The Simple Pasta Meal That Changed Alex Guarnaschelli's Life

For all the outstanding dishes celebrity chef and restaurateur Alex Guarnaschelli has eaten — both from fellow chefs and, undoubtedly, the comfort of her own kitchen — you'd think it would be difficult for her to pick the most memorable meal she's ever had. Not so. Back in 2019, the Food Network titan told Insider about a simple, revelatory dinner she had at La Merenda, a tiny eatery in Nice, France. "It was an ethereal meal that changed my life," she said. 

Like any great dining experience, Guarnaschelli praises La Merenda's food just as much as its atmosphere and hospitality. The restaurant's limited seating, lack of a phone, and in-person reservation system are all part of its small-town charm, which is no doubt all the more refreshing in the age of QR-code menus. But the real show-stopper of the evening was a plate of pesto pasta, whose open-kitchen preparation brought the chef to tears. "It was that good. And so simple," she recalled.

Operating off the online reservation grid hasn't stopped La Merenda from gaining attention, and not just from Guarnaschelli. The restaurant has been honored with a Bib Gourmand Award by the Michelin Guide, which bills it as a "delightfully old-fashioned establishment, oozing with vintage charm." While it's yet to gain a Michelin star, its chef, Dominique Le Stanc, formerly ran the two-star eatery at the Nice hotel the Negresco. His new digs are decidedly more low-key and intentionally so. "... Le Stanc dreamed of opening a small place where the art of cooking was more important than efficiently running a restaurant," reads an Afar review. No phone, no problem. 

As for the food, traditional and unpretentious regional cuisine runs the show. Diners might find such Provençal specialties as stuffed sardines, fried zucchini blossoms, tripe à la niçoise, and, yes, unfussy pasta that causes spontaneous crying.

Considering the ancient Roman roots of pesto, you might wonder why a restaurant specializing in Southern French cuisine would have it on its menu. Indeed, the pesto sauce that Guarnaschelli remembers so fondly is, according to Afar, a Provençal version called pistou. While Italian pesto, commonly associated with the country's Liguria region, calls for pine nuts and parmesan, the French version often lets the basil, garlic, and olive oil stand on their own with a pinch of salt. It can also be made with the addition of almonds, bread crumbs, or potatoes.

Considering Chef Le Stanc's penchant for simplicity, we're willing to bet that the version that changed Guarnaschelli's life was made with three high-quality ingredients. That's something to keep in mind when making pistou at home — with so few components, it's the perfect reason to open that quality bottle of olive oil you've been saving. It's also a great excuse to make pasta at home.