Pallotte Cace e Ove Festival

A tribute to pallotte cace e ove

The Pallotte Cace e Ove Festival is a gastronomic celebration held in Casoli, within the small Contrada Ascigno in the province of Chieti, in the heart of Abruzzo. Every June, the festival pays tribute to one of the most iconic dishes of the regional tradition: pallotte cace e ove, dumplings made from cheese, eggs, and stale bread, first fried and then simmered in tomato sauce. This dish originated from humble peasant and pastoral cooking, designed to waste nothing and compensate for the lack of meat on tables in the past.

Two evenings in Piazza San Gabriele

The festival takes place in Piazza San Gabriele, the heart of community life in Ascigno, and is organized by the Ascigno Eventi Association, which has been bringing this growing event to life since 2023. The evenings combine food stalls with live music and dancing in an atmosphere of authentic village conviviality where generations gather around good food.

Local flavors

In addition to the famous pallotte, the festival offers other typical products from the Casoli area:

• Pizza scima (or scema), a low, crispy unleavened focaccia made with flour, white wine, extra virgin olive oil, and salt, heir to ancient Abruzzo bread;
• Totere casolane, traditional cone-shaped pastries originating from Casoli, baked and filled with custard, cream, or chocolate;
• other local culinary specialties served at the stalls.

A tradition that renews itself

From a simple local hamlet feast, the Pallotte Cace e Ove Festival has become a highly anticipated date on the Abruzzo festival calendar in June, attracting visitors from neighboring towns in the Val di Sangro and the Chieti hinterland. The event tells the story of a territory that finds its richness in the simplicity of its ingredients, balancing the promotion of typical products with the preservation of a shared gastronomic memory.