Castagnoli in Chianti: Tuscany with a Dash of Sardinia

If you blink, you might drive right past Castagnoli (pop. not more than 70), tiny frazione of Gaiole in Chianti.

You might also be distracted by the sweeping panoramas of vineyards and olive groves draping the hills bordering the roadside.

But…attenzione!  Don’t pass the former hayshed now a restaurant, Osteria Il Bandito.

If you’re in Tuscany’s Chianti area, stop here for lunch or dinner at this gem of a family-run restaurant to savor traditional Tuscan cuisine with a generous dash of Sardinian goodness. For four years now, tall, kerchiefed Alessandro serves the enticing dishes cooked up by papa’ Francesco at the burners, assisted by his wife, Assunta, both immigrating from Sardinia in 1961.

[lcaption]Thanks to Alessandro for this photo from the Osteria Il Bandito Facebook page.[/lcaption]

[lcaption]Alessandro brings out to the terrace an order of antipasti[/lcaption]

[lcaption]Beaming Alessandro, ready to take our orders[/lcaption]

We followed Alessandro upstairs to an outdoor terrace, passing a Sardinian flag on the inside wall and mozzafiato (literally, “breath-cutting”) views fanning out below us as we stepped onto the terrace.

To start off our lunch, we decided to share the tempting Tuscan antipasto of sliced meats, savory pecorino cheeses, olives, pickled onions, sun-dried tomatoes and an array of bruschette topped with cannellini beans, sautéed spinach, tomatoes and Tuscan liver pate’. Buonissimo!

Ah, that menu tempted, leaving each of us in a conundrum for main dish choices.

Keegan chose Sardinian gnocchi with wild boar sauce and his wife, Francesca, decided on penne al ragu (meat sauce). Their German friend, Franziska, chose a simple favorite, pasta al pomodoro.

I decided to test the creativity of the chef and ordered his spaghetti dello chef. Enhanced with diced arugula, fresh tomato, a hint of red pepper and crushed pine nuts, almonds and walnuts, the dish was a winner.

I knew Pino would choose a favorite Tuscan dish – not easy to find in Umbria – fegatelli alla griglia (grilled pork livers). He did – but also opted for lampredotto del bandito (veal stomach, the way Il Bandito cooks it). Pino likes those innards!

None of us had room for dessert. Not really but I was curious to know if they had seadas, a Sardinian small cake made with fresh cheese and honey.

“No, finito,” Alessandro apologized.

Just fine: a reason to return to Il Bandito.

Click here for more on bruschette
Read here about another Tuscan gem
Read about nearby Poppi, another of our Tuscan favorites
Read more on another Casentino gem
Read about more good eating in Tuscany
Read more on a Tuscan gem, the Mugello valley
Read more on Mugello and the loving Passerini family