A Taste of... Pasta Why pasta? Pasta has become a staple part of our food culture. A fast food which is quick to make, it can be low budget or high end, it can have a great food story attached with provenance or simply serve as a snack on the go. Pasta will never go out of fashion but recently we have seen chefs opening new sites focusing on this Italian staple. There are possibly more Italian restaurants in the UK than any other form of cuisine, not even taking into account the many thousands of chains offering Italian cuisine as part of their offer. Big hitters in pasta Opened 140 restaurants since 1999. Ones to Watch Currently offering beef brisket and venison tagliatelle. This unique dining experience at Pop Brixton is established by two Italians, who seek to present their culinary heritage in an innovative 200 sites. The fi rst 120 sites. Introduced a novel expert way such as BBQ Arrosticini Skewers, Prezzo restaurant was friends approach in 2010, Theo succulent mutton skewers which are cooked opened in central London started working with ASK Italian over a BBQ and accompanied by sourdough by Jonathan Kaye, the restaurants to develop menus and bread soaked in extra-virgin olive and Beef company’s chief executive, conceive new dishes; and food 33% of all Italian starters bolognese Lasagna in 2000. travel writer Carla Capalbo and appetisers within all educates staff on all things Italy. venues are pasta based. Currently offering beef brisket Salvi is the original mozzarella bar and deli (TFP, 2018) inside the Corn, a family-run restaurant bolognese, a slow cooked beef group also owns Salvi’s Cucina and brisket and chianti ragu. 90+ sites. Part of the Casual Dining Group offering Rosticceria in John Dalton Street. The inexpensive Italian cuisine for families on a budget. menu is in uenced by Maurizio’s brother Currently promoting 17 new dishes including warm 70+ sites. Originally opened in London Emiliano in Naples. A simple range of dough swirls, frutti di mare and the ultimate seafood in 1999 and celebrating 20 years in pasta dishes and mains plundered from pizza and sicilian pollo rosso pasta, featuring red pesto 2019. Still making focaccia by hand, daily. Maurizio’s mum’s recipe book. from the Contino family in Liguria, Italy. Currently offering lamb ragu rigatoni as part of the winter menu. Passo is Italian food done with just enough cool to make it worthy of What’s hot in pasta its prime East London address with Top Birmingham chef Aktar Islam opened, Legna, his second former head chef of Shoreditch restaurant at the end of 2018. It is just doors away from his House, Massimiliano Iaquinoto. existing restaurant in Summer Row, Opheem. Alongside chef Joe Hill. Legna occupies the site of the former FSK restaurant, which was operated by Aktar as Mi Amore while his long-term plans for Legna were being developed. Legna - which is Italian for ‘ rewood’ - has 70 covers and will Pasta Factory Manchester “blaze a trail for Italian cooking” The Pasta Factory on Shudehill Manchester is a no-frills pasta restaurant, opened by Italian friends Elisa Cavigliasso, Alberto Umoret, Enrico Princi and Paolo Gaudino, who grew up together in Turin. Padella which means Pan is run by Tim Siadatan, one of the rst Menu at the Pasta Factory people to graduate from the Altrincham. co-owners Nonna Tonda offers fresh Pipe Al Ragu’ di ‘Nduja: Short shell-shaped pasta in a rich slow Jamie Oliver Fifteen scheme Alex De Martiis and Jonny pasta dishes made using braised beef cheek ragu’ & spicy Calabrian ‘nduja. Topped with and Jordan Frieda, son of Lulu Marcogliese came up with the best of Italian and crumbled Gorgonzola DOP. and John Frieda, of Highbury’s the idea of opening a pasta British produce, Chef successful Trullo. Ravioli di Prosciutto di Praga con Fonduta di Formaggi: Ravioli kitchen with much the same James French trained up at stuffed with ham sauteed in brown butter & served with a On the menu at Padella ethos: simple, seasonal, honest the Michelin-starred l’Erba very rich & tasty fondue of traditional cheeses. Topped with food. The chalkboard changes Pappardelle with eight-hour del Re in Modena and put crushed hazelnuts. daily with a selection of ve or Dexter shin beef ragu. in a much-lauded residency six southern Italian specialities, under the name Fat Tony’s Gnocchi al Ragu’ di Cervo: Handmade potato mainly from Puglia, cavatelli gnocchi served in a hearty slow cooked Fettucine with at Bar Termini. Specialties Cobble Lane con gamberoni e ’nduja include Pappardelle with venison ragu’ & topped with grated parmesan (shell-shaped short pasta & parmesan crisp cured N’duja, Longhorn shin ragu. marscarpone and lemon. with king prawns and spicy De nitely worth a visit! Calabrian sausage). Italian American Influence Mister Lasagne has three sites in central London, with an impressive and creative Lasagne Ristorants of New York City also meat based menu. boasts 17 different lasagnas including “Mister Lasagna offers traditional Italian Ground Sirloin Lasagna, Braised Short Rib cooking just like my grandmother would serve, Lasagna, Veal Lasagna, Meatball Lasagna, many people think of the well known bolognese Ground Sausage Lasagna and Turkey & recipe, but with our 21 varieties we hope to Kale Lasagna. change London’s perception on this Which would you choose? classic dish.” Mister Lasagna founder, Alessandro Limone. Lasagne recipes include the very best traditional options plus some refreshing twists including truf e, mushroom, sausage and parmesan, sausage and broccoli. Pasta - the perfect comfort food! In tumultuous times, we crave comfort foods, and that means 33% of all Italian starters and appetisers once-demonised carbs are back on the menu in many forms. within all venues are pasta based. Fresh pasta restaurants and bakeries are popping up everywhere. (TFP, 2018) Food writer Laura Goodman’s new book Carbs is a collection of recipes dedicated to dishes that help readers ‘rediscover the joy of the carbohydrate’. Cricket flour pasta The taste is not much different from wholewheat pasta but extremely high in protein and rich in non-dairy calcium, vitamin B12, Omega 3, iron and all 9 of 96% of consumers will eat pasta, the essential Amino Acids. but only 25% will explore the variety of pasta usage It contains 12 g, which is 24% of DRV (Daily Reference Values), thus this (Mintel, 2018) product can be claimed ‘high or rich in protein’ according to the nutrient content claims established by the USFDA. In addition, when compared to similar products sold in the supermarket, this fusilli has about double the amount of protein Getting creative Edible insects are trending now, with more than 1,000 articles published in the last year (on English media with meat in pasta alone)! There are over 100 restaurants with bugs on the menu, and a number of recipe books. Spaghetti Lasagne Slow cooked brisket Turkey and kale lasagna Shredded short rib Ground sausage lasagna Pork and beef mince Trends Meatball lasagna Papadella Veal lasagna Braised short rib lasagna Italian sausage meat Taking a step away om the sea of yellow Ground beef lasagna When carbohydrates were the enemy of everything, chefs looked N’duja sausage at other carriers. However, with the health bene ts of pasta being Veal, garlic and black pepper Penne advertised, chefs are combining the best of both worlds and meatballs Italian sausage meat incorporating functional ingredients within the dish. Beef and Parmesan meatballs N’duja sausage Shin of beef Veal, garlic and black pepper Slow cooked brisket meatballs High in bre Short rib Beef and Parmesan meatballs Nearly 6% of NPD in 2017 featured a claim of high added bre Linguine Shredded chicken – up from 2.5% ve years ago. Research has shown that UK Italian sausage meat Pulled pork consumers now want to increase their daily consumption. This can Short rib Ragu be achieved with using special type of ours in your desired pasta N’duja sausage range. Veal, garlic and black pepper Short rib meatballs Minced beef Shredded chicken thigh Family s le Beef and Parmesan meatballs 66% of diners are interested in shareable dishes. This is driven by women and parents of under- 16s. Restaurants have started to recognise this with serving sharing pasta dishes. This creates an opportunity to promote healthy child friendly side dishes that young families are most likely to order sides when having dinner out of home. .