Le Marche has so many delicious, unique dishes to be tried. From seafood to cured meats, find on in this blog what they are and where to try them!
One thing I love about Italy is the diversity that can be found from region to region. Each region has their own dialect and it’s own delicacies for which it is known for. For example, Florence is known for it’s steak, Bologna for is pasta bolognese, Napoli for it’s pizza and so on.
In this blog post today, I would like to inform you of the unique delicacies that come from the region of Le Marche. Here, each local dish has it’s own story, and can be linked to it’s town of origin. This is a list of food that you simply must try while you are in Le Marche.
Olive Ascolana
I’ll start with Ascolian olives. One of my absolute favorite foods. These delicious olives originate from the town of Ascoli Piceno. A beautiful town full of culture and history.
So what are they exactly? They are big green olives, stuffed with tasty meet, covered in breadcrumbs and fried. Although they might sound reasonably simple, there
olives create a little explosion of joy in your mouth. The best place to try them is of course in the center of Ascoli Piceno itself. They work perfect as an appetizer and are also
often served as part of an aperitivo.
photo credits @ thespruceeats.com
Vincisgrassi
Vincisgrassi, a historical pasta dish from Macerata. Some say it’s similar to lasagna (but don’t say that to a Marghegiano!). It is a dish created by layering ragu, besciamella, and extremely thin pasta sheets. Unlike lasagna, with vincisgrassi you can usually find at least 7 layers of pasta sheets in one dish. This is due to the delicateness and lightness of the pasta sheets. Originating from the 800’s, Vincisgrassi uses a variety of meat in the ragu, resulting in a rich array of flavours in every bite. Vincisgrassi is an absolute Marche classic and is often eaten on New Years eve.
photo credits @ rivieradelconero.info
Ciauscolo
Ciauscolo is a cured dry sausage made from pork meat. It has a very soft texture and like olive ascolana, it is also frequently found as part of an aperitivo. Ciauscolo is known for its very unique texture and taste, very different from other salami’s. Originating from Macerata, Ciauscolo is a must try salami.
photo credits @ marchetravelling.com
Macceroncini di Campofilone
Macceroncini di Campofilone, also known as angel hair pasta due to its very fine texture. Made in the small village of Campofilone, this pasta is very famous throughout Italy. It is known for its very thin, light texture. Best served with a simple tomato sauce or ragu as is done at the sagra di campofilone. This delicious pasta really hits the spot.
photo credits @ spinosi.com
Moscioli
Le Marche oceans are full of delicious wild muscles! This makes it the perfect place to try a delicious plate of moscioli. You can try this particular dish in Conero. Served with a simple sauce, pasta or bread to do a ‘scarpetta’, this dish is full of delicious fresh flavours from the sea.
photo credits @ hotelgalassi.it
Brodetto
Il brodetto is a simple but delicious fish stew. Many different towns and villages have their own special version of brodetto, however the standard is a variety of fresh fish cooked in a light tomato broth.
photo credits @ voicesearch.travel
Tagliatelle al tartufo
A delicacy originating from Aquilagna, tagliatelle al tartufo is a delicious dish of fresh egg pasta, paired with beautiful grated fresh truffle. Why not take a trip to Aqualugna in the autumn, the best time of year for fresh truffles!
tagliatelle al tartufo
Porchetta
A dish which is now rather well know within Europe and the United States. Porchetta is known for its tender, flavourful meat and crispy crackling. A pig hog is what most people think of when they think of porchetta, however that is actually the Abruzzo take on porchetta. The Marchegiano recipe for porchetta uses rabbit.
Rabbit porchetta is prepared by stuffing the rabbit with plenty of herbs, garlic and spices. It is then cooked slowly, sliced, and served.
photo credits @ starchef.com
Stoccafisso all’Anconitana
Usually served in winter months, Stoccafisso is fish (usually cod), cooked and served with potatoes, tomatoes and plenty of olive oil. It is a very simple dish but with a big history, dating back to the 1400’s! A great meal to try in Ancona, served with a nice glass of white wine.
photo credits @ primochef.it
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