Sophia Loren, who famously declared “Everything you see, I owe to spaghetti” would love La Bella Figura. It’s a charming trattoria where owners Joao Orecchia and Gilda Swanepoel pay homage to the Italian “beautiful figure” philosophy where one makes the best possible impression in all things.
Says Gilda: “We believe we are the only South African restaurant that serves Roman cuisine. There’s simplicity in the food. We use the finest ingredients and everything is made from scratch.” The menu may be small but clearly a lot of thought has gone into it. All pasta is handmade on the premises.
Diners travel from far and wide to sample the garganelli alla coda di vaccinera, hand-rolled pasta tubes with a secret oxtail sauce or the simple but fabulous cacio e pepe 
with red chilli fettucini (see recipe below). Wrap up a meal with the pannacotta with black grape sauce. Find La Bella Figura at 3 Corlett Drive, Illovo, Johannesburg; Tel (011) 447 0399.
LA BELLA FIGURA’S CACIO E PEPE WITH RED CHILLI FETTUCINI (Black pepper and sheep's cheese)
This classic Roman dish’s secret is it’s made with fresh chilli pasta. Eaten daily by Romans for lunch, it won’t leave you feeling lethargic and stuffed. Choose the chillies according to your tastebuds - smaller ones are usually fierier.
Chilli paste:
Blend about 15 deseeded red chillies with a dash of olive oil in a blender. Use just enough oil to make a smooth paste - not too rough or your pasta will break.
Fresh pasta:
400g Italian "00" flour. (Farina di grano tenero)
3 free range eggs
Your chilli paste from above
(To make plain pasta use 4 eggs instead of 3)
How to make it:
Place the flour in a heap on your board, and make a well in the centre. Add the eggs and chilli paste into the well and mix together with a fork until smooth. Slowly start mixing the egg/chilli mixture with the flour, working from the 
inside out. Once it starts forming a dough, flour your hands and start kneading. Knead until smooth and elastic.
Your dough is ready when you make a dent with your finger and it pops back. This can take about 10 minutes so take turns with a friend if your arms get tired. Cover with cling film and let it rest in the fridge for about half an hour. Roll out with a rolling pin, and cut into strips with a knife.
Final touches:
100g pecorino Romana (Italian sheep's cheese)
Black pepper
Olive oil
Boil your fresh pasta for a minute or two only in boiling salted water. Dish up in separate plates and add 20g of pecorino Romana per plate. Grind a very generous lashing of black pepper onto each plate and drizzle with olive oil. Mix each bowl with tongs so that the cheese melts. Serve immediately with lots of fresh ciabatta.