Spaghetti Summer - Chef Mimmo Di Raffaele, Belvedere Restaurant, Belmond Hotel Caruso, Ravello (Sa)

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Ravello is a small peaceful medieval town which is a popular stop for international tourists during the summer.  It's pedestrian friendly with narrow cobblestone streets, small clothing boutiques, ceramic shops, restaurants and bars.  From Piazza Duomo - the main square - it is just a 7 or 8 minute stroll down one of those cobblestone streets to Piazza San Giovanni del Toro which houses the exclusive Belmond Hotel Caruso.

It was there that I decided to have lunch - at the Belvedere Restaurant.   The hotel's Executive Chef  Mimmo Di Raffaele shared with me the philosophy of his menu.  His guests, primarily tourists from all over the world, are looking for tradition.  A majority crave authentic regional dishes with products that can only be found here - in Campania.  So that is one of the key reasons that his lunch menu has choices that include mozzarella di bufala, anchovies from nearby Cetara, pizza cooked in a wood burning oven, and of course pasta.  Pasta dishes like his Spaghettoni 'Ravello' Vicidomini.  His  spaghetti with tomato sauce.

Chef Mimmo Di Raffaele





Di Raffaele's spaghetti dish is like a souvenir of the area.  A dish that shares with the diner a delicious portion of Campania in every bite.  For this dish the chef uses spaghettoni produced by Pastificio Vicidomini - an artisan pasta factory that has been around since 1812 located in Castel San Giorgio.



And the tomatoes?  Campania is lucky enough to have a wide range of varieties to choose from.  Di Raffaele uses  a rich combination from the local area such as  Corbari and Corbarello from Sapori di Corbara, mini San Marzano tomatoes, and pomodorini/small tomatoes from the Lattari Mountains which overlook the Amalfi Coast.  


A sprig or two of basil and the dish is complete.  Oh, and I couldn't resist to choose a piece of pane cafone - typical Neapolitan bread - from the bread basket to perform the traditional scarpetta, that final sweep where bread meets sauce to help clean the plate.

The perfect momento of my visit to Ravello.

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