Five restaurants where to enjoy (authentic) Italian pasta

Through these five restaurants that we propose you can travel to the essence of Italian cuisine from the center of Madrid, without having to take a plane. There you will find authentic pasta dishes, in many and varied versions, cooked with one hundred percent Italian ingredients and following the recipes and know-how of “le mamme ” in the classic houses of Italy. The first restaurant in the city to serve pizza, the same one in which the actress Sofia Loren sneaked into the kitchen? Make a reservation at Alduccio, one of the most classic Italian restaurants in the city. An Argentine chef cooking the best of Italian cuisine in the center of Madrid? Don’t miss Dantte, one of the most acclaimed openings of the moment. 30 years cooking one of the most authentic pastas in the city? Sit at the table of Pulcinella, a restaurant that will make you travel to Naples. The Figurato brothers cooking fresh pasta? Don’t forget to stop by Trattoria Popolare for one of the best selections of fresh pasta in town. Authentic Calabrian cuisine in the heart of the Salamanca district? Book at Pagus and travel (without leaving Madrid) to Calabria.

Ciao, Italy!

ALDUCCIO, SOFÍA LOREN’S FAVORITE

It was the first restaurant in Madrid to serve pizza and, since the late fifties, it has become one of the most acclaimed and emblematic Italian restaurants in the city. In Alduccio, located in front of the recently renovated Bernabéu Stadium (Avenida Concha Espina, 8), the tradition and original Italian recipes are still the same ones that conquered the palate of the famous actress Sophia Loren, who in the sixties, to the surprise of diners, slipped into their kitchens. You can sit down in front of a plate of fresh pasta, handmade just as “le mamme ” used to make it in Italian homes. Classics like their “fettucccine Alduccio”, their “ravioli alla parmigiana”, their “tortellini di ricotta e spinaci”, the “spaghetti alla carbonara with guanciale and free-range eggs ‘ or ’alle vongole veraci”, our favorites. Its elegantly dressed tables and countless photos on the wall, full of memories and famous visitors, will transport you to that sophisticated and romantic Italy of the splendor of its cinema in the fifties and sixties.

DANTTE, THE SPIRIT OF LITTLE ITALY

It has just opened its doors in the heart of the Chamberí neighborhood (Calle Santa Engrancia, 32) and, in just a few weeks, Dantte has managed to become one of those restaurants in the capital that everyone is talking about. A “bastard” restaurant that combines the best of the Italian culinary tradition with the creative and avant-garde vision of Argentine chef Dante Liporace, who has worked in different kitchens around the world, including his time at Ferran Adrià’s iconic ‘El Bulli’, where he embraced experimentation and molecular cuisine. In his menu you will find pasta dishes as round as his “rigattoni amatriciana with fried egg”, an original version of the Italian classic, his “tortellini of picota and sardo with hare and champignon ‘ or his ’bucatini with shrimp and cauliflower suquet, yolk, chorizo and octopus thallium”, among others. Dantte manages to capture the essence of the best of Italy and New York, creating an experience that connects tradition with modernity, in a space (designed by MRGO Architects) that, like its dishes, seeks to surprise and pays homage to an urban style inspired by New York’s Little Italy during the 1920s to 1940s.

PULCINELLA, 30 YEARS OF ITALIAN FLAVOR

It has just turned thirty years old and since its opening in 1994, it has become one of those essential restaurants if what you want is to enjoy authentic Italian cuisine, a delicious plate of pasta. In the menu of Pulcinella (Calle Regueros, 7) Neapolitan dishes coexist with recipes from other regions of the country of the boot, as its famous “spaghetti allacarbonara ‘ (prepared according to the original recipe: egg yolk, guanciale, pecorino romano cheese, parmesan and pepper), its ’rigatoni Galla indiavolata” with mushrooms, guanciale, buffalo mozzarella and chili pepper in its San Marzano tomato sauce D. O.P. tomato sauce or their classic and original “alla Nerano” with zucchini, black pepper, provola cheese, parmesan and fresh basil. At Pulcinella, they use tomato varieties from Vesuvius, the sweetest ones, the pasta is made of durum wheat and each one, depending on the variety, is accompanied by different homemade sauces. From its emblematic walls in red tones and exposed brick hang old black and white photographs of Naples and great Italian stars, their tables are covered with tablecloths, the chairs are made of wood and everything is kept as it was three decades ago, looking for the essence of its beginnings.

TRATTORIA POPOLARE, ODE TO FRESH PASTA

Riccardo and Vittorio, the Figurato brothers, great representatives of Italian gastronomy in Madrid, offer in Trattoria Popolare, a small and cozy place (Calle Larra, 13) with Italian spirit, one of the best selections of fresh pasta in the city. Since 2019, it has become a reference and meeting point for lovers of authentic Italian pasta. They prepare every day in an artisanal way fresh rolled and stuffed pasta, as well as the sauces that accompany or the filling of the same. The pastas vary according to the season, except for the classic “spaghettoni alla Carbonara”, which, since its opening, have remained on the menu and have become one of the favorites of the house. Other more elaborate options are the “ravioli con ricotta, spinaci e pomodorini del piennolo” and the “gnocchi di ricotta di bufala al ragú napoletano”. Trattoria Popolare is more than a place to eat, it is an experience that succeeds in transporting visitors to an authentic Naples trattoria. With a cozy atmosphere and warm service, it has managed to make customers feel at home, enjoying food that celebrates Italian tradition and quality ingredients.

PAGUS, AUTHENTIC CALABRIAN CUISINE

The first Pagus was born from the hand of chef Leonardo Battigaglia in Catanzaro, capital of Calabria. That is why, from the Salamanca neighborhood (Calle Padilla, 56) you can travel to the heart of Calabria and enjoy an authentic pasta dish. At Pagus, the fresh pasta is handmade daily in the restaurant’s kitchen and at their tables you can enjoy classics such as tagliatelle, gnocchi and ravioli but also try lesser known options such as cavatelli and caramelle, which are served with fresh sauces prepared daily in their kitchen. Among the dishes on the appetizing menu are the “caramelle with pesto”, an own recipe, or the “cavatelli a la frissurata”, a traditional Calabrian pasta more similar to a stew; but it is also a good place to have a “cacio e pepe” or a classic “carbonara”. In addition, and following the Calabrian menu style, where you start with a pasta dish and continue with the meat, the Pagus grill offers different cuts of very selected meats such as high loin, tomahawk or t-bone, which are served on a hot plate with boiled potatoes.

Editor: Álex de la Rosa

Álex is a journalist and a reference in the world of gastronomy, creator of the successful blog “Que no me la den con queso”.