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Friends, I have the pleasure of announcing that my nearly three-year long search for a good gluten-free pasta has finally ended, and I genuinely couldn’t have dreamed of a better way to put an end to it.
This month, our secretive, hard-to-please food reviewer Harry Smiles heads to the Rigatoni...
As I previously discussed, gluten-free food can sometimes feel dry, or sandy, but the Rigatoni's King Prawn Farfalle - well, actually, penne in the GF edition - was not thus afflicted.
Pictured: ‘King Prawn Farfalle’ (the latter replaced by penne in the gluten-free version).
It was perfectly cooked, tender with a bit of body, and I even struggled to believe the waiter when he assured me it was indeed gluten-free.
In addition, the sauce was indeed heavenly. I would have never thought to combine red pesto with prawns, but the association was perfect. Just like the pasta, the prawns were perfectly cooked, adding to the heavenly feeling at every mouthful.
Whilst the pasta was definitely the highlight of the meal, the starters and the accompanying Bellinis and Negronis didn’t pale in comparison.
Pictured: Cured meats, olives and garlic bread… Mamma mia!
For starters, I decided to sample the Italian Salumi, a plate of cured meats featuring mortadella, cured ham and salami along with some deliciously plump olives, figs, rocket and parmesan shavings, all of which delightfully complimented the garlic bread (yes, they also had gluten-free garlic bread and it wasn’t a dry crust!) It was divine and, for a second, I could have sworn I was in a sun-kissed Italian town (although that might have been because of the afore-mentioned Bellinis and Negronis)
Given the generous portions dished out, I couldn’t bring myself to order a dessert but I was pleased to see there were several gluten-free options on offer – I’m coming back for the panna cotta and the Italian cheese selection. Instead, I decided to get a cappuccino - which was the perfect way to cap off this delicious meal.
Pictured: The Rigatoni Negroni and Cappucino.
Throughout, the Rigatoni team was most helpful and pleasant, making us all feel right at home. They were incredibly nice when I mentioned needing to eat gluten-free and took all necessary precautions to make sure I had a great meal, it was the first time in a long time that discussing my dietary requirements felt as par for the course rather than an inconvenience!
To sum it up, the food was delicious, the service top notch and quick, the atmosphere immaculate; all in all, this was one of the most enjoyable dining experiences I have ever had and I couldn’t recommend the place enough. Andiamo!
This article first appeared in Connect Magazine, which you can read in full below...
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