The Italian Meal I Want to Recreate at Home

There are several meals from Italy that I already know I want to recreate at home, but there is one in particular that I keep thinking about.

A few nights into our time in Panicale, my best friend and I went to a little family-owned restaurant for lunch. I have always loved family-owned restaurants, and there was something about this one that felt really personal and welcoming.

I ordered tagliatelle with a simple tomato sauce made with elephant garlic and topped with a fried basil leaf. The pasta was made from scratch, and it was so good. It wasn’t complicated, but every part of it worked.

The elephant garlic was new to me. I had never seen a bulb before, and the owner brought one over to our table because it was part of the special I had ordered. I remember looking at this giant bulb and thinking, What the hell is this giant garlic?

Apparently, I had been missing out.

The pasta was so good that I kept saying, “Mmmm.” If you’ve seen What About Bob?, you know exactly what I mean. I basically became Bob, sitting there eating my pasta and repeatedly making little Mmmm noises because I was that happy.

I believe we had a Barbera with the meal, and it was perfect with the pasta. The restaurant also had really good olive oil and balsamic vinegar, which I absolutely appreciate. Good olive oil and balsamic with some bread is one of those simple things that makes me very happy.

And then there was the panna cotta.

The panna cotta wasn’t from this lunch. We had it on our first night in Panicale, but it became a running joke between my best friend and me for the rest of the trip. One of us would say, “I’m too full,” or “I couldn’t eat another bite,” and the other would say, “Except for panna cotta.”

Because apparently there is always room for panna cotta.

That’s what I love about food when I travel. I remember the food, but I also remember the little things around it—the restaurant, the wine, discovering elephant garlic, and laughing with my best friend about a dessert that somehow became our thing.

Now that I’m home, I want to try making that pasta myself. I’ll find some elephant garlic, make fresh tagliatelle, fry the basil, pour a glass of Barbera, and see if I can get anywhere close to what we had in Panicale.

Then I’ll make the panna cotta.

I know it won’t be exactly the same, and that’s okay. I can’t recreate being in Italy or sitting across from my best friend, but I can bring a little piece of that meal home.

And hopefully, when I take that first bite, I’ll say it again.

Mmmm.

And when I’m completely full?

Except for panna cotta.

Check out these recipes

Tagliatelle with Elephant Garlic Tomato Sauce & Fried Basil

Fresh tagliatelle tossed in a simple elephant garlic tomato sauce and topped with crispy fried basil. A simple Italian pasta dish inspired by a memorable lunch in Panicale, Umbria.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Ingredients

  

For the Pasta

• 8 oz fresh tagliatelle
• Salt for the pasta water

For the Sauce

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3-4 cloves elephant garlic finely minced
• 1½ cups good-quality crushed or strained tomatoes
• ½ tsp salt plus more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup reserved pasta water as needed

For the Fried Basil

• 6-8 fresh basil leaves
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil

To Finish

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Good balsamic vinegar and olive oil for serving with bread

Instructions

 

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the minced elephant garlic and cook gently for 1–2 minutes, just until fragrant. Be careful not to let it burn.
• Stir in the crushed tomatoes, salt, and a little black pepper. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and let it cook for about 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the fresh tagliatelle according to the package directions, usually just a few minutes. Before draining, reserve about ½ cup of the pasta water.
• Add the cooked tagliatelle to the tomato sauce and toss everything together. Add a little pasta water at a time until the sauce coats the pasta nicely.
• Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Carefully add the basil leaves and fry for just a few seconds on each side, until they become crisp. Remove and place on a paper towel.
• Divide the pasta between bowls and top each serving with a fried basil leaf. Finish with a drizzle of good olive oil and some freshly ground black pepper.

Notes

The elephant garlic is what makes this version special, but regular garlic will work, too. The key is keeping the tomato sauce simple and letting the fresh pasta, garlic, and basil do the work. And if you want the full Italian-meal experience, put some really good olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the table with fresh bread.

Keyword food, Italian food

Vanilla Panna Cotta with Fresh Berries

Creamy vanilla panna cotta topped with fresh berries. Inspired by the dessert that became one of our favorite—and most repeated—memories from Italy.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Ingredients

  

For the Panna Cotta

• 1½ cups heavy cream
• ½ cup whole milk
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2¼ tsp powdered gelatin
• 3 tbsp cold water
• Pinch of salt

For the Berries

• 1½ cups fresh berries
• 1 tbs sugar
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions

 

• Place the cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to soften.
• In a saucepan, combine the heavy cream, milk, sugar, and salt. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is hot but not boiling.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat. Whisk in the softened gelatin until completely dissolved, then stir in the vanilla.
• Pour the mixture into four small ramekins or serving glasses. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until set.
• About 15–20 minutes before serving, combine the berries with the sugar and lemon juice. Let them sit so the berries get a little juicy.
• Spoon the berries over each panna cotta and serve chilled.

Notes

This is officially the dessert that proves you can be completely full and still have room for something sweet. Or, as my best friend and I decided in Italy, except for panna cotta.

 

Keyword dessert, food, Italian food

What meal from a trip or special moment do you still think about?

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”— Virginia Woolf

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