Bright colors, intense flavors, and attention to sustainability. This is the most photographed dish on the new menu: Pasta Vesuvio with spinach cream, crispy bread, and salmon roe.
A standout creation among the most appreciated additions to Da Gemma’s autumn menu, it first captivates the eye and then delights the palate. This dish by Chef Emiliano Neri is distinguished not only by its vibrant, inviting colors but also by the perfect balance of textures and flavors, surprising with every forkful.
The spinach, a seasonal vegetable with extraordinary nutritional properties, is quickly cooked to preserve its bright green color and transformed into a velvety, smooth cream, leaving some leaves for garnish, which become the flavorful heart of the dish. The crunchy element comes from carefully recovered stale bread, following a philosophy of sustainable cooking, transformed into golden, crisp bites that add both structure and character. The depth of flavor is further enriched by anchovies from Cetara, a symbol of Campanian maritime tradition, which provide a savory, intense note without overpowering the other elements.
To complete the dish, a touch of elegance and luxury: salmon roe, with their bright color and bold flavor, add a refined, salty note that harmoniously contrasts with the sweetness of the spinach and the crunch of the bread. The result is a combination of creaminess, crunch, and delicacy, a sensory experience that captivates with every bite.
Pasta Vesuvio perfectly exemplifies Chef Neri’s culinary philosophy, which combines creativity and tradition, attention to detail, and respect for ingredients. “This dish represents my idea of contemporary cooking: fresh, sustainable, and carefully crafted,” says the chef. “Recovering bread, highlighting seasonal ingredients, and adding a touch of elegance, like the salmon roe, means valuing every action in the kitchen. It is definitely one of the dishes that best reflects our present.”
Thus, Pasta Vesuvio with spinach, crispy bread, and salmon roe becomes more than just a dish: it is a small masterpiece of balance, sustainability, and flavor, a harmonious meeting of colors, textures, and tastes that celebrates contemporary cuisine with roots in Campanian tradition. Every ingredient has its moment to shine, every flavor finds its place, and every bite tells the chef’s dedication to seasonal quality and ingredient excellence.