At first, Rocco Baldanza was proof against going wherever close to gluten-free pasta. But through the years, he and his brothers, co-owners at Mr. Sausage Italian Nice Meals in Huntington, had prospects who urged them to attempt. So sooner or later, Baldanza, a local of Italy’s Calabria area, started making use of his pasta-making acumen to contemporary gluten-free pasta, one thing of an aberration within the robust, textureless world of dried penne and spaghetti.
Not way back, diners who keep away from gluten however craved Italian meals wandered a wasteland of pallid, brittle breads, flavorless pizza crust and rigatoni that might break into crumbles. As their ranks have grown, cooks resembling Baldanza have been compelled to fulfill them midway. At first, Baldanza had some stumbles. “It was not straightforward to work with,” he mentioned of the earliest days wrangling gluten-free flour, which lacks the gummy protein present in grains resembling wheat and rye. “I made a number of errors — too laborious, no texture.” With these, I made breadcrumbs.”
Sesaoned gluten-free Italian breadcrumbs at the moment are only one pillar of Mr. Sausage’s strong lineup of gluten-free carbs, tucked into nearly each nook of the crowded retailer — tagliatelle and ciabatta in a freezer by the entrance door; hen Francese and lobster ravioli in one other freezer; dried gluten-free pasta on a again shelf (imported from Italy), and even pizza, zucchini pies and gluten-free Italian bread onto which Mr. Sausage will make a ginormous Italian hero.
It’s a trove for gluten-free eaters, particularly these with celiac illness who love Italian meals, arguably Lengthy Island’s most beloved delicacies. “I knew what it felt wish to be that one who can’t have this or that,” mentioned Caitlin Masone, a registered dietician from Manorville who was identified with celiac illness, or the lack to correctly digest gluten, about 17 years in the past, when she was 9. “Again then, gluten-free meals weren’t available. Eating places had been fewer and much between. My mother used to order my meals from a web site in Canada, or we might go to small health-food shops that carried some gluten-free merchandise. Now, there’s a gluten-free part at Cease & Store.”
Celiac illness, an autoimmune dysfunction triggered by gluten, impacts about 2 million People, in keeping with the Nationwide Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Ailments, and about 1 % of individuals worldwide. “There are such a lot of completely different signs, and alternative ways celiac can current itself,” mentioned Masone, whose expertise with the illness possible compelled her right into a profession as a nutritionist, she mentioned. She additionally runs an Instagram account, @glutenfree__longisland, dedicated to gluten-free consuming; it has over 5,200 followers
The ranks of gluten-free diners stretch past these with celiac: Non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or NCGS, has fueled an ever-growing gluten-free meals trade, in addition to an aversion amongst diners for something with gluten. As a result of gluten is present in so many meals — it’s in soy sauce, as an illustration — and since flour can unfold nearly like aerosol in a kitchen, market-friendly claims of sure dishes being gluten-free have left many celiacs on guard. Eating places, bakeries and different meals manufacturing amenities that preserve gluten distant from dishes ready with out it win esteem and loyalty from the gluten-free neighborhood, for whom word-of-mouth and social media are main drivers.
“Inform the server it’s not only for enjoyable,” Masone advises.
4 GLUTEN-FREE ITALIAN RESTAURANTS ON LONG ISLAND
Mr. Sausage Italian Nice Meals (3 Union Pl., Huntington): You might ship your self on a gluten-free treasure hunt in Mr. Sausage, the place the coolers are loaded with non-glutinous dishes resembling contemporary tagliatelle and hen Francese. Co-owner Rocco Baldanza generally arrives at 2 a.m. on the one or two days every week he makes gluten-free pasta, pizza, bread and different dishes utilizing a separate workspace and gear, in addition to baggage of Bob’s Pink Mill Flour. Do not miss the lobster ravioli, ciabatta or supple contemporary pastas; dozens of sauces, resembling pomodoro and Sunday sauce, are in one other cooler close to the again of the store. For gluten-free candy tooths, the store produces cheescake and cannoli. Extra information: 631-271-3836, mrsausagefinefoods.com
Osteria Umbra (197 Terry Rd., Smithtown): Throughout the two years he was planning his Smithtown restaurant, Osteria Umbra, chef and co-owner Marco Pellegrini, an Umbrian native, knew gluten-free dishes ought to be a part of the method. When it opened in September 2020, a lot of Osteria Umbra’s wood-fired fare, resembling veal, steak, hen and fish, naturally lacked gluten. Deciding on the best pasta was one other matter. “Ten years in the past, gluten-free pasta was very unhealthy. There was nearly nothing within the supermarkets. I used so many manufacturers,” mentioned Pellegrini. He finally selected a gluten-free penne from Rummo, which he makes use of for variations of every of Osteria Umbra’s pasta dishes. Served to al-dente chewiness, it holds its integrity and significantly shines in pasta alla Norcina, an Umbrian dish with crumbles of fennel-laced home sausage in a lavish, creamy white mushroom sauce. “If I served it to another person, they’d have had a problem to know it’s gluten-free,” mentioned the chef, who makes use of separate boiling water within the kitchen and gluten-free flour for celiac-friendly variations of breadcrumb-topped calamari, chickpea vellutata with shrimp tempura and some different dishes. Whereas discovering a gluten-free pasta on the stage of Osteria Umbra’s pasta is like hanging gold, do not miss the kitchen’s polenta — wealthy, cosseting and laced with pungent taleggio cheese and smoky, salty shards of speck. Extra information: 631-780-6633, osteriaumbra.com
Ragazzi Italian Kitchen & Bar Restaurant (2950 Center Nation Rd., Nesconset): A banner out entrance proudly proclaims this large Italian restaurant as gluten-free-friendly, and a separate menu provides diners loads of selections. Begin with gluten-free bruschetta, then segue to a very crisp fried calamari or scratch-made pizza crust that may be ordered margherita-style or topped with, say, spinach, mozzarella and ricotta. Extra information: 631-265-8200, ragazzi-ny.com
San Remo Ristorante Italiano (328 Dawn Hwy., Rockville Centre): The separate gluten-free menu at this Rockville Centre trattoria is prolonged, and cooking mediums are stored separate; the kitchen additionally crops tiny paper flags into gluten-free dishes to maintain them well-marked for employees. “We’ve got separate fryers, separate machines to make pasta,” mentioned Omar Mekic, who manages San Remo. The restaurant launched its gluten-free initiative two years in the past when proprietor (and brother) Ralph Mekic’s spouse realized she had celiac, mentioned Mekic. “We needed to make everybody comfortable.” On the appetizer entrance are gluten-free variations of fried calamari and zucchini, in addition to stuffed artichokes and pasta e fagioli soup. Whereas some gluten-free pasta is dried — and constituted of corn flour — linguine and ravioli are scratch-made. The latter, stuffed with ricotta, is available in a creamy pink tomato sauce, and even a savvy omnivore is likely to be laborious pressed to know the dish was freed from gluten. Extra information: 516-764-0800, sanremorvc.com
