Lasagna at Bella Napoli
Even if you’ve been to Nashville’s popular Edgehill Village, there’s a chance you’ve not seen Bella Napoli. Tucked in an alley behind Taco Mamacita, the Italian food served there is the most authentic I’ve had in Nashville. And their lasagna is the best I’ve had outside of Italy.
In the late ‘90s I was fortunate enough to study and travel throughout Italy. The school where I lived employed two Italian cooks—Ana and Renata—and every meal was good. But when they served lasagna, you changed all your plans just to eat their perfect rendering of the popular pasta. One of my fellow students was clever enough to ask for the recipe, and I made several attempts to recreate its deliciousness in my own kitchen. I finally gave up, thinking I had built up the memory of the dish.
And then, a few years ago, I had the lasagna at Bella Napoli for the first time. A multitude of sense memories washed over me as I tasted the perfectly melted cheeses, al dente pasta, and savory/sweet tomato-and-beef sauce. It was like being in Ana and Renata’s dining room again! I’ve had the dish many times since, and it is always good. Like being-in-Italy good.
Chef Paolo Tramontano is from Italy and trained there before moving to the States and working in several notable restaurants. He opened Bella Napoli in 2010, and I’m so thankful it has survived when many other eateries in the city have not.
Whether you’re eating on the atmospheric patio or in the cozy dining room (made even cozier by its wood-fired pizza oven), the service and food is always perfetto at Bella Napoli.
Visit Bella Napoli’s website for hours, directions, menus, and Chef Paolo’s story.
Lasagna so delicious we ordered it twice!
