October is Italian-American Heritage Month

Over in the United States, October is Italian-American Heritage Month, celebrating the millions of Italians who crossed the Atlantic. This started in the 1880’s and grew to more than four million by 1920. Many continued to arrive well into the 20th Century, including our own Great Uncles and Aunts who moved from Syracuse in Sicily, to New York, London, and even Basingstoke.

Italians arriving in New York built railways, subways, and buildings, worked on the docks, and opened bakeries, grocery stores, and restaurants, with their children going on to shape American life and culture as we know it today.

Grasso is a celebration of Italian-American food, which evolved from traditional dishes to use the new ingredients which were available, and the shortage of those they were used to. Recipes were tweaked and adapted and traditional dishes became something new.

So, to celebrate Italian-American heritage month, we thought we would share some of our own dishes, and the stories behind them.

Spaghetti and meatballs

In Italy, meatballs (polpette) are often much smaller in size, and usually eaten on their own. This changed in America, where meat was more affordable and more abundant than it had been back home. And not only did they grow in size, but being served with spaghetti became the norm.

At Grasso our dish is called Mom’s Spaghetti, using pork and beef meatballs, using our grandmother’s own recipe. It’s a dish we would request on special occasions when growing up, such as birthdays or big Sunday lunches. In the restaurant, just by the kitchen, you’ll see a series of photos of a child eating spaghetti and meatballs - that’s our brother James, around 40 years ago.

Chicken parm

The original parms never had any meat, and instead, parmigiana di melanzane was a traditional Sicilian dish, made up of layers of fried aubergine, tomato and cheese - almost like a low carb, vegetarian lasagne. Italian immigrants in America swapped out the aubergine for veal and chicken, and the parm became a fixture of red sauce restaurants across the country.

We herb-crust and breadcrumb our parm, fry it, and then cook it in the pizza oven with mozzarella before serving with spaghetti pomodoro, rosemary salt fries, or solo.

Penne alla vodka

Nobody really knows or agrees on the origins of vodka sauce. Some claim Italy, and others New York, with it becoming a fixture on menus on both sides of the Atlantic during the 1980s.

Our vodka sauce is prepared with slow-cooked imported Italian tomatoes, which we add cream and vodka to, mix in a generous amount of al dente penne, and top with Parmesan and our own slow-cooked chillis in oil. 

We even collaborated with The Saucerer to create a version you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home, and it’s available in independent shops and delis across the UK, on Ocado, and in Whole Foods.

Caesar salad

The Caesar salad is an Italian-American classic, but born in Tijuana, Mexico. The story goes that it was created by Caesar Cardini, an Italian immigrant on 4 July 1924, when a holiday rush left his kitchen short of ingredients.

Ours, The Big Caesar, is baby gem and romaine with anchovy dressing, parmesan crumb and croutons, served with herb-crusted chicken or artichoke.

Mozzarella sticks

While you might think that mozzarella sticks are a truly American invention, they have roots in Campania, as mozzarella in carrozza (mozzarella in a carriage).

We serve our mozzarella sticks on a bed of ‘nduja, and drizzled with our homemade hot honey. Crunchy, soft, sweet and spicy. 

Tiramisu

Tiramisu is often credited to Le Beccherie restaurant in Treviso, Venice in the 1970s, before arriving in the US during the 1980s.

Ours is made from scratch by our mother, Anna each day, stacked high and boozy, and we think it’s absolutely delicious.

Italian-American restaurants in London

For Italian-American food, you won’t need to book any flights. Instead, you can find us at Grasso on Dean Street, Soho, in Central London.

Photo by Juliana Morales Ramírez