I first heard about Ranucci’s Trattoria, located in Sharpsburg, from a family friend who always scopes out the best hidden gems. She didn’t disappoint with this discovery. Ranucci’s Trattoria has an unassuming exterior, but when you walk in, you’re greeted with the aroma of homemade tomato sauce and herbs, along with a cozy interior featuring a stunning wooden bar and an intimate dining room.
The restaurant was formerly known as CC’s Cafe, which opened in 1995. This past October, it was purchased by Robert Volpe, who renamed it Ranucci’s Trattoria. The restaurant is named after his great-grandmother, Annette, whose maiden name was Ranucci. Volpe, who is only 23, is on double duty as both owner and chef of the restaurant. When he visited our table to drop off some appetizers, he joked that he doesn’t feel like a chef since he didn’t go to culinary school. That doesn’t mean he lacks education in the kitchen. Volpe shared that he had previously worked in the kitchen of his father’s restaurant—Bado’s Cucina, located in Peters Township—since he was a teenager.
Volpe’s restaurant experience and Italian heritage shine through in the menu, which includes CC’s Cafe classics and secret family recipes. Many of the dishes come from Volpe’s great-grandmother, with whom he spent a lot of time in the kitchen. The menu is extensive, featuring antipasti, pasta, carne, pesce, and insalata sections, and one visit only scratched the surface.
My table started with a few antipasti items, including meatballs, stuffed hot banana peppers, greens and beans, butternut squash ravioli, and truffle flatbread. The meatballs, a staple menu item in any Italian restaurant, were tender but didn’t fall apart on my fork— the sign of a good meatball. The sauce was on the sweeter side, but not overly so. The same sauce made an appearance in the stuffed hot banana peppers, which weren’t too spicy or overly acidic. To be fair, I’m not the biggest fan of stuffed peppers, but these were well-seasoned and enjoyable.
According to Bon Appétit, “It’s not a red sauce joint in Pittsburgh without beans and greens,” so that means Ranucci’s has earned its place in this club. Greens and beans is a classic, hearty Italian dish, perfect for warming up on a bitter winter evening. Ranucci’s version was saucy beyond belief. There was so much creamy, salty broth that it nearly spilled out of the bowl. The beans were soft and melted in my mouth, while the greens added a slight bitterness that contrasted with the rich flavors.
Next came the butternut squash ravioli, a dish that appears on both the appetizer and pasta menus at Ranucci’s—because they’re just that tasty. I recommend ordering the appetizer version so you can sample another pasta as your main. This menu item is the epitome of fall, featuring smooth butternut squash purée inside al dente pasta, topped with a warm brown butter and sage sauce and crunchy toasted pine nuts. Everything about this dish was perfection, and my table devoured it within minutes. It almost made me wish I had ordered the dinner version, but then I wouldn’t have had room for a main course.
The truffle flatbread was a bit of a deviation from the otherwise traditional selection of Italian appetizers. It was bursting with savory flavor. The tender pizza dough starts with a shallot tapenade and is topped with mushrooms, dried cranberries, and parsley, then drizzled with truffle oil for another layer of luxury. The savoriness of the main elements—the shallot tapenade and mushrooms—contrasted nicely with the slight sweetness of the dried cranberries. I didn’t think it was going to work, but I was proven wrong.
You can’t miss with any of the appetizers, but if you only have so much stomach room, the greens and beans, butternut squash ravioli, and truffle flatbread are must-orders.
Like any true red sauce joint, every entrée comes with bread and a salad. However, Ranucci’s takes it up a notch. You can opt for the simple house salad, or you can upgrade (for no additional charge) to the red beet salad or wedge salad. The red beet salad caught my eye because the beets are layered with herby goat cheese, something I had never seen before. I loved the contrast between the crunchy beet and the creamy goat cheese. It almost looked like a red velvet layer cake. The candied pecans complemented the sweetness of the beets, while the leafy greens and tangy dressing rounded out the dish.
Then, it was time for the main event. I’ll be honest—I ordered so many appetizers that I only had room for one entrée. I was tempted by so many, though: the ricotta cavatelli, the rigatoni alla vodka, the jumbo crab cakes, the parmesan-seared scallops, and the bistecca. Ultimately, I chose the chicken parmesan, something I had been craving but never make for myself at home. My grandma, who definitely wasn’t Italian (she was 100% German) but was an incredible cook, made a juicy, well-seasoned chicken parmesan that I absolutely loved. Ranucci’s version was just as delicious. Their signature sauce was spread across the plate, allowing the chicken—topped with gooey mozzarella—to stay crispy. The chicken was tender and succulent, and the breading was packed with herby seasoning. Underneath the sauce was a layer of Ranucci’s signature ricotta cavatelli, which was definitely worth the $2.50 upgrade. The cheesy pasta was the perfect accompaniment to the chicken parmesan. This dish definitely satisfied my craving.
You have to order dessert here. While the tiramisu and cannoli both sounded incredible, we opted for something tart after all the richness and chose the key lime pie. This was one of the best pieces of pie I have enjoyed in a while. It was delightfully sour and made my mouth salivate with every bite. The filling was creamy and whipped to perfection inside a crisp graham cracker crust. While not a traditional Italian dessert, Ranucci’s knocked this pie out of the park. A dessert item normally wouldn’t be one of my favorite dishes of the evening, but this pie has me changing my ways.
Volpe pays homage to the Italian cooks and restaurants that came before him with well-executed, homestyle classics, but he also manages to add his own flair with a few modern dishes. I believe this balance will allow Ranucci’s Trattoria to thrive in a town filled with countless other Italian restaurants.
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