Meeting the 'King of Pasta'

There was an air of giddy anticipation last Friday when lifestyle and food editors and writers gathered at the Red Restaurant of Makati Shangri-La, Manila for lunch. It was, after all, no ordinary lunch. Joining us that day was the man dubbed as Italy's “king of pasta”, Vincenzo Spinosi. Everyone was curious what this man would be like. Hailed as one of only three Italians given the Five-Star Diamond Award by The American Academy of Hospitality Sciences for his excellence in pasta innovation, he has also bagged the title of “Grand Official of Italy”, which is touted as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in his country.

As it turned out, we didn't have to wait long. Soon, Italian music wafted in from outside, played on an iPad held by a balding man in a white coat, cherry red pants and funky tie. As if on cue, he started singing while making his way inside the function room, kissing all the ladies' hands and charming everyone with his wide smile. Never mind if he spoke only Italian - the language of food easily broke down language barriers. Spinosi was there to introduce the exclusive Italian menu for lunch and dinner to be served at Red restaurant until November 26. He created the dishes with Daniele Turco, executive chef of Hotel Gritti Palace in Venice. As a treat, on hand too was Vanda Angellozzi, whose family has been producing truffles in their farm in the Piceno region of Italy. Truffles and pasta And so it was truffles and pasta day for us. “Pasta with truffles is like a king with his queen,” Spinosi said.  First, a demonstration. Together with Chef Daniele and Makati Shangri-La's Executive Chef Franco Brodini, he showed us how Spinosini pasta should be cooked. A pot of water was fired up at the stove in front of us, and in went lots of salt. Next, the pasta was slid carefully from the box. While it was cooking, the chefs lit another stove, putting butter on a pan. Garlic was added along with white truffles from Angellozzi, white wine, olive oil, and shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano. By this time the pasta was cooked; it was transferred to the pan, and a ladle of pasta water was added. In a few minutes—about four—it was done. The dish was then shown to us “for display,” but we all begged to taste it as we were enthralled by its aroma. We were promised servings, but only after the appetizer of beef tartare with mesclun and Angellozzi black truffle. The beef tartare dish made for a pretty sight, with a soft-boiled little egg on top. A bite of everything—the beef, the salad greens, the egg, and the aromatic truffles—resulted in an explosion of flavors in the mouth, surprising and delightful. Then, as promised, we were served the Spinosini with butter and Angellozzi white truffle dish they cooked earlier, and this was heaven at first bite! We could only nod and say “wow,” all amazed at how delicious it was—and simple. This reinforced my belief that the best dishes are really the simple ones made with quality ingredients. With the dish, we got to experience firsthand why Spinosi was hailed the “king of pasta.” The Spinosini pasta was handmade using hard wheat and eggs from a particular variety of Livorno hen that were fed only cereals and cold-pressed sunflower oil. One can detect the flavor of wheat and the freshness of the eggs in the pasta. By the time the main course -- gratinated veal fillet with Angellozi white truffle, potato, and seasonal vegetables -- came, we were just smiling, contented with the food and the Italian white and red wines served. The veal was tender, and the white truffles made the dish extraordinary. The dessert had truffles too. It was chocolate fondant with Angellozzi white truffle essence. The fondant, when speared in the middle, had a little chocolate oozing out. I happily swirled each forkful in the white truffle sauce for that extra oomph. The pasta and truffle business Spinosi, we were told, hails from Campofilone in Italy. His family has been in the pasta business since 1933. It's a business that has kept to tradition, as the family has chosen to stick to making handmade pasta with the help of only 14 employees. One employee, for instance, does nothing but break eggs to be used for the pasta, as shown in a video Spinosi played on his iPad. The company's output may be small at only 70 kilograms of pasta per hour, but Spinosi is more after the quality of the pasta they produce than the quantity. Thus the product has become a rare commodity in Italy and in a few other places such as the US, Australia, China, Thailand, and Abu Dhabi. What made Spinosi win awards is his pasta creations. He was cited for the Spinosini pasta, which is not only flavorful but healthy as well. With the eggs, the pasta is made rich in Omega-3 and vitamin E. It was a delight as well to meet Vanda Angellozzi, who regaled us with stories of how they grow three varieties of truffles on their farm: black, summer, and white truffles. And yes, they do employ dogs to search for truffles under the soil since their noses can track the smell of the expensive mushroom coveted worldwide. “The truffle was for poor people before. It's only in the last two decades that it has become a delicacy,” said Angellozzi. And what a delicious delicacy it is. Partnered with pasta, it is just awesome. - YA, GMA News   Photos courtesy of Makati Shangri-La, Manila   Vincenzo Spinosi will conduct a cooking class on November 26, followed by a set lunch. For inquiries, call (02) 813-8888 ext. 7588 and 7599.