A Marktplatz Treasure: Edelprodukte aus Italien

One of my favorite things about Basel is the ease at which one can explore, meandering through the city for months and unearthing newness each day. A favorite weekend pastime of mine includes stepping out my front door and taking off on unmapped adventures. I sometimes end up in a bookstore or at a cafe; sometimes I simply sit by the Rhine, enjoy the view and soak in the beautiful city that surrounds me.


Last Saturday this ceremonial exploration led me straight to Marktplatz. Ok, I know it doesn't quite seem to fit the bill when conjuring up images of adventure and discovery here in Basel, but aside from all the tourists and travellers the Marktplatz market is home to some hidden treasures. On this particular day the city center was bursting with autumnal colors, fresh fruits and veggies and the sweet smell of sizzling wurst. My camera seemed to have a mind of its own, taking photo after photo, while the rest of me fell into sensory overload. After a few moments my eyes finally focused on a rather large stand with unique offerings on each of its four sides: meat, cheese, olives and pasta, all of which looked extremely tempting. "Hello, Don Giovanni AG from Zug," I thought. "Welcome to Basel. Your timing is impeccable as dinner is fast approaching and my tiny Swiss fridge is almost empty."


Every item from this stand looked super fresh and tempted me beyond belief. After careful consideration I decided to splurge on the pasta. Don Giovanni offered many different varieties: Ravioli mit Basil und Ricotta, Ravioli mit Olive und Tomaten, Ravioli mit Schokolade, Gnocci mit Pesto, Fettuccini—I could go on. I knew there was a bit of lemon infused olive oil and truffel infused olive oil waiting at home and so I opted for the Ravioli mit Kürbis and Ravioli mit Zitrone und Ricotta.



Cooking the ravioli proved to be super simple. I followed the time recommendations from the gentleman at the stand—approximately 6 minutes for the Kürbis and 7-8 minutes for the Zitrone—dished up and promptly drizzled with respective oils. I became an instant fan after the first bite. Each piece was extremely flavorful, had the perfect mouth-feel and maintained its shape till eaten. Although the price (approximately 6 - 9 CHF per 100 grams of ravioli) was a bit shocking upon check-out, every minute of anticipation, taste testing and then devouring the ravioli was 100% worth it! I'm so glad I happened upon this little treasure.

For more information:
Don Giovanni AG
Baarerstrasse 12
CH 6300 Zug
041 720 2131