Lifestyles

Michele Savoia's last meal would be a dish he saw on a cooking show.

"It would be angel-hair pasta and sea urchin cooked with a little bit of butter," he says. "You toss the pasta and sprinkle the whole dish with caviar. But it would be too decadent, I think. It would cost $300 to $400 for one portion."

Savoia does not serve dishes like those at his Italian restaurant, Dish Osteria in the South Side. He focuses instead on reasonably priced regional Italian cuisine originating mainly from Bologna. Dish Osteria opened in 2000 and has received rave reviews ever since.

"When I started, we had a really limited menu," says Savoia, 47. "It used to be like a tapas bar."

Now, Dish Osteria is a full-fledged restaurant with antipasto, salads, soups and entrees. The antipasto is adventurous, featuring grilled calamari with sauteed spinach; carpaccio, thin slices of raw filet mignon, served with arugula; and Prince Edward Island mussels steamed with white wine. His entrees are just as pleasing — pasta, steaks, seafood and lamb prepared in unique ways.

Savoia, who was born in Brooklyn but moved to Sicily as an infant when his mother died, says he is a self-taught chef.

"From the age of 6, I helped my grandmother Margherita in the kitchen," he says. "We had our big meal at 1:30 p.m. every day, so she would start to work at 8 a.m. I've always loved food.

"When I landed in New York (after high school), I worked in an Italian restaurant as a waiter but had a passion to see what was in the kitchen."

Dish Osteria used to be an Irish bar named McCain's. Savoia is the fourth owner of the 100-year-old building, which sits discreetly at the corner of South 17th and Sarah streets.

"My wife, Cindy, and I were passing by and saw it," he says. "She's from here. We were both in the food business for many years and noticed that there was a lack of nice little bistro bars in this area."

The restaurant is on the small side, with 40 seats, but it doesn't seem tight when you're inside. The hardwood floors gleam, and the walls are painted in an understated shade of mint green. The kitchen is tiny, but Savoia prefers that.

"I like it because you don't have to walk miles to go get something," he says.

He gets all of his food from Pennsylvania Macaroni and other markets in the Strip District.

"It's my second home — I'm there at least three times a week," says Savoia, who lives in Friendship with Cindy and son Nico, 6.

His philosophy of cooking is easy to understand.

"The idea is to be simple and cook with the best ingredients you can find," he says. "And, of course, you gotta love it!"

Savoia's brother, Andrea, works as the night manager of Dish Osteria, and Cindy does all the paperwork. She also judges her husband's new creations.

"She's becoming very, very good in cooking," Savoia says. "She's a good critic. And Nico is already learning how to cook. It's amazing. He never orders from the child's menu when we go out."

Dish Osteria has a wide selection of Italian and other wines, but Savoia does not pair his food with a particular wine. He does think that it's important to consume wine, rather than water, with a meal.

"You need wine with dinner. If you drink just water, it becomes like dishwater in your stomach," he says with a laugh.

Savoia arrives at Dish Osteria at 11 a.m. every day to prepare for the 5 p.m. dinner opening.

"This restaurant has been a success. We have a regular following and new customers, too," he says. "In New York, you'd find places like this all over."

Michele Savoia chose to share his delicious Rigatoni alla Scamorza with Cooking Class. Scamorza means smoked mozzarella in Italian.

"It's a typical Osteria dish that you can find all over Italy," he says. "This is a variation from another dish. It's a special on my menu."

The dish is simple to prepare and doesn't take much time. It's best served with a good white wine such as a pinot grigio.

"This is easy to make at home, and the ingredients are easy to find," he says.

• Water

• 1/2 pound rigatoni pasta

• Olive oil for coating pan

• 1/2 cup diced prosciutto di Parma ham

• 3 ounces white wine

• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scamorza

• 3/4 cup cream

• 1/4 cup grated Parmiggiano-Reggiano, divided

• 1/2 cup crushed pistachio nuts, roasted and salted

• 3/4 cup green peas

• Fresh Italian parsley

Bring a pot of water to boil, and cook the pasta for 8 minutes, or until al dente.

While waiting for the water to boil, start the sauce.

Coat the bottom of a saute pan with olive oil. Turn the heat to medium, and add the prosciutto (see Photo 1). When the prosciutto starts to turn pale in color, add the wine and reduce the sauce a little.

Add slices of scamorza (Photo 2). When the cheese starts to melt, add the cream, a sprinkle of grated Parmiggiano-Reggiano and most of the crushed pistachio nuts (Photo 3). Reserve some pistachios for garnish.

Stir to avoid sticking. Add the peas. Add the drained pasta to the pan, and toss in the sauce (Photo 4).

Finish with the remaining grated cheese, nuts and parsley. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 servings.

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