Celebrating their Italian heritage, Princess Cruises’ specialty restaurant Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria has been pleasing millions of guests since it first debuted aboard Grand Princess in 1998. Today, the line unveiled a fleetwide enhancement to the venue in collaboration with Italian Chef Angelo Auriana.
Chef Auriana
The restaurant now features a new design and menu, featuring antipasti and pasta dishes from Chef Auriana, as well as family recipes from Italian executive chefs across the fleet. Chef Auriana is Executive Chef and partner at The Factory Kitchen and Officine BRERA restaurants in Los Angeles, and is inspired by fresh northern Italy flavors and childhood roots from his hometown of Bergamo.
He relies on old world grains like buckwheat and durum that gives semolina the pale yellow color and high-protein strength necessary to hold the strength of house-made pasta. Non-traditional ingredients like mint and marjoram are also used to showcase his contemporary flair.
Menu Highlights
Offerings at the reimagined restaurant include:
- Picagge – marjoram-infused long pasta, white prawns, clams, artichoke pesto, ligurian olive oil
- Tortelloni – mint-speckled pasta, roasted lamb, pecorino crosta nera, cacio e pepe sauce, broccoli rabe
- Pappardelle – wide ribbon pasta, celeriac, nebbiolo-braised beef cheek
- Risotto – vialone nano rice, beets dolce latte, gorgonzola, pistachios
- Torchietti – whole wheat pasta, foraged mushrooms, rosemary oil
More Princess chefs hail from Italy than any other country, and some of their family favorite recipes are featured on the new menu, too, including:
- Roman Seafood al Cartoccio – grouper, shrimp, black mussels, scallops, potato, artichoke
- Porchetta – rolled pork belly toscana, fennel seeds, potatoes, spinach, roasted tomato
- Breaded Veal Vallet – marjoram roasted potatoes & artichokes, sun-dried tomato, provolone
The updated Sabatini’s features a new interior design with a contemporary look, while rustic touches serve as a reminder of the traditional Italian specialties that have always been a hallmark of the venue. An all-Italian wine menu, iconic Italian cocktails, and Limoncello liqueurs are available to complement the cuisine. The $25 cover charge includes a four-course dinner, plus dessert.
The transformed restaurant will debut aboard Caribbean Princess following dry dock, as well as Grand Princess in April. The refreshed menu will be rolled out fleetwide over the following months. Sabatini’s will also soon feature a pasta-making class for guests, with additional details to be released in the future.
Photos and information: Princess Cruises
