Can Culleteres is Barcelona’s oldest restaurant, opened in 1786. Its interior reflects this age via faded murals, bright Portuguese-style tiles, and signed portraits of famous guests. Yet ask a native of Barcelona about the restaurant, and it’s likely he or she will conjure up a pasta dish. Trade with Italy and later an influx of Italian laborers meant a longstanding culinary exchange between Catalonia and Italy. One of the most iconic examples of this is canelons, a Catalan take on cannelloni, and a beloved Christmas dish in the region, typically…
