She started out in the restaurant scene with Osteria Italiana, in North Fitzroy, where the Italian menu was divided into four parts: modern Italian, vegan, gluten free and a low FODMAP section, for people with IBS.
Now, D’Angelo has set out on a new adventure in Hardware Lane, where she has opened Funghi e Tartufo, a vegetarian and vegan restaurant in a converted 19th century warehouse.
At first glance, the dishes on the menu seem typically Sicilian: arancini with mushrooms or alla Norma, spaghetti carbonara, penne all’arrabbiata, gnocchi alla sorrentina, risotto with mushrooms, swordfish alla siciliana and barramundi alla messinese.
If one looks a little closer, one can see that all these dishes are completely vegan.
D’Angelo has been obsessed with reimagining Italian and Sicilian flavours to cater for vegans, ever since her children decided to become vegetarians.
Over the course of the pandemic, the chef sold ready-made sauces under the name ‘VegItalian’, and is now providing ready meals and wedding catering through an online platform.
In an interview with Rete Italia, D’Angelo was asked to explain the secret to her vegan carbonara, a simple dish that only requires three ingredients: eggs, guanciale and pecorino.
Loathe to divulge her secrets, the chef answered that there were other ways to emulate the same flavour profile.
“The recipe for my vegan carbonara is top secret,” she insisted.
“But the end result is incredibly similar in taste, consistency and presentation.
“The same goes for my chocolate cheesecake - which no one believes is vegan – or my pappardelle with cream, mushrooms and truffles.
“When customers ask me how a dish is made, I always answer the same way: with love.”
