These days, when you think of fish dishes, the last thing that comes to mind is the idea of cucina povera, that type of dishes based on once-upon-a-time cheap and widely available ingredients, which could satiate whole families without spending too much.

So many of Italy’s most popular foods, including polenta, pasta e ceci, canederli, ribollita, minestra maritata, and panzanella, come from this incredible tradition, born from the necessity of reducing waste and based on our ancestors’ great creativity in the kitchen. But fish dishes, too? Really? Well, yes.