La Dispensa, Rome

Birthday dinners are always loaded with high expectations and my 39th in Rome would be no exception. Fortunately, La Dispensa in Rome met them. After a disappointing restaurant referral the previous evening, our host suggested La Dispensa for their amazing black truffle carbonara. The restaurant was situated in Prati by the Tiber river. It was cosy but modern - with mint green walls and small tea candles at every table. The menu was a simple portable black board which the wait staff carted round to every table, patiently explaining the specials for the day. Extra brownie points as they patiently explained every dish in English on the menu for us!

The appetizer

We started with a smoked bufala mozzarella with prosciutto parma. We knew we were onto a winner when we tasted the prosciutto - it was the best we had in Rome so far.

For our pasta mains, I had the black truffle carbonara and Paul had the turbot with local tomatoes. The black truffle carbonara had all the signatures of a great dish - perfect pasta, the unami after-taste but it was just a tad too salty.

Pasta with turbot and 3 types of tomatoes

Paul's pasta dish was heavenly though - with three different type of tomatoes, it had an incredible natural sweetness which I could never duplicate at home. We finished an incredible dinner with the best tiramisu I have ever had...and I have had a lot of them!

My 39th birthday 

Tasting Menu at Clio - Part 2

Second Half of the Menu

5. Heirloom Tomato and Watermelon Salad with Feta Cheese

At this point, I was hoping for some hot food. Nonetheless, the marinated watermelon with balsalmic vinegar was the highlight of this dish.





6. Sweetcorn soup with Coconut Custard and Jalapeno

This one was good! The corn soup was warm and comforting with the
jalapeno giving a contrasting kick. The cococut custard cake was Asian-inspired and went so well with the soup.







7. Lobster Tail with Chanterelle Mushrooms

Didn't quite catch what was in the foam but the lobster tail was cooked beautifully - almost a little undercooked which I actually prefer.









8. Spring Lamb Belly with Wild Onions, Peas and Chamomile

The meat-eaters liked this one! Very well-cooked - the lamb was not gamey at all










9. Strawberry Confetti Dessert

This is a signature dessert at Clio. I thought there were too many appetizer-like dishes in the tasting menu and would have liked a cheese interlude before the dessert. It was still very nice though with beautiful presentation - a streak of strawberry confetti on a huge white plate.

A simple summer meal

I came up with this simple recipe to use my fresh basil. Kind of reminds me of that old student standby - pasta with tomato sauce. Throw in a few mushrooms for nutrition etc. This is the grown up version!

Serves 2

As much garlic as you like (at least 2 cloves; I use 5) - smashed and chopped

Half a finely chopped onion

2 large flavorful juicy tomatoes (I like to use vine-ripened) - chopped

Pasta shapes of your choice ( I used mini penne)

6 fresh basil leaves, chopped

fresh parmesan or grand padano cheese, shredded

*Optional - I threw in some raw peeled prawns to smarten the dish up. You can throw in other stuff like some sliced mushrooms!*

1. Cook your pasta with a little olive oil and salt in the water.

2. In another pan, saute the garlic and onions for 2 minutes. Then, add the chopped fresh tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and stir in the fresh basil before serving.

3. Mix the sauce with your pasta. Top with parmesan or grand padano cheese.

*Interesting taste variation - add in a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar for more acidity*