After an unforgettable journey travelling and eating his way around Italy in 2018 Sheldon Lansdell returned home with an idea – to offer South Africans an authentic Italian culinary adventure as he had experienced it.
Enter the Botello family, whose restaurant Asta La Pastain, in the heart of Stellenbosch, had been a popular eatery for over 20 years. Close to retirement, the owners entrusted Lansdell to take over the establishment, and in 2019 his idea became a reality with Asta Italian Restaurant.
For the past three-and-a-half-years Lansdell and his team have worked tirelessly to maintain the restaurant’s high standards, using the freshest ingredients available to make their much-loved thin-crust pizzas and generous portions of pasta. Asta’s loyal patrons clearly appreciated their efforts, and last year they voted the restaurant’s pizzas among the top 10 in the country in the Porcupine Ridge Pizzeria Challenge 2021.
Astra, located in Dorp Street, is once again competing in the Porcupine Ridge Pizzeria Challenge, so Lansdell shared more on his definition and beliefs on pizzas, and answered that much-debated question about whether pineapple belongs on a pizza or not! “The base must be thin and there must be a good-quality cheese and Napoletana sauce as a base,” he pointed out, adding the toss-up in the thickness is dependent on how the dough is made. “I prefer a thin crust, with parma ham, rocket, fig preserve and balsamic reduction [being my favourite toppingsï.”
The pizzas created at Astra are special thanks to its thin bases, secret Napoletana sauce, quality ingredients and the “amazing” pizza chefs that create magic in the kitchen.
Lansdell is especially proud of the pizzeria’s signature Capricciosa, made up of salami, olives, red onion, garlic, chilli and sage.
Toppings that should never be on a pizza, according to Lansdell, are pineapple and chicken, while the wine he enjoys drinking when eating a pizza is dependent on the topping. “But I really enjoy a pinot grigio with a Parma ham, fig preserve, balsamic reduction and rocket pizza,” he said.
There’s a buzz of excitement in the air at the Stellenbosch eatery, as staff eagerly await the final part of the annual competition. “The whole team at Asta is very excited about this year’s competition,” Lansdell related. “We are aiming to improve on our position of sixth place, and diners can expect consistency as always, which is something on which we pride ourselves.”
The Porcupine Ridge Pizzeria Challenge runs from Friday 1 July to Friday 30 September, with the top 10 and winner being announced in mid-October. The challenge is open to any restaurant offering pizza on their menu and holding a valid liquor license.
Consumers dining at participating restaurants will notice point-of-sale containing a QR code prompting them to the voting platform. For more info and to vote online, visit: www.votepizza.wine.
