Toscana’s range of Ravioli rules supreme
Located on Pattaya Beach Road, just south of Soi 6/1, the Toscana Italian Restaurant, which shares its space, and ownership, with the Moom Talay Thai Restaurant have been featured extensively in a series of articles in this publication since the start of this year.
Part of the reason for so much coverage is due to the incredibly wide variety of quality dishes served up within the confines of these two impressive and expansive eateries. Ravioli is an Italian staple offering which is well-known to most people who have ever ventured into an Italian restaurant. Yet it is quite possible that outside of Italy itself, the average diner will not have been exposed to the almost mind-boggling array of choices available in Toscana under the catch-all ‘Ravioli’ heading.
Recently, a new machine for making ravioli was installed in Toscana, and the result has been a significant reduction in the amount of pastry which is wasted in the ravioli production process.
The new machine is certainly quicker in time terms compared to the previously labour-intensive method of preparing ravioli, but, as mine-host Luca says, “What’s good is that I can now take the pasta that is left over [from the first process] and put it into the old machine and make more ravioli.”
It’s a classic win-win situation. Less pasta is being wasted because of the precision of the new machine, and more good food is being created.
Equally, there is no loss of quality in terms of the fillings being used for the ravioli or the level of ‘taste’ expectation which is very much a part of the Toscana reputation.
As Luca said, “I cannot put more beef in one filling for one or two evenings, and then add leftover pork for the next.” Diners come and enjoy a specific meal and, not surprisingly, many return again and again to enjoy the same dish, expecting a similar taste. “Consistency is a key factor,” says Luca.
Consider the incredible depth of varieties of ravioli available in Toscana. There is lamb, salmon, shrimp, guinea fowl, liver, chicken, duck, beef and pork mix, fish (grouper), cabbage and pork sausage, spinach and ricotta, and pumpkin and asparagus.
That’s a dozen different fillings to suit even the most picky of tastes, and when multiplied by the variety of sauces and the shapes (from round to pillow to half-moon and square) it all adds up to yet another good reason to try the unique Toscana dining experience.
Luca recommends cheese sauce as the best accompaniment to guinea fowl ravioli, while for pumpkin and asparagus he considers rocket sauce (made from the fresh produce of his vegetable farm on the outskirts of Pattaya) as best.
With a staff of around 50 people, nothing is ever allowed to go to waste or become stale in Toscana. The sheer numbers of staff means that ingredients are always fresh, a major factor when it comes to dishes such as ravioli.
