Gianna is an Italian restaurant that opened in 2019 as the newest member of the Link Restaurant Group. Its specialty is rustic Italian cuisine, and its seasonal menu incorporates fresh Louisiana ingredients such as Creole tomatoes in a panzanella salad and Gulf fish served “Amalfi style.” It also offers a variety of homemade pastas.

Denia Valdéz is the talented person who makes the pasta at Gianna. She initially worked at Herbsaint for a year before coming over with Chef Rebecca Wilcomb, who was opening Gianna. She helps clean the restaurant every morning before starting on the different pastas needed for all the dishes. Denia’s area of study was agronomy, a science of crop production and soil management, but she loves the creativity and skills she has learned, as well as all the people at the restaurant.

Gianna’s Ricotta Gnocchi with Pomodoro is Denia’s favorite pasta dish, as ricotta is her favorite filling and she really enjoys making the gnocchi. The pomodoro sauce provides a savory complement. Be sure to enjoy this tasty dish for yourself.

Featured image courtesy Kenny Morrison.