116 Washington St. South Norwalk, CT 06854
If you're looking for an authentic Italian/Sicilian dinner, head over to Pasta Nostra in South Norwalk. Open only wed-sat for dinner, Pasta Nostra changes its menu weekly so that they only use the freshest ingredients available.
First I'll start with the bad. The decor is slightly lacking- it reminded me of your average deli. Second- it's a bit pricy (total meal comes out to about $50/person without tip)
But besides those two things, Pasta Nostra was overall some of the best Italian food I've had in Fairfield County. To start, the bread and olive oil were outstanding (they get their olive oil directly from small Italian farms). The bread was crisp on the outside but warm on the inside, and the olive oil was definitely top notch.
As for appetizers, I tried the salumi plate, which was filled with great meats and provolone cheese. A simple dish, but still a good one.
I also had the arancini- fried balls of rice stuffed with peas and sausage. Also good.
But my favorite appetizer was the mixture of sauteed hot and sweet peppers with fresh mozzarella cheese. The spice and sweetness worked great with the mozzarella.
When you go to Pasta Nostra (translated to Our Pasta), you have to order a dish that has pasta. I tried their fresh asparagus and cheese ravioli, spelt pasta with garlic, and potato gnocchi with beef stew.
My favorite pasta was the potato gnocchi because it melted in my mouth and was delicious with the beef and vegetable stew. But the other two pastas were also very good and clearly were fresh, homemade pastas. I also had baked white eggplant stuffed with parmesan and anchovies and topped with tomato sauce, which was extremely tasty too. The eggplant was soft and went well with the salt of capers, cheese and anchovies.
I ended my meal with warm chocolate lava cake- a hot dessert that I would definitely order again.
While all the food was clearly fresh and very delicious, it was the service that impressed me the most at Pasta Nostra. The service was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable about every dish. The homemade food and the fantastic service made my experience at Pasta Nostra feel like eating a traditional home-cooked meal in Italy. This is definitely recommended for all in the mood for that authentic Italian dinner!
gnocchi with beef stew
You can't go wrong at Pasta Nostra. It is one of those restaurants that can make simple foods like bread and pasta taste extraordinary. Every pasta is fresh and the sauces (even just garlic and butter) are outstanding. Also, I strongly reccomend the clams oreganata and the ceviche (both appetizers) when they have them on the menu.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sanders that the service is exceptional. I have been going to Pasta Nostra for years now and the waiters are always the same from year to year. The waiters seem to love their jobs and they pass that enthusiasm onto you. I highly reccomend it.