Maritime flavors dominate the province of the Marche’s capital, Ancona, where the tradition of brodetto with 14 different types of fish and stoccafisso is strong: here is also seated a prestigious Stockfish Academy, custodian of the authentic recipe of stoccafisso all’anconetana.
But seafood dishes also prevail in the province of Ascoli Piceno, where Maccheroncini di Campofilone find an amazing sauce in fish ragù or sea snails, not to mention the rich fried dishes of hake, red mullet, sole, and scampi. In the nearby hinterland, among the gently rolling hills that undulate like waves, between the provinces of Urbino and Macerata, a rich land-based gastronomy rules, which to the north is influenced by the proximity to Romagna, sharing cappelletti and passatelli in broth, a type of flatbread called sfogliata, and the great tradition of Fossa cheese (legendary is the one from Talamello).
In Macerata reign the Vincisgrassi, a kind of baked lasagna whose ragù also includes the offal of farmyard animals, according to old country traditions. Meanwhile, in Acqualagna and surroundings, a prized black truffle shines, enriching pasta and meat dishes.
Must-visit addresses include: La Moretta, Traiano and L’Osteria Teatro Strabacco in Ancona; Il Vicolo and Furlo in Acqualagna (Pesaro-Urbino); Pennesi in Pedaso (Ascoli Piceno) and Ristorantino da Vittorio in San Benedetto del Tronto.
