Zen Pasta

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We decided on Spaghetti Pomodoro. At first glance, it sounds rather mundane, but what I ended up eating were arguably the best noodles of my life. And the secret? The tomato sauce. Sure, the fresh “a la Chitarra” spaghetti was cooked to perfection—al dente, of course—but the tomato sauce nearly drove me to madness. Luigi took it upon himself to explain how they make this sauce.
The tomatoes, a small variety from Vesuvius called “Piennolo,” are grown from seeds on a farm nearby, especially cultivated for the restaurant. There are no onions, cream, or butter in the sauce, yet it’s so creamy you wonder if it’s been enchanted. They start with three different processes for the little tomatoes: one batch gets juiced, another is sautéed and then combined with the tomato juice, and finally, whole tomatoes are added, allowing everything to simmer lightly for 18 hours. Aside from a bit of garlic and olive oil, it’s all about the tomatoes.
In its purity—just one elegantly arranged noodle roll enveloped in that lush sauce, topped with a tiny basil leaf—this Italian cuisine reminds me of Japanese simplicity. Who knew pasta could be so zen?