Turin / Scannabue: gourmet traditional cuisine

When I was a business school student, I had the opportunity to live in Turin for a few months.

During that time I had the opportunity to discover not only an elegant and intellectual city, but also to enjoy a number of regional ingredients - from Carmagnola bell pepper to Bra sausage, hazelnuts and fassona meat - and incredible full-bodied wines, ranging from the white (yellowish) Gavi to the red (purplish) Barolo.

Thanks to its richness of ingredients and culinary tradition, Turin has become one of the most important centers of the food revolution that invested Italy and the world in the recent years.

Few kilometers from here, Carlo Petrini founded Slow Food, the international organization that promotes clean and fair food production, and next to the Lingotto station, once symbol of the automotive revolution brought in Italy by Fiat, Oscar Farinetti created the first Eataly store, the grocery chain that sells the best of the Italian food ‘manufacture’ around the world.

My brother moving to Turin provided me with a great excuse to visit again this beautiful city and, most importantly, enjoy its food.

Our trip started in Saluzzo square, few hundred meters away from Porta Nuova, main train station in Turin. The area is very lively at night with young people lolling their beers in the streets or sitting in one of the several bars/restaurants of the area.

On the left side of the beautiful SS. Pietro and Paolo church, you will find Scannabue, a coffee bar restaurant with a very familiar appeal but gourmet food, awarded in 2017 with the bib gourmand, the special Michelin guide acknowledgement to restaurants where to enjoy a 'premium' meal for less than 35 euros.

We started with a classic of the Piedmontese tradition: vitello tonnato, slices of veal topped with a cream of tuna, anchovies and capers. Despite a slightly sharp salty note, the beautiful pink color and intense flavor - achieved through a long and patient low temperature cooking - makes it probably one of the best bite in Turin.

Excellent as well the tajarin with leaks and sausage, perfectly moist and juicy with a generous portion of meat. As all types of pasta are homemade and the restaurant offers as well some fish options, we decided to try the ravioli filled with milk and served with anchovies sauce and topped with bottarga. Interesting combination of flavors, enhanced by the choice of a Gattinara DOCG 2012 by Travaglini, but on the edge resulting an heavy dish.

PS. Tajarin is a regional long shaped pasta, thinner than linguine and using a high number of yolks per kilogram (36 to 40).