Without knowing the dishes, it is impossible to decide which one is the best, there are too many. Italy has developed a range of regional and sub-regional cuisines, some of which are not even known in other parts of Italy. A type of pasta that comes from a region called Abruzzo, between the provinces of Teramo and Pescara.

"Maccheroni alla molinara", also known as "Maccheroni alla mugnaia" (both mill-style pasta), is a typical pasta from the small town on the Fino River. It is thought to have been invented in a water mill on this river in the 14th century.

Pasta looks like a long, thick pasta. Local grannies make the dough with water, eggs and "soft" flour (or a mixture of soft and durum flour) and shape it into small balls. Make a hole in the dough, then stretch the dough into a long, uneven "necklace," cut to desired length, and boil. It may look just like a variation of regular pasta, but due to its thickness and different flour, this pasta has a unique texture and flavor.

To respect this tradition, the dish must be served with duck tomato sauce (sugo di papera in Italian) - a very simple but delicious sauce made from duck slices marinated in olive oil Bring to a medium simmer, then add the tomatoes and simmer for a few hours, all morning if possible. In some towns this sauce can be different, made with castrated lamb and beef, or even eel meat. The latter was fished in the same Fino river, but is no longer common.

The town of Ilis in the province of Pescara is the perfect choice for the “birthplace” of this pasta. Every August there is a small town festival celebrating this dish, so if you happen to be in Abruzzo in August you must attend the festival and try this "mugnaia". You can still find it all year round in local restaurants and "agriturismi" (a restaurant that only uses local products), or in some grandmother's house in the Fino valley. It would be impossible to find it if you moved several kilometers away.

Abruzzo cooking also offers more relatively unknown dishes, too many to mention in this answer. Most of them are only found in one or two towns.

Another good example is "Arrosticini" (which has become increasingly popular in Italy and abroad these days): skewers of castrated lamb served on charcoal with a special thin and long The grilling style of grilling is called "fornacella". This may sound a bit heavy, but once you try the first one, you won't be able to stop eating it. In fact, the people of Abruzzo consumed so much sheep that they imported them from Ireland, France and even Argentina.

Some examples:

"Chitarra alla teramana" or "Chitarra con le pallotte": teramo-style guitar pasta, shaped like a guitar, served with tomato sauce and hand-rolled mini Meatballs: pallotte.

"Salsicce sot 'olio": pork sausage cured in oil. The paste of the sausage is high in fat, and during the months it is kept, the fat is chemically processed, which creates a unique flavour. Since they stay soft, they are often cut open and spread on slices of bread or bruschetta.

Parrozzo: coarse bread. A sweet bread from Pescara shaped like the cornmeal bread of poor peasants. The cornflour's pale yellow color is made from egg yolks, charcoal and a layer of chocolate, while the chunky texture is made from almond flour. Really delicious!