Pezzentelle con Ceci alla Lucana
Basilicata — Potenza province
Basilicata's humble sausage — made from pork offcuts (pezzenti means 'the poor ones') — snout, cheek, heart, and cheaper cuts — coarsely ground with dried Senise chilli, fennel seeds, and lard. Air-dried for 10–12 days until firm but not hard. Traditionally eaten simmered with dried chickpeas (ceci) in a one-pot preparation — the sausage fat renders into the chickpea broth, producing a preparation that is greater than the sum of its humble parts. The sausage's offal character and the chilli heat are exactly what the chickpeas need.