Viva Italia

From exotic seafood specials to handcrafted pastas,Italian fare goes gourmet in the city.

For a city thats accustomed to ordering Italian fare by the colour of the sauce (red or white),its time for a re-look at the cuisine. Realizing the need to go beyond the likes of Spaghetti Bolognese and Pasta Arrabiata,city restaurants are rolling out specially curated food festivals.

Specialty Italian chef Antonello Cancedda at Oregano housed in JW Marriott has put together exotic seafood meals that are,otherwise,not available in the region. Think of baby octopus,cod fritters,salad of scallops and more. Elsewhere,Chef Piyush Jain of The Pewter Room (TPR) has rolled out an Italian festival that presents a smorgasbord of handcrafted pastas,complemented with authentic ingredients such as crabmeat,capers and brie cheese. Italian cuisine is fairly popular in the city but we wanted to dish out unfamiliar fare and introduce the concept of handcrafted pastas vis-a-vis those pulled out of a packet, says Jain.

For Cancedda,who is keen to promote fare from his home state,Liguria,a coastal province in north-western Italy,the winter nip of Chandigarh offers the perfect backdrop for exotic seafood. Heres a look at the gourmet offerings:

Traditional Touch: What makes a pasta truly special,according to Jain,who is steering the festival at TPR,is the way it is made by hand using special flour and olive oil. If you thought that the tubular penne or the noodle-like spaghetti was all there is to pasta,the TPR menu is a good introduction to other varieties. From the ring-shaped pasta,Tortellini,to Spaetzle,which comprises irregular dumplings tossed with ham,sausage,assorted mushrooms and thyme jus,the line-up is tempting. For us,the Gnocchi,with its thick albeit soft dumplings tossed with classic pesto,cherry tomato confit and roasted zucchini,was a true winner. Far away from the usual,the pasta is very filling and the freshly made pesto gives it a good flavour. If you like your pasta stuffed,you can try the ravioli. Chef Jains version comes packed with pounded meat or vegetables (depending on choice) and is served with the Spanish romesco sauce and brie cheese. The festival also offers a buffet option with an extensive range of salads,breads and desserts. A meal for two will cost you around Rs 1,200.

Deep Sea Dive: A look at the menu at Oregano can be intimidating and the long-winding authentic Italian names have little to do with it. Octopus,cod,scallops and crabs its a deep sea dive that Cancedda has taken this time around. The best part of this seafood festival is that most ingredients are hard to come by in the region and,therefore,it was the Special Seafood Salad that we aimed for first. Though the dressing was subtle,it was the variety in the plate that had us snorkeling with our forks. To those who prefer to play safe with their palate,the classic Prawn Bique was a cracker with its luxurious,thick consistency and as filling as the main course. The Carpaccio di Polpo con Rucola or,quite simply,grilled octopus with arugula salad is for those who have a taste for the sea creature. We preferred the Tortelloni in seafood sauce. Baked scallops,lobster risotto and crabs in a garlic-parsley sauce are also on the menu for those looking for an authentic Italian experience. A meal for two here will leave you wallet lighter by Rs 2,500.

The food festivals are on till November 30

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