Necci – Tuscan chestnut flour pancakes

A key player in Tuscany’s culinary heritage and a readily available staple across the region, chestnut flour is typically produced in the mountainous, forested areas of the Lunigiana and the Garfagnana, where chestnut trees abound, and where chestnuts are still dried and milled using traditional, time-honoured practices.

Locally, chestnut flour is turned into a variety of dishes, from pasta to bread and from pastries to snacks, which are a testament to the frugal yet rich culinary heritage of the area. Among them are necci – pancakes of sorts, made of nothing more than chestnut flour and water, often stuffed with sweetened ricotta.

Like most dishes hailing from the area, necci are traditionally cooked on a cast-iron pans called testi – often over an open fire. At home, a greased skillet, a spatula and a bit of practice flipping the pancakes will do.

The naturally sweet chestnut batter lends itself to sweet rather than savoury fillings. Sheep’s milk ricotta is traditional, as is a drizzle of chestnut honey to finish, and truth to be told, it’s a hard-to-beat combination. Serve your necci at the end of a meal or as a sweet snack. They are also wonderful as part of a breakfast or brunch spread.