When it comes to fresh pasta, they say you can taste the difference. One South Florida chef is putting that theory to the test and letting his hands do the talking.
When it comes to Italian food, it doesn’t get any fresher than Valentino Cucina Italiana in Fort Lauderdale.
Giovanni Rocchio, chef: “On average, I’m rolling pasta and filling pasta three to four hours daily.”
And all that freshness and flavor comes from these fingers.
Because Chef Giovanni Rocchio is as hands-on in his restaurant as you can get.
Giovanni Rocchio: “I do a lot of handmade pastas. Actually do the orecchiette, which I use a knife, and I use my thumbs to make that. That’s very labor intensive. I could use a machine, but I prefer making it by hand. I think it adds a little more texture to the pasta.”
Giovanni has been making pasta for about 20 years, and every day, he whips up six types of pasta from scratch, ranging from traditional noodles to the restaurant’s signature dish.
Giovanni Rocchio: “The biggest seller is the Agnolotti di Carbonara.”
From the cutting board to the water, to the fire and onto the plate.
The chef tops the carbonara-stuffed pasta with a whipped Parmesan mixture, Parmesan crisps and crispy pancetta.
Delicious!
Kavita Channe, customer: “The pasta from here is really like you’re getting pasta in Italy. It’s the perfect portion size, it’s made with such fresh stuff and it’s combinations that you’re not going to get at your traditional Italian place.”
Giovanni Rocchio: “We could buy pasta that’s already made, but when you come here and you taste it, you realize the difference.”
And Valentino’s doesn’t just have their food down to fine art.
Kavita Channe: “They have an amazing wine list. I love getting Channé Rosé or a lot of the reds they have here.”
Pasta and wine? Sounds like the perfect pairing.
Don’t believe us? Just ask the customers who keep coming back for more.
Jon Deluca, customer: “I’ve been coming here for about five years. I keep coming back because I think they change the menu quite a lot, and Chef Gio always has interesting things going on, so I don’t feel like I can get bored coming here. I feel like it’s always a different experience.”
Kavita Channe: “I just love the vibe here.”
FOR MORE INFO:
Valentino Cucina Italiana
620 S Federal Hwy.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
954-523-5767
https://valentinocucinaitaliana.com/
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.