NAVARRA GOURMET

The Ligurian new cuisine, between Liguria and Piamonte

Luigi Taglienti “Antiche Contrade”, in Cuneo

The secret of pesto

Luigi Taglienti, the young Italian chef of the Antiche Contrade Restaurant, in Cuneo, made his international debut at the Navarre Gourmet - Enjoy Vegetable congress. This chef, who has not yet reached thirty and has already been awarded a Michelin star, is working on the blending of aromas and perfumes from the lower Liguria area, which is the closest to the sea and mountains.

The Italian prepared a traditional pesto recipe, whilst adding the latest technological advances, such as the Thermomix to replace the pestle and mortar. As he explained, the ingredients making up this pesto are the "magnificent seven": basil, fresh garlic, salt, sweet oil, Pisa-grown pine nuts, semi-cured cheese and a selection of four months' old parmesan. He used all these ingredients to prepare a Mandillo-style fresh pasta dish (pasta handkerchief) with the suggestive name"... a breath of Liguria...a type of Savona-style Mandillo with pesto.

This recipe sums up the daily life and recollections of the chef's own personal experiences, remembering how his grandfather used to open the pine kernels and created his own pesto. "I can still remember that different, original aroma and how my grandmother made the dough by hand. As he went on to explain, "this simplicity has instilled in me a passion for creating food".

“Instinct, feelings and sensations, reflection, the constant search for raw material and the use of technology, are the most important ingredients which have allowed me to connect with the public dining at my restaurant", this chef explained, who also affirmed that "we attach the utmost importance to understanding the customer".

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