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Eating in Italy - Primi

In the two previous articles about ‘Eating in Italy’, we’ve learned about the apertivo and the antipasto. Today, we delve into the official first course, or the primi (it seems that primo means ‘first’, and its plural primi means ‘first courses’).

In the US, we go from from appetizer (antipasto), to a salad perhaps, to our entrée. In Italy, the entrée is divided into two parts: the primi, and the secondi. So, we are definitely ready to dig into the heart of the Italian meal.

“...to the right, you see primi which we have personally eaten, sung praises about, and pledged our undying love.”

While primi may include zuppa and minestre (soups), today it is primarily pasta…though a risotto is often found in the primi category. You will see actual menu items below with each of these categories represented.

And, to the right, you see primi which we have personally eaten, sung praises about, and pledged our undying love. Some of the primi are simple…some are elegant…but all are (or at least ‘were’) scrumptious!

I know you’ve heard of pasta, and, a few months ago I took a deep dive into pasta in the article titled, “Pasta, Pasta, Pasta”. As the primi is so pasta-centric, you may want to go back to refresh your memory on this subject.

Pre-Made, or House-Made?

Pasta secca (dried pasta) can be found on many Italian menus in the primi course. This is because not all osteria, trattoria or ristorante have the pasta machines with the dies necessary to extrude hollow shapes like bucatini, maccheroni or penne pastas. So, these may very well be purchased in a dry form by the establishment.

However, if we are going to dine on tagliatelle, tortellini, ravioli, pappardelle, cannelloni, gnocchi, or lasagne, it may as well, and probably will be, house-made fresh as pasta fresca…and they may proudly proclaim that a pasta is house made. And then for variation, there’s pasta made with egg, or just the yoke. And pasta made with just water and no egg. And the flour might be semolina, refined flour, or some specialty flour that is ground very fine. Yadda, yadda, yadda. The list of possibilities is not endless, but it’s a long list.

But, here’s the thing…don’t worry about any of that…you are going to be ordering something scrumptious off the menu’s primi section that will be fabulous. It’s not like you’re going to be crafting the pasta yourself. And, like with meats, it’s not necessary to understand how that meat got from farm to plate…we just don’t need that much information, do we? So, just eat it, ok. Take you time. Savor it. Ahhh. You’re in Italy…things are slower and tastier there.

I love this Jim Gaffigan routine…

Straight Man: “Do you know what they’ve done to that chicken?!”
Jim Gaffigan: “No, but it’s delicious”.

Right from the Menu!

It seems to me that the best way to describe what primi might exist on an Italian menu is to go to actual menus, whether it be an osteria, trattoria, or ristorante within Italy.

Below, you will see a long list of right-off-the-menu primi from places that we’ve eaten, and have written about in previous articles.

If you spend a bit of time perusing these menu items: 1) you will work up an appetite; 2) you will see items that just don’t land on the menu of an Italian restaurant outside Italy; and 3) you will see words that are not in our vocabulary. And for some, you will see from whence they hail, like the very first pasta listed.

Pasta e Ravioli

Egg pasta of the Piedmontese tradition, strictly homemade together with meat sauce or with butter and sage.
Homemade Tajarin long pasta in white meats ragu sauce / or with mountain butter and 40 months aged Parmigiano Reggiano
Homemade ravioli pasta with mountain butter and 36 months aged Parmigiano Reggiano / or in roasts gravy sauce
Bossolasco's Spaghetti alla chitarra, clams and Piedmont hazelnut flavored with lemon
Strictly homemade egg pasta with one of the oldest cereals in the world, perfectly married with our ragù
Small agnolotti typical of the Langhe — closed directly by our "plin" (pinch).
Spaghetti "Busara" with scampi
See bass ravioli and small ratatouille
Homemade noodles with basil and cherry tomatoes prawns and pine nuts
Spaghetti with Italian clams
Homemade “tagliolini” with duck ragout and orange zest
Spaghetti with garlic, extra Virgin olive oil, chili and red prawns
Ravioli filled with herbs and Parmesan fondue, mushrooms stock
Tagliatelle Bolognese
Tagliarelle Amatriciana
Green tagliarelle with pesto sauce
Pappardelle with ragù
Pappardelle kamut with saffron and bacon
Veal cannelloni Cheese and spinaci ravioli
Pappardelle pasta with oysters, Iranian saffron and smoked ham
Homemade Ravioli with Morlacco Cheese with broccoli cream sauce and sea scallops
Brown bigoli pasta with sardines and onions sauce
Lasagnette with Pierina's traditional ragu sauce
Tortelli pasta with a seasonal filling
Mezzi paccheri of Gragnano (short pasta) made with genovese of grandma Gemma
Home-made scialatielli pasta with clams, leeks and baked tomatoes
Ravioli filled with goat cheese, and with “datterino” tomatoes and basil
Gnocchi served together with one of the most renowned and famous Piedmontese aromatic cheeses.
Paccheri (short pasta) stuffed with burrata cheese and black truffle with “scungilli” sauce (the word “scungilli” is the Neapolitan dialect word for conch) [see photo below]

Zucca (Soup)

Seasonal vegetable soup, served hot with croutons.
Cream of spelt and beans soup served with salt cod timbale

Risotto

Risotto with saffron, white onions stock, red chicory [radicchio] and bottarga
Scampi and finferli mushrooms risotto
Cipriani risotto
Risotto with fennel and shrimp tartar with lime parfume
Rice with red prawns cooked and raw with “sfusato amalfitano lemon”

As you can see, in the real world of Italian dining, the primi is heavy on pastas, and lighter on soups and risotto.

And, when you don’t understand a word or two in a primi description, ask your server, they will be happy to explain.

The last item in the Pasta category is “Paccheri (short pasta) stuffed with burrata cheese and black truffle with “scungilli” sauce (the word “scungilli” is the Neapolitan dialect word for conch)” - these words are taken right from the menu.

This is an item on the Da Gemma menu, which I wrote about last June. And yes, it is a ‘gem’ of a trattoria. You can relive the article HERE.

I just wanted you to see a delectable primi, that’s all.

See Them Make Their Own!

I’m sure that you will fall in love with these pasta-grannies (and there are a few pasta-grampies thrown in, also).

I know that this does not relate to dining out in Italy, but these women (and a couple of men) really know how to make a primi.

At last count, there are over 365 YouTube videos of very charming grandmothers throughout Italy who have kept alive the tradition of making pasta at home. And, it’s not just one type of pasta, but many. And there are pasta shapes and sizes of which you have never heard, I’m sure. Possibly folks in the next town haven’t even heard of them!

Check out a few of these short videos, I’m thinking that you’ll be glad you did. You will see their pasta boards, their long, long rolling pins, their shaping techniques, and their pleasure in tasting their creations.

Just click on the image, and enjoy. And, there is no language barrier, as you will have subtitles to explain their process.

In Memoriam

I’m sad to say that the oldest Pasta Grannie, 102 year old signora Concetta, died on 27 January, 2022.

Her life and pasta will be missed by many in her small village, but her spirit and pasta-making expertise will live on, as she has passed it on to several generations. Yes, even to you.

She was preceded in death 10 days earlier, by her lifelong friend, 102 year old Biagio.

To live so long, and to have life-long friends with you on her journey…God has truly blessed this woman…and those around her.

Please take a moment to see this beautiful woman making her pasta by clicking on her photo. [unmute the video if necessary]

Addio Concetta e Biagio.

I hope you have enjoyed your primi course today. In my next installment of Eating in Italy, we’ll dive into the secondi. And, it you missed the introductory article on the meal courses while dining in Italy, you can check it out here.

My sincere desire is that you and I will one day be sitting in a small Italian trattoria enjoying our primi along with a glass of wonderful Italian wine. But, until then, I say…

Ciao for now,

Steve

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For a closer look at these primi, click the first image

Pasta, Pasta, Pasta

Index of Articles

I really can’t believe that I’m attempting this expose on the many shapes/types of pasta! Egad, what a huge subject!

And, all we’re talking about is flour and eggs, and/or water…all worked into different shapes…over 175 of them!

And why so many shapes? Well, I guess I have to say, ‘Why not!’. Or maybe, ‘Because it’s fun’. Or, how about, “I don’t have any idea!’.

“The pasta-type naming issue is a morass tangled up in a muddle sinking into a quagmire.”

Then, I have mixed emotions about getting into the nitty-gritty of what clings well to each shaped pasta. Yes, like wine pairings with food, there is the ‘proper’ coating/sauce for each type of pasta…thus the different shapes…but I’ll surely get into that. And, just what coating is ‘proper’ for each shape?…that depends on with whom you are speaking, or reading, just like with food-wine pairings.

Is this an Italian subject? Yes, most definitely. Let’s dive in!

THE SHAPE OF THINGS

Here are the very basic shapes of pasta that one might encounter: long & skinny or long & wide, shell, twisted, tubular or short-cut, stretched, itsy-bitsy, and filled/stuffed pastas. You can probably put in gnocchi as a different shaped pasta altogether, as it has distinctive ingredients for its preparation, e.g. potato is often used…its more like a dumpling.

Wikipedia has a nice list of pastas with photos.

Here are some examples of each, using common terms with which you might be familiar.

Long Pastas

These are like what you think of as spaghetti, of which there are many types…just head up to your grocery store to see that for yourself. They are made either by extruding them through a die, or by rolling them out and hand cutting them.

Here is a semi-comprehensive (is there such a thing as ‘semi-comprehensive’?) list of these ‘long’ pastas…and I’ll provide just a few photos.

NOTE: I’m going to be making a point with the next few paragraphs, so please bear with me.

PASTAS IN THE LONG CATEGORY: barbine (1), bavette (3), bigoli (1), bucatini (8), busiate, capellini (7), fedelini, ferrazzuoli (1), fettuccine (4) (I’ll explain why I’ve bolded fettuccine, below), fileja (6), linguine (5), lagane (2), lasagna (8), lasagnette, lasagnotte, maccheroni alla molinara, maccheroncini di campofilone, mafaide (9), matriciani, pappardelle (3), perciatelli (4), pici (3), pillus (1), rustiche, sagne ‘ncannulate, scialatelli, spaghetti (6), spaghetti alla chitarra (2), spaghettini (1), spaghettoni (1), stringozzi, su filindau, tagliatelle (15), taglierini (3), trenette, tripoline (1), vermicelli (1), ziti (5).

REGIONAL PASTA NAMES: That’s 32 names for for long pastas. But, those are the common names for the long and skinny pastas. But, guess what? There are regional names, also…the number of which is shown in the parenthesis following each name type above. I count over 100 names for the long and skinny pastas that are used regionally. Add the two together and there are 130 names for long and skinny pasta. Do we really need that many names for long, skinny mixtures of flour and eggs and/or water?

Here’s an example of the regional-names issue. I’ll use the well known Tagliatelle, as an example (that’s it in the bottom right of the group of photos just below).

REGIONAL NAMES FOR TAGLIATELLE PASTA SHAPE: tagliarelli, reginelle, fresine, nastri, fettuccelle, fettucce romane, fiadi, tagliolin, taglatelle smalzade, lesagnetes, bardele, fettuccine (again!?), pincinelle, tagghiarini, and taddarini (you should see all of the red-underlined-spell-checker warnings I’m looking at right now!).

So, ‘fettuccine’ in the regional names for tagliatelle?!…that alone is a completely separate type of long and skinny pasta as you can see above in the list of 32 long pastas, but it’s listed here as a regional version of tagliatelle. Go figure.

I’m not going to belabor the point of the pasta names (well, not any more, at least), and I’m not going to list them for the remaining pasta shapes. In my research, it is suggested that names are often created for marketing purposes And, as there are reportedly 34 different languages or dialects spoken in Italy, that is most likely the main reason for so many regional-name equivalents.

Churchill said of Russia that “It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma”. You can quote me in the future as I say that, “The pasta-type naming issue is a morass tangled up in a muddle sinking into a quagmire.”

PHOTOS OF LONG & SKINNY PASTA: In the first two photos (ziti and bucatini respectively), you will see holes in the long strands that can only be imparted with extrusion through a die. Buca means ‘hole’ in Italian, so this is where bucatini gets its name (the -tini diminutive would make it a small hole), as there is a hole all the way through each strand. Other strands have a square cross-section, while some are flat. Also, note the different colors of each pasta, which is related to the type of flour used in the creation of that pasta.

Tubular/Short Cut

Here we find cheese’s famous partner, macaroni. The short tubes of pasta might be smooth, or there may be grooves. They might be straight, or they may be curved. Some are spiraled and some look like wagon wheels. There is even a cute little bow tie for your pasta salad. There are 70 types of short, tubular pastas, with over 160 regional names associated with them.

Stretched or Shelled

These are usually small disks of pasta that are stretched on a board, and it is a small category with only 5 pasta shapes. Orecchiette, those little ear-shaped pastas are in this category. There are around 17 regional variations in naming.

Itsy-Bitsy

You will find these in soups, like minestrone. I use the term itsy-bitsy, but in Italian they are called ‘pastina’ (again, the -tina is a diminutive ending), or small pasta. There are 38 pasta shapes in the pastina category, with a plethora of regional shape names. The first of the six photos below is orzo, which has 24 regional names for that diminutive shape.

Filled

Enter Chef Boyardee and his canned ravioli…I remember it well. It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten that canned delicacy, and I’m glad of it. But yes, you will find ravioli in this category, as well as cannelloni (the first photo below) and tortelloni/tortellini. And, let’s not forget cappelli, shown below in the second photo…those being hand made by none other than your writer/host. There are 21 shapes named in this category, with Cannelloni itself owning 17 regional names, like ‘tagliati di zitoni’. Now, The Godfather movie wouldn’t be the same with the line, “Leave the gun, take the tagliati di zitoni”, would it? No, it wouldn’t.

Gnocchi

It’s just ‘kinda’ in the pasta category. Yes, it is usually made with flour and eggs, but there is most likely something else involved, like cheese, potato, breadcrumbs, cornmeal, herbs, cocoa, prunes, ricotta, spinach, and of course, the kitchen sink. They are actually more like dumplings, and they are usually cooked fresh, rather than in a dried form. BTW, they are ready to remove from the pot when they float.

MAKING PASTA

We’ve seen pasta being made in Italy in many places. It’s fun to watch it being made and then shaped into whatever meets one’s fancy.

Hand Made at a Ristorante

Here is a woman in a viewing window of a ristorante near Campo di Fiori in Rome, who appears to be making a fileja pasta (which could also be known as filleda, filateddhi, filatelli, fusilli avellinesi, maccaruni aru ferru, ricci di donna, depending on where one is in Italy). Note the well-floured surface on which she works. In the four photos below, here is what she’s doing (from top-left to bottom-right):

Cutting a rolled out and folded sheet of pasta into fettucine shaped long and skinny pasta.
Separating the cut strips.
Laying them out in preparation for twisty-rolling.
Using a stiff wire as a form (hard to see in the fourth photo), she rolls the flat pasta around the wire in a quick and fluid motion.

Here is what her final product might look like after the wire is slid out.

Hand Made With Our Own Hands

You may remember seeing my article titled, “Learning to Cook Italian”, where we joined my in-laws Leslie and Criag at a cooking class in Piemonte. Here are some photos from that experience, where you can see wife Ellen’s hands deftly working the pasta.

I’m inspired to produce an article soon on how to make your own pasta, with but a few of the 170 or so shapes.

Pairings by Pasta Shape

As crazy as it may seem, one is supposed to coat a particularly shaped pasta with a particular coating. I can get into elbow macaroni being coated with a few melted cheeses, but come on. But, I promised that I would work this into today’s article, so here goes.

Thin Long Noodles Like Spaghetti: You don’t want to inhibit wrapping these pastas around your fork, so keep it light…nothing heavier than a thin Bolognese. Use sauces like light cream or olive oil, add chopped fresh herbs, diced tomatoes, crumbled crisp pancetta. And light seafood works well.

Long Tube Pastas (like ziti and bucatini): Since they have a long hole through the pasta, use thinner, loose sauces, so that the sauce can run down the center for more flavor in each bite.

Flat Long Pastas: Due to the large surface area, you can use heavier, richer sauces. The wider the pasta, the heavier the sauce. Pappardelle: use a rich, meaty sauce, like ragù, Bolognese, mushrooms, or a chunky tomato sauce.. Fettuccine: use a simple cream sauce like Alfredo.

Short Tube Pasta: These are super versatile shapes that you’ll even use in casseroles . The bigger the hole, the heavier/chunkier the sauce. When the tubes have ridges, a pesto will find it easier to well-coat this pasta shape.

Twisted Pastas: The unique twisty shape encourages pesto, crumbled meat, and sauces to hang around in there.

Small Pastina/Soup Pastas: These tiny varieties are best served in soups, stews, or broth. They also go well in a pasta salad.

Filled Pastas: You went to a lot of trouble to get a tasty filling stuffed into these pastas, so lets don’t overwhelm them with the coating. Try a light butter- or oil-based sauce. We like to brown up some butter with a bit of sage…yummm.

Gnocchi: Try a nice creamy sauce, or a cheesy-creamy sauce, or a brown-butter sauce. It’s gonna be good!

OK, after spending time putting the pairings together, I guess that most of it makes some sense. However, I never ran across anything involving meatballs. I like meatballs. Now I’m stuck, not knowing what to do. Using my own judgement, I’ll be pairing them with long, skinny pastas, whichever of the 32 or so is readily available.

Closing Arguments

I know that this was a lot to digest (no pun intended). But again, it seems like much ado about just a little bit of flour and eggs, and/or water.

If you are purchasing your pasta at your local grocery, then you are limited to what is available there, and it won’t be 170 different shapes. Go with what is available and enjoy your time cooking, and then eating. Add some wine to the picture, right?

If you purchase pasta at a specialty store that has a large inventory, then use the guidelines above…or use your common sense!

If you order on-line, you will have a wealth of choices…but then, you will have plenty of time to think about the appropriate coating as you wait a couple of days for delivery. Unless of course you subscribe to Amazon-Super-Duper-Primo-Instant-Tele-Transportation, in which case you’ll have to think faster.

A Bit of Charming Fun!

But now, for a bit of charming fun! I doubt that you’ve ever heard of Pasta Grannies…but, now that you have, you’ll be hooked if you visit the You Tube site. It’s mostly octogenarians-to-centenarians making pasta as they were taught by their own grannies. They are oh, so charming. These beautiful women create pasta in all shapes and sizes in their own kitchens, all by hand.

See over 300 grannies busily making pasta by hand on the You Tube channel…take a look here.
You can get a short introduction to the types of flour used by the grannies by clicking here.
There are short snippets of their tireless working on Instagram here.

Try it…you’ll like it…and you will get inspiration for making your own, handmade pastas.

And speaking of that, in the not-to-distant future, I’ll be writing about making your own pasta at home, which is what we do.

And Finally…Some Pasta Drama!

From oldsters to youngsters. What kid doesn’t like pasta…right?! Well, here’s one. This bit of drama unfolded before our very eyes at the same ristorante where the woman was making hand rolled pasta, above.

So, who wonthis battle? When the bread arrived at our table, I suddenly lost interest as my own bread-and-olive-oil drama began. Sorry to leave you hanging like that.

So, there you have the many shapes of pasta…and I’m guessing that there are a good many more than shown or described, above. We’ll be making some pasta together soon. But, in the meantime…

Ciao for now,

Steve

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Eat Here: Enoteca Della Valpolicella

Index of Articles

Has there been a time when you’ve had a meal and you think, “Wow, I’d like to come back and eat here again!”. We said that. And, we then went back and ate there again. It was that good. Italy at its best. Here is what you can expect.

We had just completed a mourning tour and tasting of the wines of the Allegrini winery, and it was oh, so good. Now it was time for lunch. Because of a recommendation by Silvia at the Salvaterra winery, we had made a reservation for lunch at Enoteca Della Valpolicella…and we are glad we did, as the locals already know about this gem.

Getting There

On this map, you can see the short drive from Villa Allegrini (red circle) to Enoteca Della Valpolicella (blue circle) in the small village of Fumane, just 9 miles north of Verona. So, it’s possible that Juliette and Romeo had their first date here. Yeah, I know. Right?

Drive through the gate and park in the small lot.

“Whether you dine for lunch or dinner, either experience (or both, as in our case) will please you no end”

Eating There

First of all, don’t expect to be treated like a customer…you are a guest at Enoteca Della Valpolicella, and that’s the way you will feel.

Dining is upstairs, and it is a very pleasant place to eat. Add to that our very pleasant cameriera (waitress), and you have a very pleasant meal, assuming the food is also very pleasant.

Elisa Riolfi took or order, with a bit of a twist. She asked us what sort of things we liked (and didn’t like) and she then suggested that she bring us what one might call a 'chef’s menu’. We handed her our unopened menus and put our trust in Elisa.

We were glad that she approached our meal this way…because it turned out that, along with everything else, the food was very pleasant, indeed!

It turns out that Elisa has a good relationship with the chef, as Chef Ada is her mother.

I mentioned in the introduction that we returned to dine for dinner after having eaten lunch at Enoteca della Valpolicella. One of the reasons we wanted to return? This absolutely heavenly starter of Tomato Sauce alla Veronese.

It is finished with a bit of burrata cheese, basil, and a splash of EVOO.

And, for our dinner, once more we let Elisa and her mom take the reigns, but with one demand —- we wanted this starter with our meal, once again!

In this photo, you can see the texture of this scrumptious delight.

In testament to just how good this simple dish is, Ellen’s action speaks for itself! This gives new meaning to ‘diving in’ to a dish!

Ellen says, “It is remarkable that something so simple should be so flavorful!”.

And it is super simple. There are only three ingredients, and one of them is butter!

We know how to duplicate this dish. Click this thumbnail and you can see for yourself.

Wine with Our Meals

As with virtually every meal we eat in Italy, wine is always appropriate.

For lunch, we opted for a bottle of La Grola from the Allegrini winery which we had just visited that morning.

For dinner, it was a nice Amarone. This wine is the one that is made from grapes that have been raisinated for about 100 days before being pressed, described in the article here.

They have over 800 labels in their cellar. And they know each one…as well as the families that produce them. Just ask, and you will receive a wine that you will enjoy with your meal.

Whatever the meal, there is always a toast to Italy and friends not present — and that includes you, of course!

Ellen and Steve (in photo) along with Leslie and Craig, offer a toast

Here are the chef’s selections for our lunch and dinner. And it is oh, so good to know that bacon is often a part of a meal in Italy! That particular dish is Dandelion Leaves with Monte Veronese Cheese and Crispy Pancetta (which you will find on page 47 of the yet to be mentioned cookbook, below).

See the third dish in the top row? That is Duck Breast with Recioto & Honey Sauce…and it was absolutely fabulous.

Recioto is a sweet, red dessert wine made in the Valpolicella Amarone style. By putting the Recioto together with the honey, a delicious sweet, but not overpowering, accompaniment is created for the duck breast.

Here is the recipe so you can try it at home. Just click on the thumbnail to get a larger view.

Dessert? Yes please. And thank you!

A Visit from Chef Ada Riolfi

During our trip, we had found a cookbook that we really liked, as it had dishes that were the specialty of Italian chefs of the Lake Garda, Verona, and Valpolicella area - the area which we were visiting.

The cookbook is titled, “Polenta & Amarone: The Flavors of Lake Garda, Verona and Valpolicella”. It so happens that Chef Ada is featured in this cookbook with 7 of her recipes. As we happened to have our own copy with us, we had Ada autograph our book. Surely you too have a cookbook with you as you travel. I certainly hope so!

It is interesting that Ada had not seen the cookbook before tonight, as it was not of her creation. And, upon taking a look at some of her recipes therein, she spotted errors in cooking temperature and time.

Here she is as she signs our cookbook, after penciling in changes to the Duck Breast with Honey and Recioto Sauce recipe. She changed the ‘brisk heat’ of the Recioto sauce to ‘low flame’, and the time of ‘15-20 minutes’ to ‘40 minutes’. It’s nice to have a chef handy whilst you’re cooking, so we will try to do that for our future at-home cooking sessions! We’ve already scheduled Keller, Douglas, Flay, Giada, and more!

Four women of whom bother-in-law Craig and I are in awe

The Cookbook

If you are interested in obtaining a copy of the cookbook (without Chef Ada edits…unless you make a personal visit to Enoteca della Valpolicella, of course), click here.

Just be sure to select the Italiano-English version (rather than the Italiano-German version). Each recipe is given in both Italian and English.

By the way, the woman on the cover is Pierina Caprini. Though we know her, you probably don’t…but you will soon when i publish an article featuring her restaurant and cooking. So, stay tuned for that…it was one of the most truly magical evenings of our lives.

That’s it for our back-to-back visits to Enoteca della Valpolicella. Both lunch and dinner were fabulous.

Want to give Enoteca Della Valpolicella a try for yourself, To the right is their contact information.

And here is a direct link to their website, where you can make a reservation…which is a must. Click on the British flag to get an English version and/or let Google translate for you. Click on the word ‘Reserve’ and fill out the form to make your reservation.

Whether you dine for lunch or dinner, either experience (or both, as in our case) will please you no end. If a bottle of un-ordered Amarone shows up at your table, make no fuss…just turn to the table near the window to see Ellen and me giving you a thumbs up of affection…that bottle is on us.

Ciao for now,

Steve

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Eat Here: Donna Selvatica in Neive

Index of Articles

You’ve heard of the term, “A Diamond in the Rough”, which refers to something special surrounded by something not so special. I was going to suggest that for a subtitle for this article, but it just doesn’t work. The Ristorante Donna Selvatica is surely a diamond, but it doesn’t sit in a rough…it sits in a charming hillside town called Neive.

So, let’s say that Donna Selvatica is a diamond on a golden crown, instead.

We happened upon this place within a place after a long afternoon of wining at Michele Chiarlo’s Le Orme vineyards and Calamandrana winery…I know, someone has to do it, so we gave of ourselves for each of you. And, you’re welcome.

“The folks of Neive finally had something to be proud of when their last homegrown countess, Countess Maria Vittoria, became Queen of Spain”

Ristorante Donna Selvatica

As just mentioned, we spent the afternoon touring the Michele Chiarlo vineyards, winery, and tasting room (more on that in a future article). It was early evening as we headed west to our lodgings at Villa Gremi. We had not researched, or even thought about, dinner because we were so intrigued with our afternoon activities. So wife Ellen took to Google as we headed west and suddenly shouted out, “Turn right at the next road!”. Being well trained, I turned right at the next road. This road led to heretofore unheard of Neive. Having interpreted the command to, “Park right here!” to mean park right here, I parked. Who says I never listen?!

Walking the cobblestone and brick-paved streets of Neive soon led us to Ristorante Donna Selvatica. As we arrived well before the opening hour of 19:00 (aka 7:00pm), we made a reservation for patio dining and we explored Neive, as described a bit further in this article.

We really liked this restaurant…the location, the view, the ambiance, the service, the wine, the food…everything.

The location is pretty much in the center of Neive, as can be seen in the aerial view a bit further down the page.

But the view…magnificent. The rolling, vine-covered hills go on and on, with the small town of Barbaresco sitting mid-distance.

This closeup view from our table provides detail of the famous Barbaresco Tower, and an elevator ride to its top continues those magnificent views.

For our nightly…daily…frequent…toast, we chose a white wine called Arneis. We had never heard of Arneis until our afternoon tour at Michele Chiarlo, which happens to also produce this crisp, minerally-yet-light wine. The grapes are grown in the Roero area of Piemonte. It is now our favorite white wine of Italy.

Those are in-laws Craig and Leslie Johnson toasting on the patio.

The homemade ravioli pasta with mountain butter and 36-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano is poised and ready to be eaten.

Might this be a mix of potato gnocchi pasta on Castelmagno-cheese cream, and sliced Castelmagno cheese with honeydew honey, jams and Langa Bio hazelnuts? Yes, I believe so. It’s like eating a cheese-covered cloud.

At this point I was in a food coma of some sort, so I don’t remember exactly what this dish is. But, it appears to be duck fixed a couple of ways — one of which is wrapped in pancetta. I’ll find out exactly what it was next time I’m there.

You know how sometimes you don’t have room to order dessert, but they bring you some anyway? I think that’s what this is.

If you are a grappa fan, and I’m thinking that one-in-a-hundred of you might be, they have dozens from which to choose.

Here you can click to see an actual Italian/English menu from Donna Selvatica >>>

But before we depart, I need to tell you what ‘Donna Selvatica’ translates to in English. That would be ‘Wild Woman’. You don’t have to be/take a wild woman to this restaurant; however, Craig and I found that it helps. We love our own wild women!

The Town of Neive

While waiting to eat at Donna Selvatica, we explored to tiny town of Neive.

Like many of the small hill towns of the Piemonte, this one sits on a hill — naturally. The hill upon which it sits is about 4 miles northeast of Alba, which is one of the towns-of-considerable-size in the Piemonte.

Neive is a very small town. This photo shows its extent. Ristorante Donna Selvatica is within the red oval.

Today, things are quiet in Neive, but it hasn’t always been that way. Witness the fate of the nice Castle of Neive that used to stand here proud. The Neivesi had a hard time of it in 1274 because both the communes of Alba and Asti wanted that little hill-top town as their own. The Albesi and Astigiani met for battle, and since neither could pull off the heist of the town, it seems that one or both of them destroyed the Castle of Neive in spite. But did they have to take it out on the nice folks of Neive?!

Then, in the next century they were totally embarrassed when Giangaleazzo Visconti’s daughter Valentina married the Duke of Orleans and the town was given up by her father as her dowry. And I thought an envelope with cash and some jewels were customary.

A couple of centuries later Neive went to the House of Savoy, and then to the French for 17 years before being returned to the House of Savoy. In 1618, Neive became a fief assigned to Count Vittorio Amedeo Dal Pozzo, who assumed the title of First Count of Neive. The folks of Neive finally had something to be proud of when their last homegrown countess, Countess Maria Vittoria became Queen of Spain.

I’m guessing that after all of that, they would just like to be left alone. But go anyway, because in addition to Donna Selvatica there is a particularly nice little shop there.

Fili di Fantasia

Fili di Fantasia translated to English is Fantasy Threads.

We were really surprised to find this nice shop of things with threads open at a late hour — and frankly that it existed at all on its itsy-bitsy street.

Wife Ellen and Sis-in-law Leslie were quite pleased with this little shop.

And, I was quite pleased with the view from the back balcony.

And yes, purchases were made.

Strolling Neive

We found the brick pavers to be a bit easier on the feet than the cobbles, but either are more charming than the typical asphalt pavement.

The church of Saints Peter and Paul existed in the 12th century, but was rebuilt to its present form in the 18th century. I was fortunate to capture in a gorgeous evening light.

The inside of the church is very peaceful with numerous artworks.

Here you see a typical home and garden. Note the soil. It is calcareous and is just what the enologist ordered for the growing of grape vines.

One would think its not so great for vegetable gardens, though.

Love the Italian roof tiles!

Wish I had them on my villa.

Wish I had a villa.

Wish I was even near a villa!

Though these people are not enjoying a meal at Donna Salvatica, they do look to be having a good time.

As we closed out our evening in Neive, we were treated to the lights of the surrounding hill-top towns, with Barbaresco prominently featured in the foreground.

Links…

Ristorante Donna Selvatica

Fili di Fantasia

We fondly remember our afternoon in Neive and our evening dinner at Ristorante Donna Selvatica. If you are in the area, I would recommend that you follow my wife’s advice and, “Turn right at the next road!”…you will not be disappointed…unless you are coming from the other direction, of course.

If we happen to be at Donna Selvatica at the same time one evening, I’ll gladly let you purchase the first bottle of Arneis…I’ll get the second.

Ciao for now,

Steve