Prego: From Italy with Love

Lively, welcoming and family friendly, the newly opened Prego @ The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali, serves up tasty Italian food in contemporary style. Opening just two days before our visit, everything at Prego is sparkling and new, from glistening pots and pans dangling in the open kitchen, to gleaming marble counter tops, glass jars filled with homemade pickles and colourful customised ceramic tableware. While Prego is a well known Westin brand, the atmosphere is far more intimate and personal than you would normally expect in a resort restaurant, and the slogan “Come as you are” is amply reflected in the relaxed setting. Chef, Roman-born, Valerio Pachetti is 100% hands on, whether welcoming guests or cooking up a storm in the kitchen. He tells me that he is not so much inspired by a particular person or place but by “Flavours and impressions – the sensations of the season, like a summer in Sicily infused with the smell of ripe tomatoes.” This is clearly a chef who cooks straight from the heart.

The menu is one of those where you pretty much want to try everything, and I like that you can choose pasta in an entree or main course size. Alongside classic items straight from the Italian comfort zone, like Bolognaise, Lasagne and Pizza Quattro Stagione, there are some wonderful, rather playful dishes that Pachetti has personally created for Prego. We start with an Antipasto Misto alla Prego, a generous platter designed for sharing, with sliced salami, a zesty bruschetta, fresh insalata caprese, polenta, and arrancini di riso stuffed with beef ragout and mozzarella. The mildly flavoured homemade pickles are a lovely enhancement – cinnamon beetroot, roast bell pepper, spicy carrots, sweet and sour pumpkin, and there is a wonderful crusty rye bread fresh from the oven.

The Caramelle ai Sette Formaggi is a perfect example of Pachetti getting creative – handmade candyshaped ravioli in three different colours, filled with seven cheeses and served with tangy cherry tomatoes and a creamy basil sauce. The texture and flavours of
parmesan, ricotta, provolone and a tiny suggestion of blue cheese combine with perfectly al dente pasta and a fragrant sauce to make a delicious, highly memorable combination. Other homemade pasta includes the Gnocchi di Zucca made with pumpkin and sweet potato, truffles, ricotta and pine nuts, and the Maltagliati di Ceci alla Primavera, an artisanal chick pea pasta with vegetable ratatouille. There is also a Cappelletti di Manzo su Crema di Mandorle e Radicchio Brastato, a hearty dish of beef stuffed ravioli with braised radicchio, and a thick, crunchy almond sauce. We finish with the Cannoli alla Siciliana, crispy cylinders stuffed with a lovely filling of ricotta with delicate hints of chocolate, afloat a strawberry soup with strips of sweet candied orange. A fragrant glass of homemade Limoncello provides a wonderful digestif. Prego also offers a fabulous, affordable and familyfriendly Sunday brunch with a separate kids buffet, garden and plenty of activities to keep the little ones occupied while adults indulge in an Italian feast of epic proportions. Alison

Prego @ The Westin Resort Nusa Dua | Kawasan BTDC Lot N-3 I P +62 361 771 906 | Open 11am - 11pm