Trattoria 41, Cervinara

Trattoria 41, Cervinara
We went to the Trattoria 41 after a Sunday morning excursion to Benevento. It was a beautiful, warm day and we wanted some good home-style cooking. We were not disappointed!
The 41 is a family affair, run in an old building a couple of blocks behind the Cervinara town hall. After going through the entry gate, we found ourselves in a courtyard of an old house. On the right was a three basin sink, carved out of a huge block of stone. One of the basins had a wash board type of area carved out of the same stone. It must have been a very convenient spot for doing the laundry a hundred years or so ago, much more convenient than going to the fountains in the piazzas to do that chore.
We were seated and a young woman came and told us about the various dishes that would be available that day. We chose to split an antipasto platter that was the house specialty and that included some cold cuts, mozzarella, grilled veggies and some good fresh bread. After the antipasto we opted for a pasta course. Mike had tagliatelle (home made) with a sauce made with local porcini mushrooms and ground beef. I had orecchietti with a variety of vegetables (eggplant, roasted peppers, zucchini). Both dishes were wonderful, but Mike's sauce was a little heavily salted. Mine was perfect!
We opted to skip the second course and head straight for dessert. There was only one item on the menu, a little tart filled with a lovely lemon cream. Yum. We had a 1/2 bottle of local red wine to accompany our meal. The price? Only 20 euros for the entire affair! By the way, no tipping is necessary, so the bill is what the bill is.
We will be back to 41 often, as it is only a couple of miles from our house and it is certainly worth the trip!