Pietro Penna

Chef Pietro Penna is a refined interpreter of contemporary Apulian cuisine, seamlessly blending technical prowess, creative innovation, and a deep commitment to sustainability. His core ethos revolves around celebrating local products and the rich culinary traditions of Puglia, elevating them through an approach that is both innovative and profoundly respectful of the environment. This dedication to ecological responsibility earned him the prestigious Green Star Michelin, a testament to his excellence in sustainable gastronomy. His culinary vision, which he terms "Pugliese contemporanea," involves taking the fundamental elements of traditional regional recipes and reimagining them. He describes this as giving classic dishes a "vestito" – an elegant, refined presentation achieved through a meticulous process of material elaboration. Crucially, this modernization never compromises the inherent "golosità" (deliciousness) of the traditional recipe. Chef Penna firmly believes that the taste must be "rotondo" (round), concrete, and tangible, never making concessions on flavor. Sustainability is not merely a buzzword for Chef Penna but the foundational principle upon which Casamatta was built. The Vinilia Wine Resort, home to Casamatta, integrates ecological practices such as solar panels for energy, repurposed furnishings, and a proprietary organic garden supplying fresh produce daily. The commitment extends to their biodynamic winery, producing organic wines, and their olive groves for house-made olive oil. Environmental stewardship includes innovative solutions like collecting rainwater for garden irrigation. Furthermore, Chef Penna fosters strong relationships with small, local producers, sourcing meats, artichokes, saffron, Jerusalem artichokes, and a myriad of other ingredients that directly reflect the region's biodiversity and adhere to a zero-kilometer philosophy. His dishes are literally born from the garden, featuring seasonal produce like cavolo (cabbage), barbabietole (beets), carciofi (artichokes), ravanelli (radishes), and friggitelli (small green peppers). Chef Penna's technical style is characterized by precision, rigor, and a relentless pursuit of culinary elevation, influences gleaned from his formative years under masters like Sergio Mei at the Four Seasons Hotel in Milan and Eric Briffard at the Hotel George V in Paris. He applies these classical techniques to redefine Apulian tradition. His approach to flavor and plating is about transforming the familiar into the extraordinary; he meticulously elaborates on traditional ingredients to create dishes that are elegant in presentation while preserving the robust, "round," and tangible flavors that define Apulian cuisine. He strives for his dishes to tell a "story of life," moving beyond apparent simplicity to reveal depth and narrative. Among his most legendary signature dishes and culinary creations are: * Scampo con pan brioche (Scampi with brioche bread) * Una reinterpretazione della brasciola di carne (A reinterpretation of traditional meat brasciola) * Fave, foglie e cotica croccante (Fava beans, greens, and crispy pork rind) * Torta di ricotta (Ricotta cake) * Triglia, patata viola, brodo di scoglio e lampascioni (Red mullet, purple potato, rockfish broth, and wild hyacinth bulbs) * Spaghetti con sponzale, origano e seppia (Spaghetti with wild onion, oregano, and cuttlefish) * Gambero bianco e umami (White prawn and umami) * Blinis, fegato, albicocca e tartufo (Blinis, liver, apricot, and truffle)

Career

• Executive chef at Vinilia Wine Resort (Casamatta), Manduria, Puglia, Italia
• Chef cucina at Pier 52, Milano
• Chef Cucina at Ristorante Piazza Repubblica
• Chef partie at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Milano, Italia
• Junior Sous Chef at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Milano
• Assistant Professor at Ecole Lenotre Paris, Paris
• Chef partie at Hôtel Richemond, Geneve
• Chef Instructor at Kulm hotel st. Moritz, St Moritz