Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
The Impulso pizzeria in Ferla has been awarded “Due Spicchi” by Gambero Rosso. This important recognition marks the great work done by the business and has enabled it to become one of the most sought-after places in the province of Syracuse for enjoying quality dishes rooted in local tradition.
As the citation for Impulso explains: “The food offering does not disappoint: the menu is extensive, the territory and Sicilian heritage are present but do not command all the attention. The cooking ranges from land to sea, with elegant reinterpretations (and even non-traditional dishes – such as vitello tonnato – but well executed). The doughs on offer vary, with a common thread of fragrance, lightness and care in the baking. There are Neapolitan-style pizzas, but also classic round ones with a low crust and rustic bite: the Tonno is good, thanks to its quality toppings. The more complex pizzas, however, show fine maturity and personality, such as La merenda del luppinaru, with fiordilatte, raw cherry tomato tartare, pickled red onion, black pepper and, on exit, lupini in brine seasoned with lemon, oregano from the Hyblaean Mountains and parsley oil. The tasting menu is interesting. Craft beers and local wines are served. The outdoor space is pleasant”.
The pizzeria was born less than two years ago from an idea by two partners: Paolo Santanastasio, who handles image and communications, and Giuseppe Pesce, who oversees the food offering. With them is a very close-knit team that welcomes customers and guides them through a culinary journey of quality and tradition.
“We were told about the award in a phone call. Then we went back to work,” they recount. “We opened with an idea that many saw as a gamble: bringing to an inland town a pizza built on memories. Seeing our name in the guide told us that the idea had been understood. The inspectors arrived unannounced and sat down like any other customer: the guide judged us on an ordinary evening. We often tell each other in the team: every table must be treated as if it is the most important one.”
“It is early confirmation,” they add. “We are a young venue and did not have a name behind us, just an idea and the desire to do it well. For the team it is proof that the work the customer does not see also counts: the dough prepared the day before, the shopping and the dish double-checked. Our way of working remains the same; the responsibility towards those who come to see us grows.”
“Our pizzas are born from a moment in life: Sunday lunch, a summer afternoon, a snack in the countryside,” they explain. “There is the work of the oven, with 24- to 48-hour fermentation, and of the kitchen, where we turn ingredients into creams, compotes and powders to stay true to the memory. If we had to describe our cooking in three words, we would say innovative, moving and bold.”
A proposal that looks to both past and innovation. “For us, tradition is the starting point: we leave the memory as it is, but change the way we bring it to the table. La merenda del luppinaru, with lupini in lemon and oregano from the Hyblaean Mountains, is an example. At the same time we respect those who want the pizza of always: anyone who orders a margherita must find a well-made margherita.”
And then there is the focus on the area. “We work with local producers and artisans, and the menu follows the seasons. In summer we dedicated a section to the sea, Solo 40 minuti… dal Mare, with pizzas inspired by the Syracuse coast.”
The dish that best represents them is La merenda del contadino. “Caciocavallo cheese cream from the Hyblaean Mountains, fiordilatte, spring onion, dry sausage, pear compote and drops of red wine. It is the snack that was eaten in the countryside: we have put it on a pizza starting from a memory and using the produce of this land.”
Harmony between the departments is also fundamental. “Between the oven and the table a pizza has only a few seconds: if the dining room is not ready, those seconds are lost. We are a small team and we talk to each other constantly. We want the customer to feel like a guest, and for those who want to be guided we have two tasting menus: Non una sola fetta, dedicated to pizza, and Non una sola portata, dedicated to the cuisine.”
