The pasta section at ALBA changes with the season, and this autumn it gains three new dishes. Two of them look to the sea, as most of the menu does at this Amalfi-inspired Italian restaurant in Knightsbridge, and one heads into the woods for the mushroom season. They join the pastas regulars already order without looking at the menu, on Brompton Road, opposite Harrods.
Here is what is new, what is in it, and where each one sits among the rest.
Prawns Ravioli
Mazara prawns are the ones Italian chefs talk about in a lower voice. They come from Mazara del Vallo on the west coast of Sicily, they are red rather than pink, and they are sweet enough to eat raw. ALBA already serves them in the Amalfi Tagliolini, with bottarga and lemon. In the new ravioli they are folded into the pasta and served in a tomato sauce with cherry tomatoes - a warmer, rounder dish than the tagliolini, and the one to order if you like your prawns with something to hold on to.
It sits comfortably beside the other seafood pastas rather than repeating any of them: the lobster linguine is the showpiece, the tagliolini is the sharp and citrussy one, the crab ravioli is the quietly luxurious one, and this is the comfort order.
Potato Ravioli with Chanterelles
The one for a table that wants to come off the coast for a course. The ravioli are filled with porcini mushrooms and potato, topped with chanterelle mushrooms and finished with a sage and butter sauce. Chanterelles are the small golden mushroom that arrives in autumn and does not stay long, which is why this is an autumn dish and not a fixture. It is vegetarian, it is the gentlest thing in the section, and it pairs naturally with the black truffle tagliatelle for anyone building a table around the earthier end of the menu while the truffle season runs.
Mezze Maniche with Caviar
Mezze maniche means "half sleeves": a short, ridged tube, wider than penne and about half the length of a rigatoni, built to carry a sauce inside as well as out. It is not a shape that turns up often on London menus, which is part of the point. ALBA's version is finished with black caviar, which is the house habit - the crab ravioli carries it too, and the caviar service runs across the menu. The salt of the caviar against the pasta is the whole idea.
Where They Sit
The three join a section that already runs from the coastal pastas - lobster linguine, Amalfi tagliolini, crab ravioli - through the Ravioli Genovese and the Arrabbiata alla Vodka to the truffle tagliatelle. Head Chef Cristian Ianni treats pasta as the main event rather than a course on the way to one, and the new dishes follow that rule: each is built around one ingredient at its best, in the way the Amalfi Coast has always cooked. If the shapes themselves interest you, our guide to Italian pasta shapes explains why a ridged tube and a hand-cut ribbon do different jobs. And on Tuesdays there is unlimited pasta, tagliatelle finished in a Pecorino cheese wheel.
All three run through the autumn. Dishes move on when their ingredients do, so if one of these has caught your eye, this is the season to try it.
Finding ALBA
ALBA is at 70 Brompton Road, London SW3 1ER, directly opposite Harrods and a short walk from Knightsbridge and South Kensington stations. Doors open at midday every day. Book a table online, or ring the team on +44 (0)20 3985 4992 - and if you want one of the new pastas, say so when you book and the team will tell you how the day's dishes are running.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is New on the Pasta Menu at ALBA This Autumn?
Three dishes: a ravioli of Mazara prawns in a tomato sauce with cherry tomatoes, a potato ravioli with porcini and chanterelles, and mezze maniche with black caviar. All three run through the autumn alongside the existing pastas.
What Are Mazara Prawns?
Red prawns from Mazara del Vallo on the west coast of Sicily, prized for their sweetness. ALBA uses them in the Amalfi Tagliolini and now in the new Prawns Ravioli.
What Is Mezze Maniche?
A short, ridged tube pasta, wider than penne and about half the length of a rigatoni. The name means "half sleeves". At ALBA it is served with black caviar.
Is There a Vegetarian Pasta at ALBA?
Yes. The ALBA Tagliatelle, with black truffle and butter, is vegetarian as served, and so is the new potato ravioli with porcini and chanterelles.
Where Can I Eat the New Pastas in Knightsbridge?
At ALBA London, 70 Brompton Road, opposite Harrods. Booking is recommended for lunch and dinner.
