Durum wheat pasta such as paccheri from Gragnano find a worthy seasoning in veraci clams, baby octopuses, sea truffles; or in tasty garden vegetables like Vesuvian cherry tomatoes and grass peas. Rich and delicious are also the soups, such as broad bean soup, and the “married” soup, made with chicory.
From the coasts come fish and shellfish in great variety: turbot, sea bass, sea bream, red porgies, and “pezzogna,” typical of the Gulf of Naples and the Amalfi Coast, used in grilled, baked, or “acqua pazza” (crazy water) preparations. Regarding meats, the most traditional are kid goat, lamb, and pork; while from the pastures come smoked Scamorza, Podolica Caciocavallo, buffalo mozzarella, and snowy ricotta. Pastries and desserts are sumptuous too, with specialties echoing Bourbon grandeur: babà, pastiera, and sfogliatelle.
Among wines, regional DOCs deserve mention, such as Greco di Tufo, Cilento, Fiano di Avellino, Costa d’Amalfi, or Campi Flegrei. Must-visit places include: Amici Miei, A Fenestella, Ciro a Santa Brigida, La Sacrestia di Napoli, Mimì Alla Ferrovia, in Naples; Il Principe, in Pompei (Naples); Buca di Bacco, Il Capitano, La Sponda at Hotel Sirenuse, in Positano (Salerno); Marina Grande, Da Maria, La Caravella, in Amalfi (Salerno); Antica Trattoria Martella and La Maschera Locanda d’Autore, in Avellino; Da Paolino, in Capri-Marina Grande; Alberto, in Ischia Porto; La Favorita ‘O Parrucchiano, in Sorrento.
