Val Pusteria curd and potato gnocchi with aglione and baby squid: a first course where land-based and seafood traditions come together, forging a strong bond between two regions: Tuscany and South Tyrol.

Suinsom means “at the top,” and it is no coincidence that the very name of this fine-dining restaurant expresses the desire to take guests to the pinnacle of the gastronomic experience. At the helm is Chef Alessandro Martellini, a native of the Tuscan Maremma; trained alongside the great masters of Italian cuisine, he now crafts a menu that blends the culinary heritage of his native region with a deep respect for South Tyrolean traditions, underpinned by rigorous technique and a constant drive for experimentation. The result is a tasting menu in which nature becomes edible beauty, transforming carefully selected ingredients from small, dedicated producers into visual and sensory compositions. Turning to the gnocchi, “this is a dish that weaves together the two regions I now call home, Tuscany and South Tyrol, with potatoes and curd from the South Tyrolean valleys on one hand, and aglione from the Val di Chiana and baby squid from the Tyrrhenian Sea on the other: a combination that works wonderfully, with freshly harvested aglione and fresh curd from the alpine pastures. It’s one of the most popular dishes at Suinsom (1 Michelin star) during the summer, but it’s also perfect all year round.”

For the gnocchi:

250 g potatoes
250 g curd cheese
400 g 00 flour
1 egg
1 egg yolk
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the potatoes in water or steam them for one hour, then pass the potatoes and curd through a food mill, add the eggs and mix, then knead the dough while adding the flour.

Let the dough rest for about 15 minutes and begin shaping the gnocchi (ours are 6 grams each).

For the aglione sauce:

1 head of aglione
Greek basil
Salt and pepper
Tomato sauce to taste
Small squid, as needed
Extra virgin olive oil
Grated hard ricotta, as needed

Peel the aglione, remove the core, and dice it into brunoise. Sauté it in a saucepan over very low heat with olive oil and basil. Once evenly golden, add some tomato sauce and simmer for about an hour over low heat.

Sauté the baby squid—thoroughly cleaned—in a skillet over high heat, just to sear them quickly.

Cook the gnocchi in boiling salted water for about 3–4 minutes.

Spread the aglione sauce on the bottom of the plate, add the gnocchi and baby squid, and garnish with Greek basil and grated hard ricotta.