Chef Chat: From Sicily, con amore

Leo Fascianella was a poor Sicilian teen who spoke no English when he moved to America in 1972. Fourteen years later, he opened his own Omaha restaurant, Pasta Amore. And, in a ceremony later this month, the 53-year-old chef will be inducted into Omaha's Hospitality Hall of Fame. We chatted with him just ahead of a Monday lunch service.

Q: How old were you when you came to the States?

A: I was 16 years old, a beautiful age. … It was a very innocent time in life. You think everybody's nice and there's no evil and everything is good.

Q: Not so anymore?

A: I don't think I'm as naive as I was. Did you ever watch the movie “Cinema Paradiso”? It's about this little kid who grew up in Sicily, no money and wanted to become a famous movie director. He moved to Rome and he did it, then he came back his little town and to the movie theater of his childhood.

Q: I gather there are some parallels there for you.

A: Yes. In my hometown, I didn't have anything. I was very, very poor. So it's like that: You leave your home to create a better life for yourself.

Q: How'd you get interested in cooking?

A: My grandfather had a little restaurant in Sicily. And my aunt also ran an institute, like a Boys Town. It's called Fascianella's. … So I saw them work and helped them some. And whenever my mom would leave the house, I would go in the kitchen and make something with whatever we had. … When I came to States, I didn't know the language. So I started working as a dishwasher and busing tables. And a couple months later, I started cooking.

Q: At what restaurant?

A: The Golden Apple, near 89th and Dodge, Indian Hills. … After that, I worked in a lot of restaurants in Omaha. I traveled a little, worked in Vail, Colo. And then I opened Pasta Amore.

Q: What's the emphasis at Pasta Amore?

A: Classic Italian — gnocchi, tortellini, fettuccine alfredo — and also a touch of home, so I am leaning a little to Sicilian cooking, to the island where I grew up.

Q: Do you still make pastas from scratch?

A: Except for a few, we do. The tortellini, ravioli, lasagna, cannelloni, we make those right on premises. And I have a friend of mine who comes in every Wednesday to make the gnocchi. It takes six hours to make a couple trays of gnocchi. Not my thing. I mainly like to do my sautes and be on the line.

Q: What do you love most about being a chef?

A: When I create a dish, I love to watch people eat and enjoy it. That's my reward.

Q: Anything you dislike?

A: Something that really makes me mad is when I create a special and somebody tries to change it. They don't understand it's not going to taste the same. For example, if I make a traditional carbonara and they say, “Hold the egg.” … Sometimes I do it. Sometimes I tell the waitress, “No, I'm not going to do it.” I'm like a baby.

Q: Do you ever tire of making the same things over and over?

A: No, actually. … I can always make it better. Every day I can always strive for that. I'm never satisfied with myself. I think that's something that's made me successful.

Q: Anything new on the menu?

A: Usually, I kind of go with the season. I have my own garden on the Elkhorn River, so we grow our own vegetables. We've been doing a couple stuffed peppers lately. Another dish I do is cucuzza. It's a Sicilian zucchini; it's a different shape, longer, and not as green. We grow that, and I usually make soup with it. I think we're making the last batch today.

Q: Any firm rules in your kitchen?

A: We have to work very fast and we have to work together and I don't want to hear any bickering or complaining. And everybody is treated the same, from the chef to the dishwasher. We all clean, sweep and mop. They don't work for me; they work with me. I don't feel like I'm better than anybody else. … Respect.

Q: Any words of wisdom for cooks just getting started?

A: Get up every morning and go to work. Don't ever have any excuses. Work hard and love what you do.

Contact the writer:

444-1069, nichole.aksamit@owh.com