The special fare at Chanakya BNR Hotel in Ranchi on Thursday. Picture by Hardeep Singh

Think pasta, pesto and Parmesan.

For 10 days beginning Friday, Ranchi foodies will get to gorge on the best Italian picks, thanks to a festival being organised by Chanakya BNR Hotel on Station Road.

From salads to soups to main courses made from poultry and seafood for the self-confessed carnivores to fresh-from-the-garden choices for vegetarians, there will be something to tempt every taste bud at the Italian Food Festival.

For the serious pasta lovers there will be spaghetti bolognese (Rs 275), fusilli with creamy cheese sauce (Rs 200 to Rs 275), penne with tomato basil sauce (Rs 200 to Rs 275) and vegetable lasagna with tomato confit (Rs 200).

A team of eight led by Italian cuisine specialist Chef Pinaki Mishra, who has been flown in from Chanakya Hotel, Patna, will show off its culinary skills. Guests can munch on the offering even as they watch the ongoing IPL matches at the hotel’s -Samrat restaurant and Mehfil bar.

Over the last 12 years, Mishra has worked in well-known establishments like Holiday Inn, Ahmedabad and Le Meridien, Pune and is so good at what he does that even Bollywood actor Sunil Shetty, a well-known foodie, is apparently a fan of the chef’s version of a vegetarian pasta.

“Now it’s time to gain appreciation of food lovers of Ranchi. We have brought special fresh herbs like basil, thyme and oregano and a variety of cheeses to prepare the different dishes,” Mishra told The Telegraph.

He added that Italian food, cooked as it is in olive oil, is considered light and is an ideal choice for eating out in summer.

To wash down the meal, a selection of wine will also be available from 7.30pm onwards.

Chanakya BNR, which has in the past organised Hyderabadi, Chinese and South Indian food festivals, are hopeful of generating the same enthusiastic response to its latest offering.

Speaking to The Telegraph, resident manager of the hotel Sudhir Mishra said they always tried to treat guests to different kinds of cuisine. “We have received tremendous response from food lovers who have appreciated our quality of food and service. This Italian festival is sure to go down well with our guests, as we have tried to present something different,” he said.

“This festival will be an apt platform to indulge in gastronomic delights, as ingredients used will be fresh and also tasty,” he added. The festival will continue till May 13.

Meanwhile, city food lovers are equally excited about what is probably the first Italian food festival in the capital.

“Whenever we visit Delhi, we always make it a point to go out and try Italian food. This festival will give us a chance to enjoy the cuisine right here in Ranchi,” said government employee and food lover Nilesh Kumar.