Endless Pasta Possibilities

Fresh pasta: the easy dinner solution.

We stopped in at Dave's Fresh Pasta in Somerville the other day for lunch. The panini sandwiches there are about as good as they get but we couldn't help lingering over the all the pasta temptations like a kid in a candy store. Made fresh every day in a variety of infusions, this is not your Grandmother's pasta! They have beet pasta, lemon basil pasta, spinach, rosemary, saffron, scallion and the list goes on. The list of ravioli flavors had our mouths watering as we read: broccoli asiago, prosciutto and sweet pea, butternut squash, crab and sweet red pepper, and, again...on and on. The cream sauces and aged cheeses fill the cases, making the possibilities literally endless.


The mouth-watering food displays at Dave's Fresh Pasta.

We opted for the roasted chicken ravioli and smoked tomato cream sauce. Then we remembered we had finally found a new source for white truffle oil (Trader Joes discontinued their brand) so we just had to throw in a pound of lobster ravioli, too. There really is nothing quite so easy and good as fresh pasta. Boil water and in three minutes you're all set to dig in. I am a true believer that simpler is always best. Some of these pastas would be perfect with just a light toss of butter or oil. Imagine a nice brown butter sauce on those squash ravioli? Maybe we'll try out that new bottle of Frontoia imported evoo on the crab and sweet red pepper or.... well, you see what I mean.


Just a little extra virgin olive oil is sometimes the best sauce of all. Look at the brilliant green color of that Frantoia.

In addition to this, Dave's also has classes and wine tastings usually one night a week. Some upcoming classes include: Introduction to Pasta Making, Wine and Panini Night, Summer Antipasti and Wine, and their first ever Beer and Food Tasting. Their expert knowledge will also help you pick a great wine for your dinner from the very reasonably priced wine selection.

Dave's Fresh Pasta
81 Holland Street
Somerville, MA
Telephone: 617.623.0867
Hours: Mon-Fri 11:30-7:00pm and Sat. 11-6pm


Dave's Fresh Pasta - just down the street from the Somerville Theater.

If you have a bit more time and want to make your own sauce here is one of our favorite recipes from the master himself.

James Beard's Pleasant Pasta
Ingredients
salt
1 pound Spaghetti
1 10 ounce package frozen peas
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound thinly sliced prosciutto di Parma, rolled up and cut
into 1/4 inch wide strips
2/3 cups heavy cream
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 to 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese; more as needed

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just tender. While pasta cooks combine peas and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until peas are thoroughly heated. Drain and set aside.

2. Drain pasta, return to pot and toss with butter. Add, peas, prosciutto and cream. Toss to mix well and separate the prosciutto strips. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add Parmesan to taste and toss again. Serve piping hot, passing more Parmesan at the table.
Yield: 4 servings