7Pines: One of Italy's most gourmet resorts is in Sardinia, with Franco Pepe's pizzas and local cuisine.

In Baja Sardinia, at the 7Pines Resort, Franco Pepe's super pizza arrives, alongside resident chef Pasquale D'Ambrosio will turn the fragrant essence of the region into pure gold.

7Pines, the Sardinian resort where luxury meets taste and territory.

There are very few locations like this around: inaugurated on August 1, 2022, the 7Pines Resort Sardinia mesmerizes, perched as it is on the pristine promontory of the Mediterranean scrub, with endless views of the Costa Smeralda and La Maddalena. And when the sun sets into the blue, the magic is dizzying for those lingering on the fine sand or secluded in the four coves, or frolicking by the two pools.

The offerings are as impressive as the location itself. Here, there are three restaurants and three bars, the Pure Seven Spa, the educational Kids Club, a gym, tennis courts, paddle tennis, and basketball courts. And there are always new things to discover: on May 4, Spazio by Franco Pepe will open, where the award-winning pizzaiolo will delight guests by the poolside, with the collaboration of chef Pasquale D'Ambrosio.

The managing director calls it "relaxed luxury, unlabelled": "The establishment wants to fully embrace the territory, in the materials, in the selection of staff, in the experiences it offers. Dining first and foremost. Beyond the Costa Smeralda, which offers a lifestyle among the top in the world, the focus is on local peculiarities: guests are offered the opportunity to spend a day with a Sardinian shepherd; visit the blue zone where centenarians concentrate, who tell their life stories and how to stay fit beyond a century; discover various wineries, hidden places, nuraghi...".

"We are doing a significant job of training on the team's emotional intelligence: we want to deeply connect with the guest, understand what they want, and be able to guide them, sparking curiosity. Luxury today is about igniting desires in those who didn't even know they had them. We translate all of this into every aspect, from the welcoming to sports activities, with top-level academies: for tennis, Magnus Norman and Omar Camporese; for soccer, Gianluca Zambrotta; for basketball, Sylvester Gray; for hip hop, Alice Bellagamba. This year, there will also be water sports, collaborations with artists and international brands within the Cone Club.

The common thread is the creation of experiences where the guest is the protagonist, not just a spectator, of the movie of their vacation. A philosophy that is rewarding us both in numbers, with a booking pace over 65% higher than 2023, and in staff recruitment, already entirely selected and pre-contracted. I always say that customers are won over with dreams and experiences, the team with a shared project."

"In our spa, we offer signature treatments using oils and fragrances from Sardinia, often sourced within the resort. But overall, sustainability is a pillar for us, starting from the kids club where we teach it to our young guests. We have chosen locally sourced materials with low energy impact, with a complete elimination of the plastic, and to offset transfer emissions, we plant trees beyond our 15 hectares of park and biodiversity."

Capogiro restaurant and the Cone Club

It's from the territory and sustainability that Pasquale D'Ambrosio's cuisine finds its inspiration, in charge of Capogiro restaurant and the more informal Cone Club.

Born and raised in Naples, he trained in a French group and mainly worked in large hotel groups, also hosting TV programs on Rai and training students at the Teatro dei Sapori. "I have collaborated with great Michelin-starred Chefs, but I have always tried to forge a personal identity: my cuisine is free, tailored, focused on the dialogue between territories."

Among his latest signatures: Profondità, fregula with wild herbs from the Mediterranean scrub, piennolo tomato, and buffalo mozzarella; Sardinian suckling pig with Carloforte red tuna and annurca apple; mixed pasta from Gragnano with 12 types of tomatoes. The cuisine at the Cone Club is more straightforward, where the sea takes center stage, from spaghetti with bottarga to grilled octopus, to raw seafood."

Franco Pepe's pizza

As for Franco Pepe, he's gearing up to step into action with his pizza corner. "But it won't be another Pepe in Grani, I don't want to create a chain. Instead, I love bringing my pizza to important establishments, like Albereta in Erbusco and Resort San Barbato with Don Alfonso in Basilicata; soon also the Capri Palace. At 7Pines, there will be some of my recipes, like the Mistaken Margherita.

Then we are waiting for the arrival of the oven to try out the local ingredients chosen by the chef. I will come with my dough and as always, I'll try to do something that is not predictable. I am particularly interested in myrtle and the scents of the territory, but I already know that I will find fantastic cheeses. The water from Naples doesn't matter, unless it's treated with components that interact with the yeasts. Certainly not in that area and in that resort. For me, it's a great satisfaction to position my pizza in such a location, in a context of fine dining visited by an international clientele."

D'Ambrosio's first proposal will be a carpaccio of Sardinian red beef with creamy pecorino, marinated olives from Gallura, and Sardinian extra virgin olive oil, all worth trying.