A NEW pasta bar has opened in the heart of the city bringing with it classic Sicilian home cooking and a fresh approach to Italian food.

36-year-old Piero Palermo opened Al Dente Pasta Bar and Kitchen at the beginning of the month after working in various kitchens and deciding that he wanted a restaurant of his own.

The desire to have something of his own was not Mr Palermo's only motivation. Like every decision he makes, he always has his daughter in mind.

"I could fall over tomorrow and hurt myself. I just want to build something for her future."

He moved in swiftly when popular vegan eatery Karmic Cafe in The Gallery, The Shambles closed in November. The space became available cheaply and he felt it was an opportunity he could not pass on.

The food is influenced by his family roots in Sicily where he grew up.

Mr Palermo said: "The food is simple but it's homely. It's food my mother made for me and it's food I make at home for my daughter.

"What I serve here is what I eat on any normal day.

"Food doesn't have to be complicated. It needs to be tasty and it needs to be made with care."

The major draw to Al Dente is its pasta bar. A choose-your-own affair in which you design your own dish from a range of pastas, sauces and toppings.

You first pick from a range of pastas including rigatone, ravioli and tagliatelle, then pick a sauce from classic Italian favourites like pesto, spicy tomato, bolognese or four cheese before finishing it off with which toppings you desire.

Chicken, king prawn, salmon, grilled aubergine and mozzarella all feature.

"You have it how you like. If you have special dietary requirements then we can accommodate that. If you want a bit of this, a bit of that, it's not a problem," explained Mr Palermo.

"It's all self-explanatory. We've got tomato pasta, salmon if you want it, chicken if you'd prefer that. Then there's carbonara, who doesn't like carbonara?"

As well as choose-your-own pasta, Al Dente offers other dishes including steak ciabatta sandwiches, Caesar salad, lasagne, boards of Italian cold cuts and cheeses and soup.

Breakfast with an Italian twist is served from 8am. Dishes include Sicilian pancakes, mozzarella omelettes, egg and Parma ham ciabatta sandwiches and a full English with pancetta, ciabatta and vine tomatoes.

For more information and menus visit aldenteworcester.co.uk or follow Al Dente Worcester on Facebook.