Mese-Ciùa

If pesto and ravioli are linked inextricably with Genoa and focaccia col formaggio and trofie with Recco, say mesc-ciùa (mess-choo-ah) to any Ligurian and the answer will be “La Spezia.” The word is local dialect and means mescolanza, or mixture. This soup provided substance and sustenance to people who could never afford meat. It is, of course, a humble dish in terms of the cost and prestige of the ingredients, but it is not merely another typical “dish of the p