these tomatoes to fry so their flavor comes out.”
When oil spills out of the pan, flames shoot up, but, as
expected, Mantuano remains calm.
He also remains calm later as we’re rolling focaccia dough
through a pasta machine to flatten it (we’ll stuff it with
mozzarella, olives, and basil) and when we plate a Pantesca salad
made with calamari, peewee potatoes, more cherry tomatoes, and
capers.
This food is a far cry from spaghetti and meatballs, but that’s
the point. “It tastes like Italy,” Mantuano says.
As we stand there eating calmly, I have to agree.