Southern Italian cuisine rocks the house at Zarra's

The Fuzztones, Black Flag, Dead Milkmen and 10,000 Maniacs used to rule at 3887 Bigelow Blvd. in Oakland.

Now it's Polenta Calabrese, Portabella Ravioli, Cavatelli e Verdura di Rena and Bananas Flambe for Two.

This is the story of Judy and Johnny Zarra, whose lives resemble the stuff of good summer reading. The couple rocked Pittsburgh in a major way for about 30 years -- then it was time to settle down and cook nicely for their clientele.

More than 35 years ago, Judy Zarra was a go-go girl in a sequined bikini dancing atop the bar at this rock 'n' roll entertainment venue. She and her husband, Johnny, bought the business in 1970. At first, they continued the go-go dancing concept, then transformed it into the city's showcase for punk and metal rock bands.

They called it the Electric Banana.

"This place used to have black posters all over the walls," Judy Zarra says. "There's still some back in the furnace room."

Zarra now dances in the second-floor kitchen of Zarra's: A Taste of Southern Italy restaurant as she prepares plates of Pasta Con Salsiccia Primavera -- sausage sauteed in a light olive oil with onions, green peppers and mushrooms over pasta with tomato sauce -- or Cape Sante -- sea scallops broiled with her butter dressing and a light sprinkle of seasoned bread crumbs.

Her husband cranks out homemade sausage, made from a recipe passed down by his father. It has a spicy kick.

The about-face from hosting wild entertainment to neatly arranging place settings and presenting bowls of zuppa and trays of antipasto occurred in 1999. At first they served lunch and dinner, but the schedule was overwhelming.

"It burned us out," Judy Zarra says, so now the neighborhood's small slice of Italy only serves dinner.

The recipes are based on those from Johnny's southern Italian family, says Judy, who's "100 percent German." Her husband's grandmother taught her to make the ravioli, served with two different fillings. She gained lots of experience feeding crowds when her husband would invite his family and friends for Sunday dinner at their home -- usually 20 to 30 people.

The menu offerings are from scratch, right down to the meatballs that Judy rolls in batches of 80 to 90 pounds of meat at a time.

While she's directing the kitchen staff, Johnny handles the front of the house, greeting and chatting with customers. Judy did the dining room decorating, purchasing antique hutches, a grandfather clock and table lamps, as well as sleek buffets that feature pictures of the couple's family, including their two sons, Donny and John Jr. The latter is a pharmacist at Giant Eagle, but he lends a hand when business is heavy. The son's fiancees also work at Zarra's.

The restaurant's salads come with a signature balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Patrons are so fond of it that the Zarras had it bottled, ready for carryout. They also enjoy serving their private-label wine.

Portions are generous, but save some room for dessert, or order some to go. It will be difficult to choose among Judy's cheesecake, ricotta cake and Tirami-Suzy, her version of tiramisu.

And if you get a quiet table, you might pause to see whether you can hear faint music of They Might Be Giants or the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Judy Zarra used to feed them, too.

"When they were in town, Aerosmith loved to have my meatballs," she says.

Here is a light and vegetarian pasta dish for spring entertaining al fresco. Chef Judy Zarra says sauteed sausage, hot meatballs, Italian tuna or anchovies can be added to the vegetable mixture, if desired.

Aglie e Olio 'Tutto Cosa'

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Crushed red pepper, to taste
• 6 canned artichoke hearts, drained, cut up
• 1 roasted sweet red pepper, sliced
• 6 whole kalamata olives, pitted
• 4 ounces spaghetti, cooked
• Freshly grated Romano cheese, to taste
• Dried parsley flakes, to taste

Assemble all ingredients.

Put the olive oil, garlic and black pepper into a small pot or cast-iron skillet, then place the pot over medium-high heat. Let the garlic cook until it is browned; be careful to avoid burning. Add the crushed red pepper (the more you add, the spicier the dish will be) and cook for just a few seconds.

Add the artichoke hearts, roasted pepper and olives. Saute the ingredients until heated through, being careful not to brown or overheat.

Place the hot spaghetti on a dinner plate and pour the artichoke mixture over it. Sprinkle with Romano cheese and garnish with parsley flakes.

Makes 1 generous serving.