That Culinary Passione of the Marches Region Revisited

Nineteen-year-old Massimiliano joins with his father and brother Alessandro in carrying on with passione the Marches region culinary traditions of his grandmother, Nonna Anna Rita.

[lcaption]In the family restaurant, young Massimiliano proudly shows us an article on his Nonna.[/lcaption]

Now nearly seventy and no longer ruling the kitchen, Signora Anna Rita – called affectionately by the locals, “la marchigiana” (“the woman from the Marches”) – started cooking up that Marches region goodness for the public in 1961 just outside Sarnano. Her small trattoria grew into Ristorante La Marchgiana (now with hotel attached…and not the only family hotel).

We’d eaten here years ago with friends and on an August day wandering the nearby Marche region this past summer, we decided to return. The ristorante road sign announced the Ristorante la Marchigiana specialty, “tutto alla brace” (“all on the grill”) .

[lcaption]Ristorante la Marchigiana[/lcaption]

Inside, Signora Nadia was toasting bruschetta and grilling meats over the coals in the open fireplace:

Before Pino ordered the grilled meats, he opted for an antipasto of bruschetta and one of his favorites, coratelle (lamb innards!).

I headed to the salad table and choose bresaola with Parmesan slivers drizzled with balsamic vinegar and an enticing medley of summer vegetables.

I followed up with a marchigiana specialty, pappardelle al cinghiale (a flat wide pasta with wild boar sauce) while Pino could not resist the mixed grill: the roasted grilled meats included guinea fowl, pork livers, pork chops, lamb, steak, and squab. Side dish for Pino was a plate of verdure pastellate (batter-fried summer vegetables) which of course, here in the Marches region, had to include those tasty olive ascolane (giant stuffed olives typical of Ascoli Piceno).

Pappardelle al cinghiale for me after my antipasto

[lcaption]Pino relishes his grilled meats and verdure pastellate[/lcaption]

[lcaption]Grilled meats and verdure pastellate[/lcaption]

[lcaption]Verdure pastellate[/lcaption]

[lcaption]Olive ascolane[/lcaption]

Our vino? Here in the Marches region, verdicchio, of course!

[lcaption]Lunch in the Marches, means il verdicchio[/lcaption]

[lcaption]Pino pours the verdicchio, white wine of the Marches[/lcaption]

It had been years since our first memorable lunch at Ristorante La Marchigiana near Sarnano. Our stop there last August reminded us to plan soon another return.

[lcaption]Another memorable lunch at Ristorante La Marchigiana near Sarnano (August, 2017)[/lcaption]