During our days in quarantine, many have surrendered to ordering take-out or delivery services – where dinner is just one a click away. However, not all food is created equal. Some food travels well, making it more suitable to eat at home. “Pasta should be your number one choice,” says Francesco Buitoni – owner and chef at GioBatta Alimentari, a restaurant and market in Tivoli, NY – “But it should be al dente with a loose sauce, meaning it’s not too thick. This way you won’t have dry or overcooked food.”
Chef Buitoni, a seventh-generation pasta maker and two time James Beard nominee, who named his restaurant after his great great-great-great grandfather Giovanni Batista Buitoni (the founder of Buitoni pasta) also says that Chicken Marsala or steaks are good options for deliveries and take-out – the same goes for soups, mashed potatoes, and sautéed veggies. “If you want to orders salads,” he recommends, “Please make sure that the condiments are separate, otherwise you won’t like what you’ll get.”
At GioBatta, Chef Buitoni carries on the tradition of sharing handmade pasta and homemade cuisine – serving lunch, dinner and take-away. While Alimentari – an Italian word that means ‘to nourish’ – sums up his passion for sharing love, food and community, inspired by Buitoni’s own rich family heritage.
Francesco – who worked for Al Bacio, Teodora, Bettola as well the famed San Domenico on Central Park South (now closed) while living in New York City – says that his best sellers for take-out from his restaurant are kale salad with pine nuts, currants, pecorino cheese and lemon dressing; arancini; handmade tagliatelle Bolognese; penne mamma arrabbiata; and eggplant parmigiana. His Alimentari (the market) best sellers include all kind of baked pastas; vegetable lasagna with ricotta; maccheroncini with salsiccia (pasta with sausage); farro with veggies and truffle fontina; and classic Lasagna Emiliana with bolognese sauce. Polpette (meatballs) are also a must. “But we also make sauces,” says chef Buitoni, “And we sell them in a glass jar – so they can be preserved for a longer period of time and when it comes to dessert, tiramisù just flies off the shelves.”
If you’d like to buy it today and eat it tomorrow (or another day), no problem! Francesco offers his advice for freezing food correctly. “You can easily freeze baked pasta,” he says. “But be sure not to keep it in the freezer for too long; same for soup, but not in a glass jar because it can break. You can also freeze mozzarella. Just remember, you can’t expect the taste to be as fresh once food is frozen. It is still good, but not the same.”
During this time of “hunkering down” to fight the spread of Covid-19, Chef Buitoni also recommends stocking up on the must-haves – so you’ll always be ready to cook at home. His suggestions? “A good extra-virgin olive oil, artisanal butter, fresh eggs, peeled tomatoes, Grana Padano or pecorino cheese, flour for pizza and bread, and don’t forget the yeast. Also some chocolate – because why not?” Buon appetito!