You can now order Roberto’s famous Penne alla Norma to enjoy at home

Missing our beloved hospitality industry for so long is tough. But fortunately, the hospitality industry is incredibly inventive and continues to do what it does best. Number one by far: offering their delicious meals for home. Like the fantastic Italian restaurant Roberto’s — and oh my goodness: this is a real treat!

Roberto’s is a household name. The restaurant was founded by Italian Roberto Payer and has been located in the Hilton Amsterdam for over 25 years. Roberto loves pure Italian cuisine: no frills, dots and all sorts of nonsense on the plate, but pure ingredients that speak for themselves. Italian cuisine is uniquely suited to this. Because with the very best pasta, the creamiest burrata, the tastiest bread and the smoothest olive oil, you already have a feast at the table. But the true master’s touch is in the sauce. Does it taste just as good at home as it does in the restaurant? We put it to the test.

Those breadsticks, o amore!

But we start with the starter: flavourful bread and grissini; wonderfully crisp breadsticks (a fight over the last ones tells you everything — that’s how delicious they are!) and Carpaccio Cipriani. The meat arrives beautifully arranged on a cardboard plate; all we have to do is season it with salt and freshly ground pepper, a little (provided) extra virgin olive oil and the Cipriani sauce (which comes in a handy tube). The menu says:

‘Sprinkle the seasoned carpaccio with the Cipriani sauce, while thinking about the following: when carpaccio was invented at Harry’s Bar in the 1950s, the paintings of Jackson Pollock, which were on display at an abstract expressionism show in Venice, were the talk of the town. Although the name of this dish is derived from the Renaissance painter Vittorio Carpaccio, the way you drizzle the carpaccio comes from Pollock!’ Fun fact!

Penne alla Norma: a big hug on your plate

The main course consists of two different types of pasta: Penne alla Norma and Tortelli di Zucca alla Mantovana. The latter is a classic dish from Mantova, consisting of homemade pasta filled with pumpkin. The tortellini only need to be boiled for 3 minutes; the sauce consists of sage fried in butter. Incredibly delicious!

But the real showstopper is the Penne alla Norma. In my opinion, this is truly the textbook example of a wonderfully simple, classic Sicilian pasta dish — incredibly satisfying, packed with flavour and like a big hug on your plate. And everything is made so easy for you. From a ready-made bag of sauce to a separate bag of basil leaves and a bag of grated ricotta cheese to sprinkle over the penne. Emotionally delicious — I’m not exaggerating.

Babà al Rum

The finale deserves a prize too, because the Neapolitan babà with rum — three sweet sponge cakes shaped like little bombs, soaked in a boozy syrup — is ridiculously delicious! And the tiramisú is divine too. Not too sweet, not too creamy, but perfectly balanced.

Also craving Roberto’s at home?

I get it! And the choice is wonderfully straightforward. All dishes can be delivered individually or as a combination, including grissini, Parmesan cheese and bread. The ingredients are delivered in convenient packaging and are, of course, freshly prepared every day. Complete the evening by putting on the specially curated playlist on Spotify. Pour yourself an Italian wine, close your eyes and imagine yourself in Italy… Orders can be placed via Resengo or by email: AMSHI_guestrelations@hilton.com and by phone at (020)-7109020.

Read also:

• Babà Napoletano: how to make the most delicious rum bombs from Italy
• 6 facts, myths and top tips about risotto
• The story behind the iconic pasta dish cacio e pepe