On Sunday 29th January 2023 in Sala Blu 2 the 14th edition of Identità di Pasta will take place. It’s a pillar-format for the Identità Milano congress. Seven lessons, from morning to afternoon, with a prominent programme, supported by Monograno Felicetti, with us since the first edition (back in 2010). The theme will be in line with that of the 2023 congress: "Ladies and gentlemen, the revolution is served". That is to say we must speed up innovation as much as possible. Presenting the event, after Paolo Marchi’s initial welcome, will be journalist Eleonora Cozzella. With her, Riccardo Felicetti, the CEO of the pasta factory in Predazzo, in Trentino. Here are some details about the speakers.
11.00 am
Giuseppe Iannotti
Kresios, Telese (Benevento)
Pasta e fagioli with oysters, Pasta cream and salmon, the famous Spaghetto allo scoglio, the result of a work on extraction and concentration of seafood, to make a bright red sauce… There are countless reasons that justify his role opening the works at Identità di pasta 2023: Giuseppe Iannotti is a sort of alien of creativity in a school that tends to be conservative, in Campania’s cooking. And now the cook doesn’t only express himself at Kresios, 2 Michelin stars, but also at the new-born Luminist in Naples, currently a Caffetteria and Bistrot on the ground floor of Gallerie d'Italia in the heart of Via Toledo 177 and soon also a fine dining Ristorante and Cocktail Bar.
11.45 am
Marco Ambrosino
Collettivo Mediterraneo
For a few months now, Marco Ambrosino is no longer at 28 Posti, the bistro in Milan which he ran for 8 years. While we wait to understand the new adventures of the cook born in Procida, we can follow his evolution through Collettivo Mediterraneo, a project that works hard to build a memory of the Mediterranean region, with its traditions and peoples. There is no doubt that pasta plays a crucial role in all this. And in terms of creativity, this cook is very serious: just think of his use of fermented pasta water…
12.30 pm break
1.30 pm
Michele Lazzarini
Contrada Bricconi, Oltressenda Alta (Bergamo)
Contrada Bricconi is one of the restaurants opened in 2022 that has impressed us the most. A project that has led Michele Lazzarini, after 9 years as sous chef at St Hubertus in Alta Badia, to open “his own” restaurant in his home region Val Seriana, in the province of Bergamo. His motto: exponential mountain creativity. Like the one he shows, for instance in his Cold spaghetti, trout fat and rhubarb, a dish that brings the carcasses of the freshwater fish to heaven.
2.15 pm
Karime Lopez and Takahiko Kondo
Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura, Florence
Over the years, we’ve spent many words to tell you about the developments at Gucci Osteria, the format with which Massimo Bottura travels the world, from Los Angeles to Tokyo and Seoul. But the mother of all these restaurants will always be the Osteria in Florence, led by a Mexican cook and a Japanese one, two young people obsessed with cooking, and partners in life too. In Piazza della Signoria the item “pasta” is crucial: think of tortellini with double cream. But this is also where, recently, they served tortelli next to glazed eel. As a first course? No, as a dessert…
3.00 pm
Dario Pandolfo
Cala Luna de Le Calette, Cefalù (Palermo)
The fifth lesson at Identità di Pasta is signed by Dario Pandolfo, chef at boutique hotel Le Calette, in a park 2 km away from Cefalù (Palermo). This is a debut for him in Milan. Whether he works for the fine dining restaurant Cala Luna or the casual Calette Reef, his philosophy is always focused on local ingredients (Spaghetti with tomato “in bianco” with prawns, its sauce and basil), and distant influences (Linguine, dashi, tuna bottarga and wild fennel). A Sicily/Asia short-circuit which he shows with unique creative flair.
3.45 pm
Gianluca Gorini
DaGorini, San Piero in Bagno (Forlì-Cesena)
He's 37 but, in a way, he’s already a veteran given the consideration we have of him at Identità Golose, having already nominated him “Best Italian cook” for our guide. Ever since he opened in Romagna, in 2017, Gorini has stood out with many pasta-based masterpieces: dry pasta (Spaghettoni with anchovy butter or gentian butter) or filled (Cappelletti filled with game meat, white vermouth, peach and elderberry flower or the more recent Ravioli filled with liquid shallot, goat’s milk primo sale and chicory). Plenty of aromas are on the way from Romagna.
4.30 pm
Cristiano Tomei
L’Imbuto, Lucca
Just like last year, it will be that devil of Cristiano Tomei who will close the works at Identità di Pasta in Sala Blu 2. A logic idea, judging by the approach with which the Tuscan cook has always interpreted dry pasta, and especially pasta with tomato sauce, his obsession. «There are many pastas for every person, but also many varieties of tomato», he explained in a beautiful talk in April 2022. And then, «The future is what you do with what you have». For instance, Spaghetti alla pummarola... with quince apple, a dish in the menu at L’Imbuto in Lucca…
Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso
