Welcome to the beautiful San Marino, another country I had no idea existed! This beautiful slice of heaven sits in northern-central Italy and has been a microstate since 301 A.D (self proclaimed oldest republic of the world). The main attraction of the country is the three peaks of Mount Titano. On each peak there is a tower: Guaita, Cesta, and Montale. The public is able to visit Guaita and Cesta by climbing the cobblestone steps overlooking the scenic countryside. That being said how come we don’t hear more about this country with it being one of the oldest countries of Europe?
When researching, it was clear I would enjoy the cuisine.. it sits inside the country where my favorite food originates! The dish I chose to represent San Marino is known as swallows nests or nidi di rondine in Italian. It got its name from the presentation of the food which closely resembles bird nests- lasagna noodles filled with cheese, prosciutto, bechamel sauce and basil leaves are rolled up and placed on top of marinara sauce.. is your mouth watering yet?
Just when I thought it couldn’t get better I discovered fontina cheese was part of the filling (my favorite cheese) and I decided to replace prosciutto with speck -can I get a hell yeah?! Alright I need to chill I’m making myself hungry! The recipe I used can be found here.
It was a pretty easy recipe just time consuming to cook the lasagna noodles. We thought a little more marinara sauce wouldn’t have hurt, but that is our only critique. It was a beautiful combination or melting cheese, warm sauces, and meat. They were surprisingly filling, but they did not last long in our fridge! If you’re looking for a way to elevate a pasta dish or just need something delicious to get you out of a boring dinner rut this is the recipe for you!
We rated this dish 9/10- higher with more sauce. Next we travel to Moldova to sip on some savory soup😎
