Cortecce, Chickpeas, Porcini and Mascuotto Festival

A festival at the foot of the Monti Picentini

The Cortecce, Chickpeas, Porcini and Mascuotto Festival is one of the most beloved gastronomic events of the summer in Montecorvino Rovella, a town in the province of Salerno, Campania. The event takes place in the San Pietro district, specifically in Piazza Duomo: for four nights, the space in front of the parish church transforms into a large open-air dining room, with tables lined up under the lights and a music stage just steps away from the food stalls.

The town sits on the slopes of the Monti Picentini, an area of chestnut and beech forests that has long supplied local kitchens with mushrooms, legumes, and oil. It is no coincidence that the festival has chosen porcini mushrooms and chickpeas as its symbols: they are the ingredients that define the bond between the village and its mountains, far better than any slogan.

The dishes: cortecce, chickpeas, porcini, and mascuotto

Cortecce is a type of fresh pasta typical of the Salerno hinterland, hand-rolled and slightly curled to hold the sauce perfectly. Here, it is served in the classic version with chickpeas and porcini, the signature dish that gives the festival its name and is worth the visit alone.

Alongside the cortecce, you will find mascuotto, the traditional twice-baked peasant bread that is moistened and seasoned raw—a reminder of a humble culinary past where nothing went to waste. Two versions are offered:

• Mascuotto with beans and capocollo, the most rustic and flavorful recipe;
• Mascuotto with mozzarella and cherry tomatoes, fresh and perfect for summer evenings.

Everything is seasoned with Picentino extra virgin olive oil, produced in the hills surrounding the town. The stalls round out the menu with sausage sandwiches, french fries, traditional zeppole, and local wine.

Musical evenings

Every night, next to the food stalls, there is a stage featuring live music: local bands, Italian song classics, folk dancing, and accordion performances. The formula is the simple, tried-and-tested one of Campanian festivals—you eat at the tables, stay to listen, and dance—with an audience that blends locals, curious visitors from neighboring towns, and passersby.

A parish community event

The festival is organized by the Parish of SS. Pietro, Nicola and Santa Maria Assunta and is run entirely by volunteers: from the kitchen to table service, from setup to stage management. The entire proceeds are donated to parish maintenance work, meaning that eating here also contributes to the upkeep of the neighborhood's community spaces.

To make access easier, a free shuttle service is provided from the parking areas to Piazza Duomo: a useful solution, as the center of San Pietro has narrow streets and limited parking.

Why it's worth the trip

• Dishes rarely found in restaurants: cortecce and mascuotto remain authentic home recipes.
• Affordable prices, generous portions, and proceeds donated to charity.
• An authentic glimpse into the cuisine of the Monti Picentini, just half an hour's drive from Salerno.
• A genuine village atmosphere, without the staged sets built for tourists.

Montecorvino Rovella and surroundings

Montecorvino Rovella is located a short distance from Salerno and the gateway to the Amalfi Coast, making it a great base for those who want to alternate between the sea and the mountains during their stay. The municipal territory, divided into numerous hamlets scattered across the slopes, falls within the Monti Picentini area, a destination for hikes and trails among chestnut groves and springs. An evening at the festival is the most direct way to understand how people really eat around here, far from the tourist menus of the coast.