Revolutionizing Spaghetti : Celestino Drago Serves Traditional Italian Dish With Spirit

FROM THE STREET AT NIGHT, the huge picture window at Celestino Ristorante in Beverly Hills seems to show a scene on a stage. The maitre d’ seats patrons, busboys round up dishes, diners are absorbed in food and talk. Then the chef enters, carrying what looks like a huge silver bubble, steaming at the seams. Suddenly the bubble bursts into a ring of flames. From the look on diners’ faces, a miracle has occurred as the foil bubble is popped, sprouting steamy clouds over an assembly of crustaceans perched atop a mountain of pasta.

The dish, called Spaghetti al Cartoccio (spaghetti cooked in parchment), is one of the specialties of the house. And it’s a hit.

“The dish was one of the signature specialties of my mentor, Ignazio Diana, the head chef at Pierino in Pisa, where I received my early training,” owner and chef Celestino Drago says. Drago inherited the dish when Diana left to open his own restaurant and Drago replaced him. “There are many parchment dishes in Italy (forerunners of the en papillote dishes of France), but no one had tried aluminum foil. I made some further changes, adding curry to the sauce, but it was one of those dishes you never forget. It became part of my repertoire, and I promised myself it would be a specialty when I owned my own place,” says Drago, whose establishment has become a star among Italian restaurants in Los Angeles.

The idea behind the dish is ancient--using parchment to steam-cook and reheat foods. Because flames later became part of the presentation, foil is now used instead of paper. Aromas of cognac permeate the dish when the foil bubble is broken open on top. One of the nice features of the dish is that it can be completely assembled ahead of time for a party. When you’re ready to serve, simply pop the foil-covered pasta dish in the oven and heat it until the foil expands with steam.

Drago, who had been brought in from Italy by the owners of Orlando-Orsini restaurant in West Los Angeles, was among the first of the professional Italian chefs to revolutionize Italian cooking in Los Angeles. “It wasn’t an easy road,” Drago confesses. “In the early ‘70s, we had a hard time finding basic ingredients--things like fresh basil and Reggiano Parmesan, not to mention white truffles.” Drago and many of his colleagues fought misconceptions about Italian cooking by diners who expected Italian sauces to be thick and the scaloppini batter-fried, and that the only pasta served would be ravioli, manicotti and spaghetti.

“The breakthrough came when I went to Side Street Pasta Cafe--a small, makeshift restaurant waiting to move to the Rodeo Collection. About that time Los Angeles had become the No. 1 city for dining. You could find anything you wanted imported from anywhere in the world. It was at the cafe where I played with combinations of pasta and light sauces. Not too much sauce on top. Nothing weird, but interesting.” For his numerous fans he had created such dishes as lemon-flavored pasta and pastas made with cocoa beans and vegetables.

Today, at his own restaurant, Drago continues to elaborate and improvise on traditional themes, delighting faithful clients who have followed him. Drago also operates Il Panino, an Italian fast-food cafe in downtown L.A.’s MOCA complex. “But that’s a different approach. There, we tried to develop something that is currently popular in Italy--simple Italian sandwiches and salads. It’s fast food but well done.”

SPAGHETTI AL CARTOCCIO (Seafood Spaghetti in a Bubble) cup olive oil 1 medium clove garlic, chopped Crushed red peppers 5 ounces cleaned squid, cut into rings 5 ounces bay scallops 5 ounces shrimp 12 mussels 12 clams 1/2 teaspoon curry 2 teaspoons chopped Italian parsley 1 tablespoon chopped basil Salt 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 cup tomato sauce 1 pound spaghetti 1/2 cup 80% or higher proof brandy or vodka, heated

Heat oil in large skillet. Add garlic and red peppers and saute until garlic is golden. Add squid, scallops, shrimp, mussels and clams, then sprinkle with curry, half the parsley, basil and salt to taste. Saute 3 to 5 minutes, tossing shellfish to cook evenly. Add white wine and cook 2 to 3 minutes until wine has evaporated. Add tomato sauce. Cover and simmer 10 minutes over medium heat.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in boiling salted water until firm to the bite. Drain pasta, then add to sauce in skillet. Toss 30 seconds to coat spaghetti with sauce. Place a square of foil large enough to hold spaghetti and seafood on baking sheet. (Foil should be light- to medium-weight, not heavy-duty.) Place spaghetti in square of foil and seal well to prevent steam from escaping. Bake at 500 degrees 5 to 10 minutes or longer, depending on warmth of pasta before placing in oven, until foil pouch begins to puff. Place on hot serving tray with lip. Pour brandy or vodka around tray. Ignite at the table, being careful to place it out of reach of flammable materials. Punch hole with long-handled implement in foil pouch to allow fumes from liquor to permeate spaghetti mixture until flame dies down. Serve spaghetti from pouch onto warm dishes. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

PRODUCED BY ROBIN TUCKER; FOOD STYLIST: NORMAN STEWART FOR ZENOBIA / L.A.; ITALIAN CERAMIC PLATTER FROM COTTURA, LOS ANGELES