Here’s the UWS Dish: Sempre Oggi’s Cappelletti with English Peas, Butter and Lemon

By Abigael T. Sidi

Enter Sempre Oggi, the trendy Italian restaurant on West 75th Street, and an “in-the-know” vibe is immediately apparent. It feels like half the customers know the staff, have their own tables waiting for them, are “part of the family” –  think, Michael’s in Sheepshead, Roberto’s on Arthur Ave, or (presumably) Rao’s in East Harlem. But unlike these historic NYC Italian icons, Sempre Oggi has been in business for only one year.

Alerted to the restaurant’s focus on seasonal cuisine – Sempre Oggi translates to “Always Today” — I noticed an unexpected ingredient in both the antipasti and primi sections: peas (of the snow and English varieties). Intrigued, I first ordered the Cappelletti with English Peas, Lemon and Butter.

The cappelletti, similar to tortellini but larger and in the shape of little hats (hence the name), were cooked to a perfect al dente; filled with a soft, savory, pea-infused ricotta filling; topped with the tender pea pods and earthy stems and leaves; and paired with a simple yet incredibly bright and flavorful lemony butter sauce.

The citrus shone so beautifully, and struck such a perfect balance of sweet and sour, that I was convinced they used the magical Sorrento lemons from the Amalfi Coast. But, asked about the recipe, Sempre Oggi owner and self-described head coach Robert Guarino, told me: “We actually do not use Sorrento lemons for this dish. The filling is made with blanched English peas that are pureed and then mixed with ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano, chili flakes and lemon zest. The key is to make the lemon zest for your sauce to order.” For the dough, “it is a traditional sheeted egg dough made with 00 flour [a very fine grind], a touch of semolina and egg yolks.”

As for the inspiration for the dish, the Sempre Oggi website gave it away, stating that Guarino “made frequent visits to his grandmother’s apartment in the Bronx where pasta was rolled out from scratch, and made (…) trips out to Long Island where his grandfather tended to a tidy backyard vegetable garden.”  Guarino had crystallized his childhood into the dish.

When I asked Guarino about the restaurant’s focus on ingredients and seasonality, I got a better sense not only of what they were trying to accomplish, but also, their pricier range. “Seasonality and an ever changing menu is the focus of our concept,” Guarino told me. “Our aim is to celebrate seasonal produce at its peak. We try to create a menu that is in harmony with the seasons, like in an earlier time before all produce was available year round. We work with a mix of larger purveyors and smaller farms to source our ingredients. As much as possible, we do try to keep our preparations as simple as possible in order to let the primary ingredients shine.”

I can attest to that: after finishing the cappelletti, I opted, in place of dessert, for the second dish that boasted peas: the Housemade Stracciatella with Snow Peas and Mint. (Stracciatella, a cousin of mozzarella, “is pulled more than [the latter] and folded over on itself many times until it forms beautiful strands,” said Guarino.) Again, the whole pea was used, with the crunchy and herbaceous stems and leaves and slightly snappy pods pairing beautifully with the milky, tangy cheese. The mint only elevated the dish’s wonderful freshness for another simple but exquisite bite.

And so, “Always Today” does indeed fit Sempre Oggi to a T. But Guarino had other things to say about his choice of name for his new restaurant: “The name encourages us to search for the best products to eat on any given day,” he said. “The broader meaning revolves around making the most of every day and slowing down to enjoy the pleasures of the table. After all, today is the only thing we are promised. A perfectly ripe local strawberry can only be eaten for a few short weeks in June. If we let it, food and seasonality can be a guide to help us slow down and appreciate the beauty of each and every day.”

Sempre Oggi is a superb, tastefully decorated modern Italian restaurant, with a show-stopper bar whose ceiling– with a beautiful arrangement of colorful custom ceramics– is inspired by the late work of renowned Italian architect and designer Gio Ponti. The vibe is a blend of refined, chic, and bustling, perfect for a romantic date if you can ignore the noise.

The restaurant is open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and opens for brunch and lunch at 11 a.m. on weekends. The restaurant doesn’t do take out, but a personalized delivery program called Sempre a Casa is in the works: “We are launching [it] right after Labor Day,” said Guarino. “This will be weekly delivery of chef-prepared farmer’s market vegetables dishes by subscription.”

The Dish: Cappelletti with English Peas, Butter and Lemon ($34)

The Restaurant: Sempre Oggi, 164 West 75th Street, between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues (off the corner of Amsterdam)

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