Gnocchi in Aubagne: Our Homemade Fresh Pasta

Gnocchi in Aubagne, from our kitchen

Gnocchi has something domestic about it, almost familial. It is the dish a nonna would shape by hand while the sauce simmered on a Sunday, for the whole table. That is exactly the spirit we work in at 100 Impasse des Martinets in Aubagne: an Italian family kitchen, cooked on site, by Italian chefs.

Finding real gnocchi in Aubagne means looking at the kitchen before the menu. Many places serve pasta delivered ready to reheat. At Pepe Zino, our fresh pasta is prepared daily in our kitchen: tagliatelle, ravioli, gnocchi and many other specialities. It is a way of operating, not a marketing line.

Gnocchi, fresh pasta in its own right

Gnocchi is often described as a simple dish. On paper yes: the classic Italian recipe comes down to very little, potato, flour, an egg yolk, a pinch of salt. In practice, everything rests on the balance and the cooking. Too much flour and the gnocchi turns rubbery; too little and it falls apart in the water. An overworked dough develops gluten and turns chewy. Gnocchi rise to the surface in about a minute, and that is the precise moment to drain them.

None of that is improvised, and none of it survives a week in the fridge. That is why fresh pasta is made the same day and cooked at the moment of service, which is what our Italian chefs do every day in our kitchen. It is also what separates homemade gnocchi in Aubagne from a defrosted industrial portion: the gesture, repeated daily, eventually produces a consistent plate.

Italian sauces made in-house

Fresh pasta is only as good as what goes with it. Our pasta is served with authentic homemade sauces: creamy carbonara, traditional bolognese, fresh basil pesto, or our San Marzano tomato sauce. These are classic Italian recipes, built in the kitchen rather than poured from a jar.

The exact make-up of our menu evolves with our chef's work. Rather than freezing a list here that would age badly, we would rather point you to the source: the current recipes and their prices are detailed on our full menu, kept up to date. You will find the whole Pasta section there, including our signatures Cacio e Pepe, Carbonara Roma and Tartufo.

Products imported directly from Italy

A large majority of our products are imported directly from Italy: olive oil from Puglia, San Marzano DOP tomatoes from Campania, Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, Pecorino Romano, artisanal charcuterie and quality flours. Fresh local produce, vegetables and meats, is selected with the same care.

This sourcing has a cost, but it guarantees consistency of flavour. Regular guests find the same taste from one visit to the next, because the raw materials do not change. Our wine list follows the same logic, with a selection of Italian wines running from Chianti to Barolo.

Dine-in only, lunch and dinner

Our fresh pasta is served exclusively on site, across our 120 seats split between a warm indoor dining room and a 60-seat veranda. Pepe Zino is a dine-in restaurant only: we offer neither takeaway nor delivery. That is not a constraint, it is a deliberate choice. Fresh pasta is meant to be eaten straight from the pan, at the table, not twenty minutes later out of a container. We favour the full Italian trattoria experience, with table service.

We are open 7 days a week: lunch from 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM, dinner from 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM, Sundays included. Monday to Friday at lunch, our Lunch Set offers an Italian meal without taking up your whole afternoon. In the evening, we offer a glass of prosecco to welcome you. We recommend booking, especially on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays: call 09 60 37 25 97 or use our online booking system.

Fresh pasta for groups and events

Fresh pasta often features in the group set menus we put together for birthdays, christenings, communions, business meals or team building. With 120 seats, including 60 in the veranda, we have the capacity to host sizeable parties. The restaurant can be privatised partly, from 30 people, or fully. Our chef builds a bespoke menu with you, adapted to your taste and budget. To plan your event, visit our events and private hire page or contact us directly.

Pepe Zino: gnocchi within a complete Italian kitchen

Our restaurant is more than pasta. It is a complete Italian kitchen: antipasti, salads, fresh pasta in several variations, homemade desserts and our Neapolitan pizzas. The Neapolitan pizzas from our Italian pizzeria in Aubagne share the same standard with the gnocchi: work done on site, Italian chefs, products selected in Italy. That is what makes us a full trattoria in Aubagne, and not just a pizzeria.

This philosophy is that of Pepe Zino, the grandfather of the two founders: generosity, authenticity and sharing. For the story of the place, see our family story or our guide to authentic Italian cuisine in Provence. We are also easily reached from Marseille, Cassis or La Ciotat, with easy access from the A50 motorway and free parking right nearby.