In front of a large group, perhaps with many children, the waiter suggests the dish capable of satisfying the greatest number of guests. One of these is the maccheroncino al fumè – in the Marche, as well as in a good portion of central Italy, fumé is an unmissable first course.
Other than carbonara, this is Maciste's recipe
But perhaps few know that this first messed up, made of smoked bacon, tomato, cheese and cream, was born in 1978 from the pot of Stefano Marzi.
Born in 1948, better known as Maciste, by virtue of his powerful muscles, Marzi has never abandoned his passion for bodybuilding, so much so that next spring he will compete once again for the scepter of Mister Universe. In 2013 Maciste received from the municipality of Castelplanio, in the province of Ancona, the certificate that consecrates him as the inventor of maccheroncino al fumè. And in fact, tying a recipe to your name and building an indissoluble relationship with customers that has lasted for almost forty years is something of the dream of all chefs. Today in his restaurant there are about one hundred seats which become one hundred and fifty in summer, and ninety percent of the orders that arrive in the kitchen contemplate the famous first course.
The recipe and the secret of fumè
There smoked stretched bacon it is cut into coarse cubes; it is fried in a little extra virgin olive oil until it becomes almost crunchy. At this point, half a teaspoon of spice powder is added to each serving. The secret is right here. Maciste has created the mix of powders that represents his signature on the smoked. We can only say that there are seven spices, including chilli, nutmeg and coriander. The others remain top secret, as well as the three cheeses that are melted in the tomato sauce, added when the pancetta is already browned and spiced.
If you want to create a good smoke even at home, the advice is to choose at least one emmenthal. The cheese should be quickly mixed with tomato sauce until it spins. The addition of fresh cream at the end of cooking completes the sauce. The drained sedanini are placed in the pan over medium heat. It is useless to try to skip them. The amalgam is too consistent. The end result is an explosion of flavor. A liberating and pleasant gastronomic excess.
How the fumè was born
After working in large hotels in Rome and Florence, in 1978 Stefano Marzi opened his snack bar with kitchen in the Ancona hinterland, in Castelplanio. And literally going “by nose” he perfected his recipe, which has remained unchanged until today. Not to be confused with the famous egg pasta from Campofilone, that of Maciste is nothing more than a classic sedanino of durum wheat semolina, seasoned with one of the richest and most caloric sauces that can be conceived. Today the formula is that of a restaurant-pub for families and groups. The sign of the restaurant shows a strange play on words "Mac'Iste", a legacy of the eighties; a clear reference to the advent of the fast food giant that made its entry into Italy in those years.
“Every portion comes cooked express. Nothing prepared and no precooked – explains Stefano Marzi – I've always done this. Customers feel the slightest difference and I like to reassure them. Recently, we have also started to propose the macaroncino in the tomato-free version. The white smoke. They ask us more and more ”.
His greatest satisfaction, Marzi confesses, is when three generations of macaroni eaters sit at the same table. Grandparents and parents who teach their children how that cook with muscles is the only one who makes them so good. Families gathered for the initiatory rite of maccheroncino al fumè.
