PHOTOGRAPHY THIS PAGE : COURTESY OF NEAPOLIS ; PHOTOGRAPH RIGHT PAGE : KAITLYN MURRAY .
t ’ s a bustling Tuesday morning at Neapolis , the new sister store to Pasquale ’ s Pizzeria . Fridges are stocked with handmade pastas and carefully cut slices of prosciutto and mortadella are packaged for the first customers of the day . In the middle of it all , tucked away in a neat corner behind a countertop stocked with baskets of freshly baked breads , owner Pasquale Illiano is ready to start making the gelato .
After entering the local scene in 2015 with award-winning Neapolitanstyle pizza certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana at Pasquale ’ s Pizzeria , Illiano expanded by opening Neapolis last October to offer an even wider variety of favorite foods from his beloved homeland . The homemade gelato is a standout menu item , giving Rhode Islanders a sweet taste of authentic Italy .
The process of making gelato is relatively simple , but Illiano ’ s quality ingredients and attention to detail make it something special . He learned the ropes at his first job in Naples , working at a friend ’ s neighborhood gelateria in the early ’ 90s . Now , he experiments with his own flavors , from almond orange biscotti to rum raisin with toasted pine nuts , and even extra virgin olive oil . The air fills with the smell of pistachios , dark chocolate , hazelnut and vanilla as Illiano opens containers and prepares his workspace .
First , he makes a base out of pure cane sugar , milk and cream . The dairy comes from Terra Firma Farm in Stonington , Connecticut , and Illiano is adamant about shaking the milk first . When the milk fat slightly separates in the bottle , “ it ’ s a sign of good , fresh milk ,” he says . Then the flavor is added . Illiano uses a popular Italian brand called PreGel , short for preparati per gelato , which makes concentrated flavors without any additives or chemical preservatives . Now the base ingredients are mixed with an immersion blender . This step is the most important because it will determine the texture of the finished product .
“ You have to take your time mixing ingredients because that ’ s what makes a smooth gelato ,” Illiano says .
With careful mixing , even a dairy-free sorbet ( which is made with a water base instead of milk and cream ) feels rich and silky in your mouth . After the base is properly mixed , it goes into the Bravo Trittico . This machine is separated into two parts : a pasteurizer to gently warm the base and a batch freezer to shock the temperature back down . The pasteurizer will bring the base temperature up to about 85 degrees . While most American gelato is made with a cold base , Illiano prefers the artisan method of warming the ingredients first , which opens up the flavor .
“ What makes a difference from one gelato place to another is
78 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l SEPTEMBER 2021