Italian restauranteur Chef Giorgio Nava brings his famous fresh pastas to the home delivery arena.
You can order his Pasta Fresca range of filled fresh pastas and sauces through online shop Italian Deli and enjoy that authentic Italian restaurant vibe at home.
Regulars of Chef Giorgio Nava’s iconic Cape Town Restaurants 95 Keerom and Carne have long been fans of his fresh pastas.
“The lamb ravioli in Carne and in 95 Keerom, the spinach and ricotta ravioli and the butternut ravioli have always been best-sellers,” says Giorgio. “Through the years customers have been asking us to make them available for home use.”
The plan for the new range called Pasta Fresca was already in the pipeline last year before lockdown and proved to be perfectly timed, now available through various Cape Town retail outlets and for delivery in the Cape Town area from Italian Deli.
Chef Giorgio hasn’t changed a thing in scaling up to produce the pastas commercially, “The recipe is exactly the same as you’d find in the restaurants,” he says. “We don’t want to change from the original. It’s probably even better as we now produce in bigger batches and the quality is even more consistent.”
And regulars who know Giorgio for being hands-on in the kitchen and uncompromising in his standards won’t be surprised that he extends that attention to detail to the making of his Pasta Fresca range. “No-one produces my line without me being in the factory,” he says. ”I’m actually making it myself with assistants. It’s my palate and flavour, and the adjustment is always done by me. One day the spinach is strong in flavour, the next more watery, you might need more cheese, more salt, I always taste it to my palate.”
THE PASTA FRESCA RANGE
The pasta range currently includes: spinach and ricotta ravioli, butternut and ricotta ravioli, lamb full moon, truffle and grana mezzaluna (half moon), and chicken and mushroom mezzalunas. Each comes with a suggestion for an appropriate sauce, supplied separately so you can choose your favourite. “These are the classic sauces you find on any Italian menu,” says Giorgio. “Butter and sage is always a winner because everyone loves the sweetness of the parmesan cheese and butter with a punch of aroma from the sage.” Then there is a light cream and cheese sauce for the truffle pasta, as well as classic tomato sauce, Bolognese sauce, or arrabiata with a touch of chilli.
WINE PAIRINGS
Giorgio recommends a good white wine to pair with most of the pasta dishes. “A good chardonnay or a good chenin blanc is always a good match. A nice sangiovese with a red sauce like bolognese, or a good cabernet.”
Bianco di Custoza has Chardonnay mentioned among the grape varietals. San Patrignano Aulente Rubicone is a sangiovese, Lungarotti Rubesco is sangiovese and colorino.
Find Chef Giorgio’s Pasta Fresca range online at Italian Deli for delivery within the greater Cape Town area.
