My Sardinian friend told me that there were no good Sardinian restaurants in Rome.
Oh really?
Challenge accepted.
When Livia shared that she had discovered a small, central enoteca specialized in all thing Sardegna, I called Serena.
“Let’s try it. You can be the judge.”
When we arrived, Stefano wasted no time in suggesting the mozzarella.
“Some bottarga?” he asked.
I hate bottarga.
“Only a little,” I pleaded.
I winced as he grated cured fish roe over our beautiful fresh mozzarella, I was truly concerned. With a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of olive oil, the dish was presented.
Incredible. The saltiness of the bottarga was offset by the acidity of the lemon, and the result was the best mozzarella that I have had in a very long time.
We sipped Sardinian wine while waiting for our main course – culurgionis.
The stuffed pasta is filled with potatoes, cheese and mint.
The weight of the dish was not exactly my idea of light summer food, but I cleaned my plate. And in fact, the speciality pasta IS a summer food in a way: the Sagra de Is culurgionis a Sadali – the festival dedicated to culurgionis in central Sardegna – happens every year on the first Sunday in August.
“Mirto!” Stefano declared as we finished eating.
“Mirto?” I asked.
“One mirto,” Serena decided.
The digestivo – an after dinner liqueur – is made from myrtle, which grows freely in Sardegna.
The perfect end to a meal.
Stefano is happy to serve up lunch, aperitivo, or an early dinner. However, you can also buy Sardinian products to recreate a meal at home.
The enoteca is small and welcoming – and just steps from the Pantheon. Our summer weather has been plagued with rain so far, but Pigna Enoteca di Sardegna is the perfect place to order a glass of wine and nibble specialty foods on a warm evening.
Pigna Enoteca di Sardegna
Via della Pigna, 3/3a
00186 Rome (Centro Storico)
+39 06 67 89 374
Open: 10 am to 8 pm. Closed Sundays.
*drool
Yes, mouth watering!