Ivano Veccia, Ischia’s pizza at Qvinto’s in Rome

Once famous for having hosted one of the Rome’s most populated Roma camps – which, putting aside the polemics and the discussions on inclusion and integration policies was in undeniable conditions of urban blight – the Park of Tor di Quinto is now a good example of redevelopment and urban livability in north Rome: 9 hectares of outdoors along the river Tiber, with a lake created by making use of a natural reservoir, a large parking lot, areas for jogging and sports, playgrounds and environmentally friendly catering spaces; and when necessary it is also the perfect place to host open air events, surrounded by the natural habitat, rich in flora and fauna.

In this context, last spring Qvinto opened (Via Fornaci di Tor di Quinto 10, Rome. Tel. +39 06 3332961, qvintoroma.it), a large multifunctional place – cocktail bar, lounge, restaurant, pizzeria, café – all under the sloping roof of a clearly contemporary-looking building but in harmony with the surrounding environment. A restaurant was already located here but the new management led by Simone Pellegrino – general manager of the project and HR director at Green Network, a supplier of electricity that won a 30-year-long contract to run the park, the school inside the park and the catering offer – has brought many news, starting from the name.

The setting has become sophisticated, thanks to the contemporary style that puts together essential lines, natural materials and touches of green and “urban” design. This while the kitchen focuses on high quality grilled meat, local raw materials and rather traditional but well executed recipes. The pizza is no news instead, signed by Ivano Veccia. The pizzaiolo from Ischia, the author of some excellent pizzas in the “Contemporary Neapolitan” style, had already offered his consultancy to the previous management. He was then confirmed as the “patron” of the oven at Qvinto, marking the very successful pizza offer.

An eclectic professional, on top of being passionate about dough and toppings,Veccia also loves fine dining (he often dines in fine restaurants and exchanges ideas with his chef and pastry chef friends, such as Nino Di Costanzo and Antonio Maresca) and music - from time to time he still works as a deejay. His pizza “ischitana”, remarkably smooth and with a thick and airy edge, is the result of at least 20 hours of leavening and of a blend of flour low in proteins and very aromatic which he has created himself, choosing the wheat varieties and the milling procedures.

The toppings are made with high quality ingredients, often from Campania, and on top of the classic pizzas there’s space for experiments and creativity, following the seasons too. Hence Anna Savio (dedicated to his mother and designed with Nino Di Costanzo) is seasoned with provola and fiordilatte and then, after the baking, curly endive seasoned with oil aromatised with anchovies from Cetara, semi-dry cherry tomatoes, olives from Caiazzo, walnuts and extra virgin olive oil; the autumn novelty is Porcini&Pancetta, with the precious mushrooms presented as a cream, grilled and as a carpaccio, with pancetta chjàata made with pigs from Caserta, piperna (a typical aromatic herb from Ischia, similar to thyme, used for the famous rabbit recipe), pepper, semidry tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil. And there’s place for a homage to Rome too, as in the case of the pizza withbaccalà alla Trasteverina, inspired by the ancient recipe with salted cod, raisins, pine nuts, capers, lemon zest and extra virgin olive oil, in this case paired with scarola and fiordilatte.

Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso