence the dialect name ciuiga! 
The first information about this product, protected as a Slow Food Presidium, dates back about 150 years; since then, the recipe has evolved and the cured meat has become more refined: 35% turnip and the rest made from the best cuts of pork.

 
Ciuìga is excellent, especially cooked and served with steaming Storo polenta, and is used by the kitchen team to add an extra touch to risottos and Trentino orzetti, or to dress fresh stuffed pasta with tasty local cheeses such as Blu di Fiavè.

Finally, it can be enjoyed raw if further aged, like a classic salami!

Don't miss the Ciuìga Festival, returning this year from 29 October to 1 November in the beautiful village of San Lorenzo in Banale.

What could be more autumnal than potatoes? A versatile product perfect for soups, side dishes, stews and creams! 

In the Lomaso plain, just a few kilometres from the Grand Hotel Terme di Comano, we find a particular quality of this tuber. The farming tradition is strong among the valleys and mountains of the area; this variety is in fact called “montagnina”, a Trentino DOC product grown exclusively on mountain land. 

In the kitchen, it is an ingredient suitable for all uses, from fillings for fresh pasta with half-moon ravioli with truffles and porcini mushrooms to side dishes. 
For an extra touch of creativity, Chef Venturini uses Lomaso potatoes to create a foam with the addition of Trentodoc sparkling wine, excellent for accompanying fish.

The Bleggio area is the territory of another Slow Food Presidium: walnuts! Autumn is the right time for rich and hearty dishes based on nuts. In the cuisine of the Grand Hotel Terme di Comano, walnuts are used as a garnish for a plate of potato gnocchi or for a delicious pesto with which to dress fresh pasta. 

Would you like to try your hand at one of Chef Christian Venturini's classic recipes? Try the soft walnut cake, here is the video tutorial.

Did you know that the neighboring Valle dei Laghi is also a land of truffles?The area produces several varieties of black truffle depending on the season, one example being the “Tuber uncinatum” truffle.

This prized tuber can enhance any dish. At the Il Parco Lounge Bar Restaurant, you will find it garnishing appetizers such as Fassona beef tartare, as well as fresh pasta and fine meats.

Pumpkin is the essence of autumn, a tasty vegetable suitable for many different types of recipes! 

In the kitchens of the Grand Hotel Terme di Comano, Violina pasta, typical of Val di Gresta, and classic mantova pasta are used, perfect for creamy fillings. 

Want to try something different? In addition to classic pumpkin dishes such as tortelli, creams, and tasty lasagne enriched with Val di Non mortadella,you can find unique desserts such as pumpkin and mascarpone baked pudding with a sour cherry center and amaretti crumble!

The area surrounding the Terme di Comano is rich in chestnut groves! 
At the Grand Hotel, we use chestnuts from the Chiese Valley or the famous Maroni from Drena, a small village in the Valle dei Laghi.Chestnuts are used in numerous preparations, from appetizers to desserts. Chef Venturini uses them to make fresh potato gnocchi, creams, or first courses with an autumnal flavor, or as breadcrumbs for breaded white meats. 
And desserts? At the Grand Hotel, chestnuts take center stage in a delicious pudding!

Intrigued? Come and visit us at the Ristorante Il Parco Lounge Bar.We are open for lunch and dinner until 31/10! 


If you are in the area, don't miss the food and wine events and the itineraries created by Comano Dolomiti dedicated to Potato, Walnut, Ciuiga, and Milk—perfect routes for discovering the flavors of the Valle di Comano. More info here!

© Photo Archive APT Visita Comano (G. Tolli,)- Trentino S.p.a. (Fioreo) - 2020