:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/U5OBQZZTADSNWDZ2BWIOZ6ACBM.jpg)
It’s been almost two years since husband-and-wife Paul Giagnorio and Pam Kellam opened their cozy neighborhood restaurant, Scarletti’s Italian Kitchen, near the Downers Grove train station, born of their love of entertaining friends at their Hinsdale home. The restaurant, whose team will be cooking and catering all next week, is closed on Thanksgiving day and every Monday.
Where will you spend the holiday?
We’re going to Paul’s mom’s house. Thanksgiving is my favorite meal to cook, (but) now with the restaurant, we’re pretty limited with the amount of free time we have. (He has) a large family and everybody brings something. It’s a great gathering. There are three turkeys. I miss the part where I’d get to make everything at home, but we had to adapt.
What will you bring to the feast?
What I like to make most is butternut squash puree. I make it a day ahead. It’s a little different. Nobody else in the family makes that.
Is there a twist to the recipe?
Cinnamon. We actually serve the butternut squash here at the restaurant with our braised short ribs during the winter months. It’s very popular. Through the end of November, we have a wonderful butternut squash ravioli served in a parmesan sage sauce with pieces of carrots, zucchini and squash, and we garnish it with a little spinach and sun-dried tomato.
You’ve described Paul’s family as very Italian foodies. Will there be Italian dishes on their menu?
No. It will be traditional Thanksgiving. I think it’s the only holiday that they stick to tradition.
Last year, you were catering Black Friday meals for department store employees before dawn?
One of the ones we did was for 200 employees at 4 a.m. We were pretty exhausted by the end of the day, but it made us feel good, (and it was nice that companies) thought highly enough to bring food in for them.
You’ve broadened the restaurant’s fare?
We’ve expanded the carryout menu to include the new pasta dishes like the goat cheese penne, and we have a shrimp tapenade dish with linguine, and we greatly expanded our catering menu.
Name your personal pick for a Thanksgiving sweet.
My husband’s favorite dessert is pumpkin pie. I make the crust from scratch and I actually roast the pumpkin. Of course, it has cinnamon in it, and it’s just phenomenal. I would normally do that two days before Thanksgiving, and serve it with Chantilly cream: whipping cream, sugar and vanilla.
Scarletti's Italian Kitchen
ADDRESS 994 Warren Ave., Downers Grove
CONTACT (630) 515-1400, www.scarlettis.com