Mattia Repetto has only been in Canada for three months, but the 28-year-old chef from northern Italy is already putting down roots. During an interview at BiBo Pizzeria con Cucina, the executive chef is outspoken about his love for Vancouver and at one point declares that he plans to stay here permanently.

“People say your home is where your heart is, but I think now my heart is here,” Repetto tells the Georgia Straight while seated in the two-year-old Kitsilano restaurant. “I like it so much.”

Repetto is as enthusiastic about cooking as he is about Canada, which makes sense: the Novi Ligure–raised chef comes from a large family of restaurateurs and cooks.

“We have five generations in this industry, and you think five generations is, like, 300 years of restaurants,” Repetto says. “I started cooking when I was a small child. As I grew up, my passion for cooking went up, and spending 18 hours with your family in a restaurant is normal if it’s your passion.”

Earlier this year, BiBo owners Andrea and Michela Bini travelled to the Piedmont region while the restaurant was closed for renovations, and returned to Vancouver with their new chef. When BiBo reopened in spring, a new menu was launched, featuring favourites from Repetto’s hometown in addition to the Neapolitan-style pizzas the restaurant was already known for.

“My area is famous for fresh pasta and meat,” Repetto explains, pointing to the ravioli alla Piemontese—handmade pasta stuffed with a blend of beef and pork—on the menu.

The region is also known for its abundance of grains. “It is frequently used as a thing of ex­change,” Repetto explains. “If you give me one or two litres of milk, I give you one or two kilos of barley or spelt.”

At home, Repetto likes to integrate grains into simple salads, which he serves with sautéed prawns and a bean purée as a heal­thy summer meal.

To drink, the chef suggests pairing the dish with a glass of Gavi, a white wine with floral and fruity notes produced not far from his hometown.

Mattia Repetto’s spring salad with prawns and cannellini bean purée

Ingredients

1/3 cup (75 mL) dry spelt
1/3 cup (75 mL) dry barley
1/2 cup (125 mL) cooked cannellini beans
1/3 cup (75 mL) water
3 large prawns
2 Tbsp (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 cup (125 mL) Gavi, or other Italian white wine
8 fresh cherry tomatoes
2 oz (57 g) fresh baby arugula

Method

1. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the spelt and cook for 30 minutes, or until soft. Drain water, remove spelt, and run under cold water for 5 minutes to stop cooking.

2. Add the barley to a pot of boiling water. Cook for 20 minutes, or until soft. Drain water, remove barley, and run under cold water for 5 minutes to stop cooking.

3. Place cannellini beans and 1/3 cup of water into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until creamy, stirring occasionally.

4. Pour cannellini beans into a blender. Add salt and pepper to taste and purée until smooth.

5. Clean and peel prawns. In a small sauté pan, cook prawns in 1 Tbsp (15 mL) of the olive oil for 30 seconds on each side over medium heat. Add wine and cook for another 30 seconds.

6. Cut cherry tomatoes into quarters.

7. In a mixing bowl, combine arugula, tomatoes, spelt, barley, and remaining 1 Tbsp (15 mL) of olive oil. Toss gently.

8. Serve the cannellini purée in a small bowl as a dip for the prawns, with the salad on the side.

Yield: 1 serving and extra cannellini bean purée.

Recipe has not been tested by the Georgia Straight.