Sublime

linguine alla cecca, it’s a hot pasta with a cold tomato and basil sauce, and it’s so light and delicate that it’s almost like eating a salad. It has to be made in the summer, when tomatoes are fresh. Drop 5 large tomatoes into boiling water for one full minute. Peel and seed and chop. Put into a large bowl with ½ cup olive oil, a garlic clove slic

dried pasta was blanched in small, undercooked

I now realize that strong opinions about ragù, or any dish for that matter, are expressions of nostalgia. That repeating them is almost as comforting as eating the dish because it’s another way of saying this is the way I know this is and how I hope it will stay.

NEBBIOLO

Imagine using ingredients from different recipes because you love each taste in a certain dish. You already know that mozzarella and basil will probably not taste good in a Szechuan curry.

the house smelled of butter and pepper and starch: pasta, he thought.

rouille — that's a garlic pepper mayonnaise garnish, for the newbies.

Trattoria al Pompiere, which has a commitment to regional traditions, is bigger, with formal waiters weaving among its tight tables and walls plastered with photos of big shots from the area. This bustling place is a favorite of local foodies. Marco and his gang serve gourmet meats and cheeses as antipasti from their larger-than-life back counter,