"This is real Italian trattoria food," Jack observed, as his plate of gnocchi arrived.
Beautiful platters of pasta streamed by us, destined for the hungry and the grateful. Jack's Santa Cristina Sangiovese grew big with berry tones, while my Kenwood Merlot opened wide ($6.50 each). Amanda and her fellow combat waitress became a blur of movement. The action continued to unfold around Fanni. We ate every bite-knowing that it would be a long while until entrees. Jack's caprese-he knew it was too early in the season for fully ripe tomatoes-was authentically arranged in a row of alternating buffalo mozzarella (squishy and moist), tomatoes and blissfully aromatic basil ($8.75). An appetizer salad of baby greens arrived-sprightly, fresh and sweet, wearing a restrained, positively Roman vinaigrette ($4.95). Like everybody else who comes to the dinner party at Al Dente, we were there for the evening. Neither does the steady stream of customers for whom he is the sole culinary creator. Singing, bouncing, stirring, occasionally screaming out of sheer inspirazione, twirling, laughing-he just does not simmer down. But unlike his Ducati, the chef never stops moving. A sleek lineup of designer Ducati motorcycles in primary colors held down the street in front-the yellow one belongs to the chef, a fitting metaphor for his kinetic culinary style. Sitting outside, where conversation was actually possible, we made friends with a basket of excellent francese, some red wine and two dozen curbside worshippers at the shrine of Fanni. Last week's experience began with funk/rap loud enough to blast the head off a 14-year-old and ended with the whole place singing along to the Beatles' first album.
One must be prepared for the Al Dente decibel count-Fanni is inspired by the presence of extremely loud music. Translation: While appetizers can arrive swiftly-thanks to a stuptifyingly gifted waitress named Amanda-the entrees can easily take another hour to hit your table. You eat when and only when Fanni has personally finessed, massaged and sautéed the dish to his satisfaction. Happily ensconced in this one-room storefront on Seabright, he cooks his way into an altered state to the absolute joy and occasional irritation of his huge following. As everybody in on the far side of Seabright knows, we were at Al Dente, where wild man pasta prince Lucio Fanni takes no prisoners.Ī whirling dervish with a gift for garlic, Fanni has been doing it his way since he blew into coastal California. And by the time we'd finished our dinner at 9pm, the place had only begun to cook. The one-man show is named Lucio Fanni, and it plays five nights a week at the ferociously entertaining Al DenteĪS IF WE'D BEEN dropped into a late-'80s time warp, Jack and I found ourselves in the middle of the town's hottest dining entertainment scene last week. Learning to cook your pasta to al dente is an art form in itself and will elevate all of your future pasta nights.Fans of Fanni: At Seabright hangout Al Dente, patrons come for a booming-loud atmosphere and bounding chef Lucio Fanni, whose kinetic style is irrepressible. Cooking to al dente is especially helpful when you need to add your cooked noodles to skillet while it's still on the heat, like you would for cacio e pepe. It also means your pasta will stand up to all of that homemade marinara or creamy alfredo you want to pour on top.
Pour your noodles into salted boiling water, set the timer for at least three minutes less than the recommended cook time (some boxes will list an al dente cook time, which you can typically trust), test a noodle to make sure it has a slight chew, and drain.Ĭooking pasta al dente allows for some carryover cooking to happen in a sauce without zero risk that the pasta will overcook. So how do you get that much-desired al dente texture? Our golden rule: Always cook your pasta for less time than the box calls for. (Let's be real: It's heartbreaking to be served a bowl of pasta like that.) Al dente isn't just used for pasta this descriptor can also be used for vegetables, rice, and other grains. What you're looking to avoid are noodles so soft that they lose all their texture and are on the verge of turning to mush. The pasta shouldn't be hard, but have a tiny amount of resistance when you bite into it. "To the tooth" means there should be a slight bite to your noodle. It's a direction we feel very strongly about at Delish-but what does it really mean? Al dente is Italian for "to the tooth" and, in our humble opinion, is the only way to cook your pasta. You've seen it written a hundred times in all of your favorite pasta recipes: "Cook pasta to al dente".
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