Tag Archives: aperol

Pasta Remoli – A Must for Italian Food Lovers

Posted on by

There is nothing more satisfying than hearty Italian food especially as the nights are getting a little more chilly. Personally, finding a good pasta restaurant is surprisingly quite the challenge in London and i’m still making my way through the catalogue of recommended Italian restaurants. One of the things I look for is a menu specialising in specific regional food. Currently, Pizza is having it’s renaissance, so it’s about time that pasta had its time to shine and no place says that more than Pasta Remoli.

You may have walked past the store in the Great Eastern Market in Westfield with an array of fresh pasta displayed tempting you to grab a bite or take home and experiment yourself. This is the beauty and simplicity of the place, you choose your pasta the style you want it, your sauce and finally your cheese. Pasta like many things is a personal experience, and Pasta Remoli ensures you get to keep it that way. They can recommend different combinations but the end course is down to you. Needless to say, the success of the Westfield branch led them to open Pasta Remoli in Finsbury Park and we couldn’t wait to get stuck into their appetising menu.

Trained in the art of traditional Roman cuisine, Remoli has taken all that he has learnt and made sure that his passion for the Slow Food movement is also reflected in the menu. The food is honest, traditional and encompasses the authenticity of Italy, particularly Rome with a good list of traditional Roman dishes alongside the pasta.

For starters we tried the Burrata Cheese & Parma Ham and the Mussels and Clams. Simply named and simply delicious, there are no frills and flounces on the menu. The dishes and ingredients do the talking and when the food arrives there is a moment of silence as we get immersed in to the Italian eating experience before sharing everything between us. Burrata (literally meaning buttery), is melt in your mouth good. The Mussels and Clams are served in traditional Italian fashion inside a broth of garlic chilli and fresh parsley and fill the table with smells of the Med.

For our main, we tried bestseller Truffle ravioli in a creamy mushroom sauce with lots of Parmigiano. In true Italian style, this is exactly how pasta is meant to be cooked. It takes a real expert to balance flavours such as high quality truffle daringly against the creamy sauce and the Parmigiano but the indulgent trio makes for a great, satisfying dish. Best for big appetites and loose trousers.

We then went for a traditional Roast Chicken a staple on any Italian menu. The chicken is marinated for 24 hours in paprika chili and herbs and served alongside veg and roast potatoes. Simple on the menu, I must tell you this was out and out Soul Food. The Chicken was cooked well, retaining its tenderness but it was the roast potatoes that won me over, if they could accompany any future meals I would be very happy. They were crispy in the right places soft in the middle, seasoned to complete perfection. A great lesson on how simple dishes done well produce the best food.

The finale was a dessert worth waiting for, Gluten Free Tiramisu Remoli, the biscuits being the gluten free part! This was surprisingly light and a delight. I’ve never really been a fan of tiramisu but this was far from the boozy affair. Served with a shot of Limoncello this was the perfect end to an incredible Italian experience. I will be back and order everything else I didn’t get to try and the same things all over again.

The restaurant is unpretentious and warm. We saw groups of friends, couples, singles and the restaurant had large enough tables to accommodate a large group planning a surprise birthday. Feeling comfortable in a restaurant is all part of the experience and thankfully Pasta Remoli is set over a great enough area where you can move around freely without bumping into/being trapped by the next table. The service was excellent, they navigated the menu well and were attentive without being too fussy. Three courses for two diners with wine came to around £70. Unbelievable value considering the quality of the food we had just had in a London restaurant. Searching for a quality Italian restaurant is no longer a challenge now I have found Pasta Remoli.

Want to learn how to perfect your pasta?

Simone Remoli will be hosting a series of Pasta Masterclasses at the Bellavita Academy every Tuesday in November. With four masterclasses to choose from dealing with different types of pasta making. You can take part in a single evening class, or a four week course where you’ll learn Simone’s top tips and enjoy your dishes after every session. For more information and to book visit www.pastaremoli.co.uk

Pizzicotto my New Favourite Italian

Posted on by

349A0657

Pizzicotto, sister restaurant to the Kensington gem ‘il portico’ has been causing a stir on the London Restaurant scene. Famous for their Charcoal Based Pizza this is not the only showstopper they serve here but they also serve up an unbeatable authentic and traditional Italian fayre. As a food writer, Italian cuisine can be hard to come by and get right. We live in a city which celebrates Pizza and Pasta and in a takeaway generation, there are many much-loved chains that consumer tend to stick to. However, when looking for Italian food at it’s finest we want to have it all and Pizzicotto delivers not only a menu which is true to Italy but an ambience and atmosphere worthy of a true Mediterranean experience.

349A0135

IMG_6917-1

Nestled at the quieter end of High St. Ken lies this hidden gem set behind a beautiful green frontage, this is not the stereotypical Italian trattoria but something light and airy and instantly welcoming. The restaurant is adorned with huge trees inside the building itself and an open wood fired Pizza oven and I genuinely feel like I’m a thousand miles from London. My guest is late but i’m pleased because this is somewhere I would gladly eat alone and soak up the atmosphere… and the huge Aperol Spritz my server brings over. The aperitif selection is typically Italian and it would be rude not to start my dinner with a glass of Aperol and have some Garlic Focaccia while i’m waiting. Normally i’m not one to fill up on bread but there is something light and more-ish about it.

SubstandardFullSizeRender-1

The menu is ample and true to Italian style, everything you could want is on there. They serve up a wide range of Antipasti and Starters; Bruschetta, Speciality Cheeses and Meats and Primi Pastas, which can also be served as mains, our server helps our decision. She explains to us Culatello Di Zibello is a very fine cured ham like Prosciutto and extremely rare so we jump at the chance to try this out, and we also opt for the classic Pork Belly Tagliatelle. She’s right, the Culatello tastes as precious as it is and I can only describe it as a melt in the mouth, cured meat heaven and very much worth the journey to Pizzicotto just to try the Culatello. Always having tried Tagliatelle with Beef, the difference in flavour when made me with Pork Belly is remarkable. The texture is much more tender, the flavour richer and meatier and the portion size is perfect as a starter plate.

IMG_6926

349A0202

The Charcoal Based Pizza is what we really came here for but with a mammoth selection of toppings we spend a while deciding on this too. As well as this we decide to order one of their grilled dishes and opt for the Tartare Grade Tuna Steak served with Fennel Salad. We share both, but to be perfectly honest, the Pizza was so light that I could have polished off the Pizza as well as the Tuna they were that delicious. Don’t be put off by the burnt look of the Pizza, it’s all charcoal and if that doesn’t turn you on, the taste is no different and the benefits of activated charcoal speak for themselves. Having cut down on Pizza’s recently due to the effects of wheat in my body, activated charcoal base is a real blessing and we can talk about it as much as we like but the proof is in the pudding, or in this case the Pizza, there really is no bloat and the fact I could have easily have eaten the whole thing without undoing my jeans is evidence enough. The Tuna was grilled to absolute perfection and the Fennel Salad accompanied well. I had never thought to try Tuna with Fennel as it’s quite a heavy, meaty fish but the two combined to create the flavour of the sea harmoniously. We paired both dishes with a delicious Sauvignon Bianco which was crispy and fresh and served in a huge glass. Perfecto!

349A0640

349A0398

Finally we were treated to the specials on the Dessert menu which included Nutella Pizza!! I bet you can guess what we ordered, and thankfully it wasn’t a full-sized Pizza but one slice which we paired with a raspberry Ice Cream. Both were indulgent, heavenly but still light! How Pizzicotto have managed to balance the huge Italian Flavours with the light as air Pizzas and Pastas is nothing short of remarkable and this is certainly the type of Italian where you can appreciate the quality of the produce and not feel uncomfortably stuffed. The highlight was The Activated Charcoal Pizza so it’s definitely worth the trip here to grab yourself a slice of that but overall the entire menu was divine from start to finish. This is certainly an Italian I will be recommending. Cin Cin.