Magnifico!

“Ask a thousand Italians to cook lasagna and you’ll end up with a thousand different versions,” says Rico Matta, a transplanted Italian and proprietor of Rico’s la Trattoria, an Italian restaurant located in the Century Plaza complex along Juana Osmena St. He goes on to clarify that though Italian food has its basic recipes, most Italians have their own ideas of how each dish or sauce should taste like. That being so, there is actually no right or wrong recipe when it comes to authentic Italian cooking.

Like most Italian men, he puts his mother on a pedestal; he relates that he learned a lot about cooking from his mother, and most of the food he serves at the trattoria are versions of the dishes his mother used to cook. And like most Italians, he prefers to make his own pizza dough and pasta. Of course, his sauces are also made from scratch; homemade is the key word in Rico’s kitchen.

Pizza is essentially a choose-your-own-topping affair: starting with a basic cheese pizza with real mozzarella cheese, customers can choose from different toppings like pepperoni, ham, bacon, mushrooms, onions and peppers, among others. Diners can also specify if they want their pizza crispy or not.

Homemade pasta is the norm at Rico’s, by way of a pasta machine, and is always cooked al dente. Raviolotti, a slightly larger version of ravioli, is also available at Rico’s. Stuffed with spinach and ground beef, and swimming in a rich meat sauce, this dish would be a great introduction to Italian food for people whose experience with pasta is limited only to spaghetti Bolognese and the occasional fettucini ala carbonara.

The pesto and Bolognese at this restaurant are both, to quote an old popular TV commercial, “magnifico!” The pesto is made fresh, from basil, olive oil and pine nuts. It tastes the way it should: just the right blend of sweet and salty, just a little nutty, and definitely not so oily as to be uneatable, even though pesto sauce is composed mostly of olive oil. The Bolognese is made from tomato paste, not tomato sauce, and given the nationality of the cook, the code of Omerta automatically kicks in. Rico’s secret way of cooking the sauce remains exactly that: a secret. Nevertheless, the richness of the tomatoes and the flavor of the meat blend together perfectly, and give diners an idea of how la dolce vita is supposed to taste like.

Rico’s marinated pork in brown sauce is a sure winner for diners looking for meat dishes, while the gnocchi in cream sauce is also worth a taste. Aside from the food, the restaurant also offers live music on most nights, and has an outdoor dining area for those who prefer it al fresco. Given the Cebuanos’ propensity for good food and leisure activities, Rico’s la Trattoria is undeniably a welcome addition to the city’s dining and entertainment scene.