For this reason, in July, the dish of the month at the Villa Dianella Bistrot is a great classic revisited with care and respect: pasta with tomato and basil from our garden.
A recipe that may seem ordinary, but it’s not at all. Because in a good plate of pasta al pomodoro you can taste everything: the sun of the countryside, the hand of those who cultivate, the balance of those who cook.
The Dianella garden: the real star
Every day, behind the Bistrot kitchen, there’s also work happening in the fields. The Villa Dianella garden provides much of the vegetables and aromatic herbs used in the menu: not as a trend, but as a matter of necessity and coherence.
In summer, the garden gives us ripe tomatoes, fragrant basil, red onions, zucchini, eggplants, and edible flowers. All hand-picked at the right moment.
For this dish, chef Alessio Bagnoli chose two main tomato varieties:
- San Marzano, for its rich pulp
- Round salad tomato, picked ripe, for the balance between sweetness and acidity
The basil is the classic Genoese type, grown without treatments, harvested fresh every morning. The olive oil is extra virgin, produced by our estate, and the pasta is carefully selected, bronze-drawn to better hold the sauce.
The recipe: few steps, great attention
For those who love cooking at home, here’s the recipe for Dianella’s summer dish:
Ingredients (for 4 people):
- 320 g pasta (spaghetti or mezze maniche)
- 600 g garden tomatoes (mixed: San Marzano + round ripe tomatoes)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- Dianella extra virgin olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Fresh basil
- Optional: a sprinkle of aged pecorino
Method:
- Blanch the tomatoes for 30 seconds in boiling water, peel them, and cut them into pieces.
- In a saucepan, sauté garlic in extra virgin olive oil, then add the tomatoes. Cook slowly for about 30 minutes, until you get a dense, fragrant sauce.
- Cook the pasta al dente, drain it, and toss it in the sauce with some basil leaves torn by hand.
- Serve with a drizzle of raw olive oil and, if desired, a grating of pecorino.
The secret is not in the technique, but in the raw materials. Real tomatoes, not preserved. Freshly picked basil. Good oil. The rest comes naturally.
Why is it the dish of the month?
We chose this dish because it represents our idea of summer cuisine: light, seasonal, without frills. Perfect to enjoy in the shade of the terrace, with a fresh glass of Orpicchio or a rosé like All’Aria Aperta.
It’s also a tribute to the daily work in the garden, among rows of tomatoes and basil bushes growing with sun and time.
And finally, it’s a dish that everyone loves, young and old. No need for explanations or poetic descriptions: it arrives at the table, smells of summer, and makes you want bread for the scarpetta.
The value of seasonality
In an age where everything is available year-round, choosing to serve only seasonal products is a deliberate choice. Not only for ethical or environmental reasons, but because real flavor is found only at the right time.
A tomato harvested in July, ripened in the sun, has a taste that no greenhouse can reproduce. The same goes for basil, which in summer smells of resin, lemon, and green. You don’t need expensive or exotic ingredients to cook well: you need attention and respect for the timing of things.
A simple dish, a clear philosophy
Pasta al pomodoro from the garden is much more than a menu dish. It is the manifesto of a kitchen philosophy that starts from the land.
Cultivating a garden requires work, consistency, and knowledge. Cooking what is harvested requires humility and the ability to enhance every ingredient.
And serving a simple, well-made dish means trusting the pure taste of food.
Where to try it
Where: Bistrot delle Scuderie, Villa Dianella – Vinci (FI)
When: throughout July, for lunch and dinner
Suggested pairings: Orpicchio 2021 or rosé All’Aria Aperta
Reservations: 0571 508166
