SALT LAKE CITY CHEF’S TABLE

Salt Lake City is full of neighborhood shops and cafes that locals have walked past for years but perhaps never entered. These places are rooted deep in Utah’s restaurant scene, on par with the great staples of great cities that transcend trend and offer a classic taste with a classy room.

Why are they missed? It almost sounds ridiculous to say, but they’ve been around so long they’re almost built into the infrastructure. They’re as easy to miss as the temple in downtown Salt Lake City or the mountains to the east. Yes, they’re beautiful, but when you see them every day, well, you kind of stop seeing them. After living here for a long time, you miss the obvious things that make this place great. Everyone looks for the newest and latest things, sadly drawing their attention away from the foundation on which the newest and greatest things stand.

Enter Cannella’s. In a storied brick building across from Utah’s landmark architectural buildings (Salt Lake’s city building, city library, public safety building) rests an Italian joint with stories hanging on the walls and family history three generations deep. In many urban areas Cannella’s opening year (1978) would almost feel new, but in Utah it’s something of a grandfather figure to the growing scene steeped in youth.

Joey and his mom are proud of what has become of the restaurant that the head of the family, Joe Cannella, began years ago. Though it may look and feel different than originally intended, Joey was the perfect match to bring his father’s restaurant up to date, offering that same service-forward mentality, with fresh and modern ideas seeping into the menu and atmosphere.

After hearing many people say that the restaurant couldn’t survive after the patriarch passed away far too young, Joey felt even more compelled to press onward with the family business. Surviving the recession and his father’s passing, Cannella’s continues to be a place where friends gather. You might just run into a neighborhood friend at the bar or pull up a chair to an acquaintance on the restaurant side. People who dine here just seem to know each other, or maybe it’s the family-like atmosphere that makes people so comfortable that it seems they’ve known each other for years.

Cannella’s may be easy to miss on a busy one-way street, but slow down and stop in and learn a bit more about Utah’s culinary past.

ALBERTO’S MEAT LASAGNA

2 yellow bell peppers

2 red bell peppers

1 pound imported lasagna noodles

⅓ pound spicy Italian sausage

⅓ pound ground pork

⅓ pound ground beef

2 pounds ricotta

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon dried parsley

1 tablespoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

2 pounds mozzarella

¼ cup Parmesan

32 ounces (4 cups) marinara sauce

¼ pound pepperoni

¼ cup Asiago

½ cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

To prepare roasted peppers: Preheat oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with foil. Place the bell peppers, whole, on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Flip, then bake another 15 minutes or until the skin on both sides is browned and crisp. Transfer hot peppers to a paper bag to steam. Once cooled, remove the stem and seeds by pulling off the top, then peel off the skins. Transfer the yellow peppers to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Repeat with the red peppers. Keep the two pepper purees separate. No seasoning is needed.

To prepare lasagna: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles and boil for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pan, cook the sausage. Drain off any excess fat and transfer sausage to a separate plate. In the same pan cook the pork and beef together. Drain and set aside.

In a medium bowl mix the ricotta cheese with oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper. Grate the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Once the noodles are finished cooking al dente (leaving them with a little bite), drain the water from the pan. Preheat oven to 300°F.

Set out all the ingredients to layer for the lasagna in the following five layers:

1. Marinara, noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, beef/pork mixture (use three-quarters)

4. Marinara, noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, sausage, beef/pork (use remaining one-quarter)

Place in the oven and bake at 300°F for 45 minutes or, if you’re in a hurry, bake at 500°F for 17 minutes. The longer time is preferable.

To prepare the balsamic reduction: While the lasagna is cooking, pour balsamic vinegar into a small pot. Bring to a simmer and reduce by half. This should take 30–45 minutes.

Serving suggestions: Serve the lasagna with a few teaspoonfuls of each bell pepper puree and a drizzle of balsamic reduction over the top. Garnish with fresh basil.

CANNELLA’S

ALBERTO’S MEAT LASAGNA