The Verdict
The Tuscan answer to the Roman cacio e pepe, made with a thicker, rougher pasta and the local pecorino di Pienza. Worth a detour.
Why go
To eat the pasta of the Val d'Orcia, in the Renaissance town of Pienza or a Tuscan farmhouse.
What makes it worth going
The thick, hand-rolled pasta of the Val d'Orcia, with cacio (pecorino) and pepe.
Things to do
- trattoria
A trattoria in Pienza or Montepulciano
The benchmark pici cacio e pepe, in the Val d'Orcia. The thick pasta, the pecorino, the pepper. Reserve.
2 hrs
- trattoria
La Grotta (Montepulciano)
The refined version, at the foot of the town. The pici are hand-rolled, the cacio is the di Pienza. Reserve.
2 hrs
- farm
A Tuscan agriturismo in the Val d'Orcia
The pici are rolled on the farm; the flour is local, the cacio is the di Pienza. The farm is the source.
half day
- festival
A Sagra dei Pici (Monticchiello, summer)
The village festival, where the pici are rolled in the square. The thickness is the show.
full day
Eat
- pasta
Pici cacio e pepe
The classic: thick, hand-rolled pasta (pici), with pecorino di Pienza and black pepper. The roughness holds the cheese; the thickness is the texture.
- pasta
Pici all'aglione
The other classic, with a garlic and tomato sauce. The garlic (aglione) is the local, large variety.
Stay
- town
Pienza center
The Renaissance town, near the best trattorias. Walkable.
- town
Montepulciano or Montalcino
The other Val d'Orcia towns, with good restaurants and easier access.
Experiences Worth Booking
Pici-rolling class
2 hrsThe dough, the hand-roll, the thickness. The roll is the technique.
The pici are rolled by hand, on a board, into thick ropes; a class shows you the dough and the roll.
Suits: Pasta makers who want the Tuscan technique; the thickness is the secret.
What's nearby & pairs with
More food from Toscana
Cured Meat
Finocchiona
Tuscan fennel-seed salami — the everyday salume of Florence, coarsely ground and fragrant with wild fennel.
Dish
Bistecca alla Fiorentina
T-bone steak from Chianina beef, grilled over wood, served rare with nothing but salt and olive oil.
Dish
Pappardelle al Cinghiale
Wide egg pasta ribbons with wild boar ragù — the dish of the Tuscan hunting season.
Dish
Ribollita
Bread and bean soup with cavolo nero, reboiled (ribollita) until thick — the peasant dish of Tuscany.
Cheese
Pecorino di Pienza
Sheep's milk cheese from the Val d'Orcia — pecorino at its most varied, from fresh to aged and ash-rubbed.
Cured Meat
Lardo di Colonnata
Cured pork fatback, aged in marble troughs with herbs — the marble-quarry town's most singular product.
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