The first rays of sunshine of the year, the ones that really start to heat up, don’t always come from the sky. It is possible to summon them at home if they are delayed too long. They can even provide their heat in the middle of the Parisian night. All you need is the right phone number. The most impatient, or the most cautious, will therefore dial 01-43-42-27-56. They will then enter into contact with the Passerini family, camped in this beautiful establishment of the 12e arrondissement of Paris, near the Aligre market.
The light terrazzo floor, an unmistakable reminder of Giovanni Passerini’s Italian roots, gives resonance to the chef’s cuisine. He has wanted it to be family-owned since the beginnings of this restaurant in 2016. But he has too much talent to keep it simple. Going to Passerini is a rare moment, an exception that we want to keep precious. Perhaps thought to be eaten at home, his cooking will finally find the way to a reassuring ordinary.
Acidity of watercress, vigor of artichoke
Order was placed the day before for dinner the next day. All the desires of the family are fulfilled. Salad, soup, lasagna, pasta, tiramisu, come out of their white cardboard trays like others come out of anonymity. The oven is preheating, the water is about to boil. The split pea soup, Sardinian artichokes, raw cream and watercress leaves is already at the right temperature. She is tenderly “slurped” by the child who chews here and there, sometimes surprised by the acidity of the watercress or the vigor of the artichoke, sometimes caressed by the raw cream.
Sardines are a monument of resistance. The firm, saline flesh is almost vehement when supported by the acids of the orange and the crunch of the fennel. Dill takes it all higher, while zaatar and cottage cheese try to keep their feet on the ground. Giovanni Passerini is hiding somewhere in this salad, his little genius pegged to the body. Unless he is basking in this sauce of candied onions, squash, mushrooms and thyme that accompanies the casarecce.
Even better than a dessert
The website recommended instead the tagliatelle to go with it, the chef being known to know how to combine pasta beautifully with his sauce. Despite everything, the appeal of these twists slightly coiled on themselves was stronger. The sauce has three options. Either it coats the dough, or it interferes in the interstices, or both at the same time, thus releasing irregularly its sweetness. It’s even better than dessert.
Moreover, it should have been served after the classic and vegetarian lasagna (finally, we could have made a real Italian meal with antipasti, primi, secondi and postre, it would have been an opportunity to taste the roasted pieces … ): simple and effective, they impose silence on the entire table. Who recovers at the time of tiramisu. A divisive subject if there is one. Some find it too liquid, others too bitter, or exactly to their taste. The discussion livens up, the family screams, Giovanni Passerini certainly smiles. He has rediscovered the “house” spirit.
The address Passerini Restaurant, 65, rue Traversière, Paris 12e. Phone. : 01-43-42-27-56. Delivery Friday and Saturday, only for dinner.
The service “Click and collect” or home delivery. Remember to order the day before for a delivery by bike the next evening.
The essential Marinated sardines, fennel salad, dill, orange, fromage blanc and zaatar.
The bill 50 € per person.