Tiella di Gaeta

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Tiella di Gaeta is a savory pie consisting of two layers of crispy dough that is generously filled with boiled octopus or squid, tomatoes, capers, and Gaeta olives, then flavored with parsley, pepper, and salt. Although a local legend says that this dish was invented by Frederick IV of Bourbon, it is much more likely that it was, like so many others Italian gastronomical specialities, originally prepared as a poor man's meal and a way to use up leftover food. The fillings may vary and include other types of seafood such as salt cod or anchovies and different seasonal vegetables, but tiella always has to be soaked in the famous olive oil from Gaeta.