Back in Rome and Naples
Armando al Pantheon is back to being my favorite restaurant in Rome. The food is simply delicious. November sees puntarelle, that quintessential Roman green, on the table with its tangy anchovy dressing. Or begin with a warm artichoke and a boule of fresh mozzarella. And this time I tried spaghetti with a salt cod sauce - tasty and unusual. Armando's lovely almond torta is a yummy and light dessert.The restaurant now has its own cookbook, which is a history of the restaurant and its family members as well. At the moment it is only available in Italian. The Italians once again outnumber the tourists, a sight that always pleases me. It is necessary to reserve several days in advance.
In Naples I ate in two restaurants new to me. Osteria della Mattonella is a simple, unaffected, and full of people place. It is diifficult to find, but persist and you will be rewarded by very good food and a true local ambiance. The queues wind down the street so be sure to reserve. While you are wandering around towards the restaurant you will pass homes of both the better-off and the poor. Do not be put off. Naples' neighborhoods are quite mixed. I began with a mixed fry of eggplant, potatoes and mozzarella, followed by shrimp, squid and anchovies. And ended with a rum baba, one of Naples' favorite pastries, which came to Italy from Poland (babka) via France.
More elegant was Osteria da Antonio, which specializes in local seafood - marinated fresh anchovies, salmon and swordfish as a starter, or have a plate of grilled vegetables, followed by fried shrimp and squid, or pasta con vogole, and finish with a slice of local provolone.
Pasta con Vogole
In France I buy coques (cockles), which is what da Antonio uses, but you can use small clams or tellines. Whatever you use soak the shellfish for several hours in the refrigerator in salted water. In a casserole, sauté a sliced garlic clove (or two), and the equivalent of one large tomato, skinned and chopped - I use about 8 unskinned cherry tomatoes - and some chili flakes in olive oil. Add the cockles, well-rinsed and drained, to the pan, Cook covered over a medium high heat until the shellfish have opened - throw away any that have remained closed. In the meantime you should have cooked your spaghetti al dente. Drain, add to the sauce, and toss well. Serve. Quantities - up to you. Allow about 80 to 90 grams of dried pasta per person and as many cockles as you wish.
