Trattoria Milano’s menu epitomises fresh ingredients, clean tastes and generally simple fare.

Trattoria Milano
3 Chu Lin Road
+65 6760 3534

Chef Domenico Truglia put his stamp on Pasta Fresca, so it’s unsurprising that a similar culinary ethos comes through in his own family trattoria in a little shopping crescent in Hillview.

We start with bruschetta piled with fresh tomato and fragrant basil leaves ($9); and a mixed plate of pungent salami, bresaola – air-dried, salted beef – and scamorza, grilled smoked cheese topped with tiny fried mushrooms and truffle oil.

The spinach, ricotta and veal stuffing in our cannelloni is delectably light, and the innovative squid-ink ravioli served with red capsicum is stuffed with tasty crayfish and prawns. We find the pasta itself too al dente, however. There’s more slippery mouth-satisfaction in the tagliatelle tossed with beef tenderloin, porcini mushrooms and truffle oil. Beetroot in the risotto imbues it with both a startling hue and a natural sweetness.

There’s no reason for house wine not to be drinkable, and our Montepulciano is eminently so at $8.80 per glass. Appetisers range from $6 to $20, soups from $8.50 to $14, pasta and risottos from $16.50 to $22, pizzas from $15 to $24 and meat and fish dishes from $32 to $59.

Though Hillview is somewhat off the beaten track – heading west at the end of Bukit Timah – this little eatery is a great addition to its neighbourhood. If you find yourself in the area, pop in for some authentic Italian fare and meet the family.