Accursio Lota doing his magic (Photo by Sam Wells)
Food, North Park
World Pasta Champion Talks Ancient Grains, Tuna Eggs, and the Virtues of Al Dente Noodles
By Frank Sabatini Jr.
North Park resident Accursio Lota is the chef-owner of Cori Pastificio Trattoria, which he opened a few years ago close to his house. He is also a world champion of the Academia Barilla Contest, a prestigious title he earned in 2017.
Which is precisely why we turned to him to help settle an age-old culinary debate: Why do accomplished chefs and commercial pasta makers insist that we cook our pasta al dente? Should we all be doing it?
The term al dente means “to the tooth” in Italian. On the plate, it translates to any cut of pasta that’s been plucked from boiling water before it becomes fully tender.
Love it or hate it, Lota shared with us his expert insight about al dente pasta. And we also learned about some rare and exciting commodities that have been coming through his restaurant kitchen.
Downtown Condo Guys: Where in Italy are you from?
Lota: Southwest Sicily. I came to the U.S. in 2007 to work at the Four Seasons Biltmore in Santa Barbara, where I met my wife through a mutual friend. We later moved to San Diego, which is where she is from. I then started working as executive chef at Solare in Liberty Station before opening Cori Pastificio three and a half years ago.
Downtown Condo Guys: Did winning the Barilla pasta contest in 2017 boost your career?
Lota: It brought publicity to Solare at the time. I was totally happy.
Downtown Condo Guys: How was the contest structured? And where did it take place?
Lota: There were three rounds. First with 20 chefs. Then down to 10. And then down to three. Some of them were Michelin Star chefs. The competition started in Milan, and the finals were held in Parma. I wasn’t sure I would win. It was like the Olympics. I was trying to do my best.
Downtown Condo Guys: What was your winning dish in the final round? And what was the prize?
Lota: It was seafood carbonara using a thick, slow-dried spaghetti. The prize was a five-day training program in one of Italy’s biggest culinary schools, Alma in Parma. When I got back home to San Diego, my wife organized a surprise party in our backyard.
Downtown Condo Guys: Which brings us to the burning question: What are the advantages of al dente pasta?
Lota: It’s more digestible. And you can toss it better in sauces. With al dente pasta, there is a nicer exchange between the starch and the sauce. It is very important when you make pasta that you feel the bite, especially if it’s dried pasta. Although I’m from the south in Italy, where we tend to cook slightly beyond al dente compared to the rest of Italy. For fresh pasta, like what we serve at the restaurant, we go even a little bit more cooked—but still with some texture left.
Downtown Condo Guys: How do pasta companies calculate in their cooking instructions how long we should boil it for?
Lota: The testers take a noodle and put it between two pieces of glass. Then they press the glass pieces together. If it’s slightly white inside, it’s not good yet. But as soon as the white disappears and the inside looks a little softer, it’s good. There’s a very fine line between under-cooked and al dente.
Downtown Condo Guys: What is this we’re hearing about an ancient-grain pasta you are serving at Cori Pastificio?
Lota: I’m making it from a batch of family-milled ancient grains from Umbria. These grains haven’t been modified or bred. They are unrefined and nutritionally richer. As flour, they bring to the pasta a distinct nutty flavor.
I’m using it to make fresh bigoli, which is a thick cut of spaghetti. I’m serving the bigoli in three dishes, in cacio e pepe sauce and two different vegetarian choices.
Downtown Condo Guys: Any other unique newcomers to your menu?
Lota: Yes. We just got in from Sicily two and a half kilos of tuna bottarga, which are preserved fish eggs that have been dried for six months. We will be tossing it with pasta, but we are still testing the shapes of pasta and the right sauce. It’s very special and rare. I had to pre-order it last year.
Downtown Condo Guys: Do you cook at home often?
Lota: Oh yes, absolutely. I involve my two sons (ages 6 and 8) and my wife and we all cook together.
Downtown Condo Guys: What are your favorite pastimes outside the kitchen?
Lota: I like to play the drums on my drum set at home. It’s nice for releasing stress. I’ve been playing since I was 15 years old, and I was in a couple of rock bands in Italy. I also love to travel. We do as much as we can and also try to go to Italy once a year.
