Classic Italian Recipes From Alessandro Angelini

The spring and summer months are time to take a break from the levity of over-the-top intense flavours and delight in fresh ingredients and imaginative pairings. When it comes to timeless Italian style, there are few restaurants that do it better than Angelini with its elegant décor overlooking the harbour, impeccable service headed by Roberto Ame and delightful menu.

Chef Alessandro Angelini, a native from Rimini, helms the kitchen and is dedicated to creating innovative dishes while preserving his solid roots in traditional Italian cuisine. His mantra is to "respect the beauty of minimalism and simplicity," and he is also a firm believer in using the freshest ingredients, emphasising the importance of maintaining their natural flavours during the cooking process.

The a la carte menu he has created for Angelini’s spring edition reflects these beliefs, featuring colourful and zesty new appetizers, pastas and main courses, as well as luscious desserts. Particular highlights include the lobster salad with stracciatella cheese, daikon and spicy balsamic vinegar jelly, the Mediterranean style Tuscany Orbetello sea bass wrapped in carta fata foil and the M9 wagyu sirloin with parmesan cheese and bone marrow, in addition to the creations featured in the pages following. "I like to create surprises for diners," states the charming chef, "I think it's important to be flexible with ingredients and cooking techniques to keep things interesting."

Angelini serves up authentic Italian fare and meticulously sourced fine wines from around the country

Alessandro Angelini’s Seared Scallop, Cauliflower Cream, Orange and Red Pepper Powder and Clam Water
Serves 4

Ingredients:
3 large scallops
20g cauliflower
10ml milk
150g clams
20ml white wine
300ml hot water
1g dried orange skin powder
1g red pepper powder
20g (sliced) fennel salad
1 spoonful extra virgin olive oil
1g salt and pepper

Instructions: Cook the cauliflower in milk until soft and blend it until it is smooth. Set aside. Cook the clams in white wine, drain and keep the clam juice for later use. Pan-fry the scallops in olive oil and seasoning until they turn golden brown. Put the cauliflower puree on a plate, sprinkle with orange powder and paprika. Pour the clam juice over and place the pan-fried scallops on top and garnish with fennel salad.

Alessandro Angelini’s Buffalo Ricotta and Eggplant Ravioli, Taleggio Cheese Sauce, Tomato Confit, Corn Cream

Serves 4

Ingredients:

STUFFING

50g buffalo ricotta cheese

30g (diced) eggplant

10g cream

20ml extra virgin olive oil

1g salt and pepper

CHEESE SAUCE

20g taleggio cheese

50ml cream

1g salt and pepper

CORN SAUCE

75g corn

1 spoonful olive oil

vegetable stock

PASTA

100g flour

55g eggs

1 spoonful olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

GARNISH

Sun-dried tomato

Instructions:

STUFFING — Sauté the eggplant in a pan, add cream, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Allow it to cool before mixing with buffalo ricotta cheese, then set aside.

CHEESE SAUCE — Cook cream and taleggio cheese in a small pot and add seasoning, keep it for later use.

CORN SAUCE — Sauté the corn in olive oil, adding in vegetable stock. Once the corn is well cooked, blend it and keep it for later.

PASTA DOUGH — Mix the flour and the egg together and knead the dough until smooth. Let it rest for 30 minutes before rolling it out to about 1.5mm thick using a pasta machine. Cut the dough into small circles.

RAVIOLI — Put the stuffing on the pasta dough, wrap it to form a ravioli. Cook the raviolis in salted boiling water for three minutes and drain. Cook the raviolis in a pan with olive oil and seasoning. Decorate the plate with cheese sauce and corn sauce, place the raviolis on the plate and garnish with sun-dried cherry tomatoes.

Photography by Mitchell Geng

A version of this article originally appeared in our June 2017 issue.