RESTAURANT REVIEW:

If I ever have a home improvement project I need done, I am enlisting the help of Alessándro Pirozzi.

I would have the affable Italian who runs Cucina Alessá assist me in building, as he said he did with his restaurant. But I would also want him around for his cooking.

It would be selfish to have him work on my house and also usher him toward the kitchen; but when you meet him, his boundless energy seems to welcome it.

In this country seven years, Pirozzi graduated from the Culinary Academy in Italy and went to work for Pomodoro, running the seven restaurants in Orange County.

Pirozzi and his wife, Mai, decided they wanted their own place and began working on Cucina Alessá.

When it comes to food, Pirozzi has one purpose — to make the freshest, most inventive dishes possible.

He’s succeeded. This is now my favorite Italian restaurant in Newport Beach. It earns that distinction for its food and prices. The entrees were reasonable, with no pasta dish costing more than $16.95.

Pirozzi created a menu that shows his dedication to cooking and his fascination with fresh herbs and spices.

“I like organic,” Pirozzi said. “I try to find organic items wherever I can.”

To the right of the restaurant’s entrance is a small garden Pirozzi has cultivated. In it are cherry, Roma and heirloom tomatoes, basil, sage, bell peppers and two types of parsley.

The basil is used immediately when customers sit down, as it is mixed with pesto, oil and garlic to accompany the foccacia.

The waitress suggested the butternut squash ravioli as an appetizer, and after one bite, we were glad we took her recommendation.

The browned, melted butter mixed well with pasta and squash, and it was a perfect start to the meal.

My friend Diane got the penne Norma with organic wheat pasta. The eggplant was very fresh and flavorful and there was plenty of cheese to accompany the pasta that was a much better choice than regular penne.

My other friend, Mark, ordered the veal Marsala and exclaimed it was the best he had ever had. The veal was extremely tender — tender enough, in fact, to cut it with a fork. Pirozzi put four types of mushrooms — portabello, shiitake, cremini and porcini — on the dish with a Marsala-mushroom reduction sauce.

My dish was a risotto with shrimp and asparagus in a white wine sauce. Pirozzi uses a Calabrese chili he imports from the region in Italy and crushes it into the sauce to give it a little spice.

It was an incredible dish. The shrimp and asparagus were cooked firmly, and the risotto didn’t have a single piece that was under- or overcooked.

Just when I thought this meal couldn’t get any better, the desserts arrived. The tiramisu was so creamy and moist that the three of us fought over it.

Then the spumoni came and that gave us something new to squabble over. The three flavors were served in a rectangular shape and consisted of pistachio, cherry and vanilla. The cherries used are imported from Italy, and Pirozzi didn’t even offer the dessert until they came.

Pirozzi visits with each table often, though it is definitely not intrusive. His persona is easygoing and relaxed, and he wants to make sure his guests are happy.

We were and will be coming back very soon. This is one restaurant not to miss.

The only downside is the noise. Because of the design, there is nowhere for the conversation to go, so it bounces off the walls, making it challenging.

That is a small concession to make for good food at prices half of those at a comparable Italian restaurant.

ADDRESS: 6700 W. Coast Hwy., Newport Beach

PHONE: (949) 645-2148

CUISINE: Italian

SPECIALTY DISH: Pizza di Parma

ALCOHOL SERVED: wine and beer

ENTRÉE PRICE RANGE: $10.50 to $23.95

FAMILY FRIENDLY: Yes

CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED: American Express, Visa and MasterCard

RATING: *** 1/2

JOHN REGER is the Pilot’s restaurant critic. His reviews run Thursdays.