Crafted by Hand

When Carletti’s opened its doors in December, Oklahoma City was introduced to a thoughtfully crafted Italian restaurant steeped in history and heart. Set within the fully restored Kentucky Club – once an infamous Prohibition-era speakeasy – the concept is the latest collaboration from preservationists Gina Foxhoven, Chip Fudge and Larry Davis. Named for some of Foxhoven’s ancestors, Carletti’s traces the journey of two Italian families – from neighboring villages in Italy to a beloved grocery in Haileyville – woven together through generations of shared love, artifacts and recipes. Anchoring the culinary vision is consulting chef Chris Becker. 

You may know Becker as the founder of Della Terra, Oklahoma’s acclaimed artisan pasta company. He has been crafting pasta in-state since 2011, using traditional Italian techniques and top-tier ingredients that deliver unmatched flavor and texture. Now, he brings that expert craftsmanship to Carletti’s.

“Pasta is an expressive form of cooking, and the subtle nuances within the flour, time of year and various seasonal ingredients make it both a meditative and intuitive experience,” Becker says. “For me, it’s a pursuit of making it a little better today than I did yesterday. It’s flour and water transformed into a whole textural personality: hearty and robust, subtle and delicate or perfectly balanced and soothing.”

Shaped by years of training in some of New York City’s most esteemed and demanding kitchens, Becker developed a deep passion for fine food and the art of handmade pasta. 

“All the kitchens had the same goal: the pursuits of perfection, albeit in different ways,” Becker says. “The way I cook now is more focused on the season, the group I’m cooking for and to some extent, my mood in the moment. Almost rarely from written recipes, just a sense of the moment and what will bring joy through food. Telling stories using a progression of flavors and textures throughout a meal which naturally melded with Carletti’s story-driven inspiration.”

Becker is respectful of the Carletti’s archival recipes, while bringing his own voice and technique to the menu.

“Carletti’s is rooted in family tradition, the indescribable moment when you sit at a table with loved ones and enjoy a meal that has been passed down from one generation to the next. The sacred recipes are wholly preserved and unchanged, even as the rest of the menu may evolve and naturally progress to enhance the vision.”

Often asked about his favorite pasta, Becker says it depends on his mood and the season, “because pasta isn’t just pasta; it’s a whole feeling. At Carletti’s, the spicy rigatoni if I’m feeling the need for something rich and warming, or the carbonara if I want a hit of something sharper with the fattiness of pancetta with the intensity of pecorino. The overarching perspective I hold is that it is both the pasta and the sauce that create something special.” 

The restored location is shaping Becker’s ideas about comfort, indulgence and hospitality. 

“I’ve found that a space with history almost always influences the type of food that should be cooked there, and that influences how a space and food can connect with each other and guests,” he says.

But looking forward, he says, “at the core of what Italian food means to me is that it is more than a location, place or time, but rather the people you enjoy meals with. It’s cooking with high quality and intentionally sourced ingredients in a way that celebrates them.”

Yield: Two 12” pizzas

Time: 2 days for the dough / 1 hour to prep and cook

Dough Ingredients:

• 500 grams Caputo pizza flour
• 320 grams Cool water
• 14 grams Kosher salt
• 1.5 grams Instant dry yeast
• Olive oil to brush onto finished dough balls

Dough Method:

1. Combine the yeast and water together and set aside for 5 minutes.
2. Place the flour into a mixer with a dough hook attachment.
3. Add the salt to the yeast water mixture.
4. Turn the mixer onto a low speed setting and drizzle in the water mixture.
5. Mix for appx 8-10 minutes or until the dough forms. Theres no need to mix this dough a lot, just enough.
6. Remove the dough and divide into two equal pieces and roll into balls.
7. Set the onto a baking tray, coat with olive oil and wrap with plastic.
8. Store in the fridge for two days.

Marinara Ingredients:

• 1 can San Marzano or similar tomatoes, hand crushed until smooth
• 2 cloves Garlic, finely minced
• 1 sprig Fresh oregano, minced
• 1 pinch Crushed pepper flake
• 2 pinches Kosher salt
• 1 drizzle Extra virgin olive oil

Marinara Method:

1. Combine all the ingredients, taste to make sure the flavor is good.
2. Store in the fridge until needed

Pizza Ingredients:

• 2 Pizza dough balls, proofed for two days
• Flour To dust the dough balls before forming
• 8 ounces Marinara
• 8 ounces Fresh pearl or ciliegine size (in brine is better quality)
• Olive oil To brush the crust
• 2-3 leaves Of fresh basil, sliced 1/2” thick
• ½ to 1 ounce Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano 

Pizza Method:

Remove dough balls from the fridge and allow to warm to room temp, appx 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 450 F with a pizza stone placed on the center rack.

1. Place the dough ball into the flour and coat lightly.
2. Set the dough onto a flat surface and using your finger tips, form the edges of the dough into a 1” crust.
3. The using your finger tips, press the center of the dough flat, leaving the edges untouched.
4. Use a “pizza dough slap technique” (google search this to see visual) and stretch the dough to appx 12”.
5. Set the dough onto a pizza peel that has been dusted in flour.
6. Lightly spread 4 ounces of marinara up to the edge of the crust.
7. Arrange the mozzarella balls evening.
8. Slid the pizza onto the pre-warmed pizza stone and cook for appx 10 minutes or until slightly darker than golden.
9. Remove and set onto a cutting board, drizzle a little olive oil, sprinkle the Parmigiano and basil.
10. Cut into 6 or 8 pieces

(Repeat the process for the other pizza while the first one is cooking)