Just picked our first crop of Sun Gold tomatoes, which means summer is finally here! Celebrate summer with our new tasting menu…

We’re pleased to announce the launch of our new Summer Seasonal Menu! The menu showcases in-season, fresh and local ingredients from artisan producers such as Alfieri Farms and Fra’Mani.

As an appetizer, enjoy our Pizzetta Ortolana, a small thin-crust pizza topped with seasonal vegetables, fresh Belfiore mozzarella, and basil pesto over tomato sauce. For the pasta course, guests will rave at the return of our Conchiglie con Salsiccia. Enjoy pasta shells with Fra’Mani sausage and organic greens mixed with a sage pesto made with Alfieri pistachios from the Central Valley. We have two main courses — one is grilled Mahi Mahi served with salsa cruda and greenwheat freekah (see Mother’s Day blog entry for more details) — the other is an Italian inspired meatloaf or “Polpetone” made with Mary’s Free Range Chicken served with a delicious mushroom gravy and crispy garlic and parmesan potatoes.

As a side you can enjoy greenwheat freekah sautéed with organic arugula and tomatoes.  And for the “sweet course”, try our Semifreddo al Cappuccino, a classic Italian ice cream dessert covered with Alfieri Farms almond brittle and a butterscotch and chocolate sauce!

For the next several weeks, you can find this menu along with a specially priced tasting menu throughout our restaurants in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Orange County.  If you’re feeling adventurous, our Pleasant Hill and San Jose (The Alameda) locations are offering a different seasonal menu, with items that we are “testing” for future menus. If you want to get in on the culinary adventure or try a different seasonal dish, please visit those locations to see what we’re working on.  We hope you enjoy the new dishes as much as we do and look forward to your feedback!

 

Flowers are starting to bloom… Spring has finally arrived… Enjoy our new Seasonal Menu!

We’re pleased to announce the launch of our new Spring Seasonal Menu! The menu showcases in-season, fresh and local ingredients.

As an appetizer, enjoy roasted Chioggia beet salad served with a balsamic vinaigrette and Point Reyes blue cheese.  Our pasta course is a light risotto with gulf shrimp and fresh asparagus. Since it’s that time of the year, we’re in love with truffles (yet again) so we created a wonderful Pollo con Tartfi e Funghi, which sautés white truffles, crimini and porcini mushrooms with a fresh chicken breast that’s served with our creamy organic polenta. Our second main course is grilled Kurobuta pork loins from Boise based Snake River Farms topped with a creamy white truffle and porcini mushroom sauce and served with our delicious garlic parmesan potatoes.

As a side you can enjoy pan roasted carrots and Chioggia beets with fresh garlic and thyme.  And for the “sweet course”, try our Caramella Crostata di Miele, a flaky pastry filled with caramelized Granny Smith apples and our housemade butterscotch sauce!

For the next several weeks, you can find this menu along with a reasonably priced tasting menu throughout our restaurants in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Orange County.  If you’re feeling adventurous, our Pleasant Hill and San Jose (The Alameda) locations will be offering a different seasonal menu as of April 17th, with items that we are “testing” for future menus. If you want to get in on the “testing” or try a different seasonal dish, please visit those locations to see what Pasta P’s Culinary Team is working on.  We hope you enjoy the new dishes as much as we do and look forward to your feedback!

 

Brrrrr…. It’s really cold… Time for our Winter Seasonal Menu!

We’re pleased to announce the launch of our new Winter Seasonal Menu! The menu showcases in-season, fresh and local ingredients. For starters, enjoy our Zuppa Cavolfiore, a roasted cauliflower soup that features artisan pancetta from Fra’Mani Handcrafted Foods in Berkeley.  Our pasta course features a Sicilian spiced lamb meatball served with spaghetti in a spicy mint-infused tomato sauce. We have two entrée courses, Brodetto di Pesce and Costolette Brasate. The Brodetto di Pesce is a hearty italian style fish soup served with pacific rock fish and assorted shellfish in a light tomato broth. Our long-time guest favorite, Costolette Brasate, is a boneless short rib braised in red wine and herbs served over creamy organic polenta.  As a side you can enjoy pan roasted cauliflower with anchovies, fresh garlic, chili flakes and capers.  And for the “sweet course”, try our Budino di Limone, a traditional italian baked lemon pudding!

For the next several weeks, you can find this menu along with a fixed course tasting menu throughout our restaurants in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Orange County.  If you’re feeling adventurous, our Pleasant Hill and San Jose (The Alameda) locations are offering a different seasonal special menu, with items that we are “testing” for future use. If you want to get in on the “testing” or try a different seasonal dish, please visit those locations to see what the Pasta Pomodoro Culinary Team is working on.  We hope you enjoy the new dishes as much as we do and look forward to your feedback!

 

The leaves are starting to turn… It’s time for our Fall Seasonal Menu…

We’re pleased to announce the launch of our new Fall Seasonal Menu! The menu showcases in-season, fresh and local ingredients such as brussels sprouts and butternut squash. For starters, enjoy our Insalata di Cavolini, a long-time guest favorite that features artisan pancetta from Fra’Mani Handcrafted Foods in Berkeley.  Our pasta course features the cold-weather favorite, gnocchi. The pasta is pan-roasted and includes roasted butternut squash and Fra’Mani sausage. We have two entrée courses, Scallopini di Maiale and Pollo Cacciatora. The Scallopini (pork tenderloin) is sautéed with white wine, fresh sage, lemon and butter and is served with soft polenta!  Our Pollo Cacciatora recipe features Mary’s Free Range Chicken from California-based Pitman Family Farms as well as green olives and fresh rosemary.  As a side you can enjoy roasted butternut squash drizzled with balsamic reduction and tossed with toasted bread crumbs.  And for the “sweet course”, try our “Coppa al Cioccolato”, which is our Italian Sundae that has local La Copa Loca vanilla gelato layered with homemade brownies and chocolate sauce!

 

 

Organic Heirloom Tomatoes are now in season… Time to update our Summer Seasonal Menu!

We’re pleased to announce the launch of our new Summer Special Menu! The menu showcases in-season, fresh and local ingredients such as organic heirloom tomatoes from Capay Farms and green beans from Dwelley Farms. We’re also featuring fresh local Halibut as well as artisan pork from American Homestead Farms. For starters, enjoy our seasonal heirloom tomato salad that features blue cheese from Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company. For our guests who crave “spicy”, we have created an amazing vegetarian pasta entrée called “Linguine Calabrese al Verde”. This dish is not to be missed. Enjoy linguine with mild calabrese chili sautéed with a medley of fresh vegetables. Our “second course” entrees include “Costine al Caffe”, which features coffee rubbed St. Louis cut pork ribs form American Homestead Farms served with sautéed Dwelly Farms green beans. We’re also offering our summer inspired “Halibut Panzanella”, which is fresh grilled local halibut served over an organic heirloom tomato bread salad.  And for the “sweet course”, try our “Crostata di Miele”, which is a flaky pastry filled with caramelized Granny Smith apples!

For the next several weeks, you can find this menu along with a fixed course tasting menu throughout our restaurants in Northern and Southern California.  If you’re feeling adventurous, our Pleasant Hill and San Jose (The Alameda) locations are offering a different seasonal special menu, with items that we are “testing” for future use. If you want to get in on the “testing” or try a different seasonal dish, please visit those locations to see what the Pasta Pomodoro Culinary Team is working on.  We hope you enjoy the new dishes as much as we do and look forward to your feedback!

 

Summer is finally here… Time to celebrate with a new seasonal menu!

We’re pleased to announce the launch of our Early Summer Special Menu! The new menu showcases in-season, fresh and local ingredients such as Chioggia beets from Coke Farms and almonds from Alfieri Farms. We’re also featuring artisan meats from Bay Area favorites Mary’s Free Range Chicken and Fra’Mani.  Our seasonal brushetta features Chiogga beets and blue cheese from Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company. We have two wonderful pasta entrees — a conchiglie (pasta shells) sautéed with Fra’Mani sausage and fresh rapini as well as a roasted artichoke risotto with Fra’Mani pancetta. Our “second course” entrees include a “Brasato di Pollo”, which features braised Mary’s Free Range Chicken thighs with Castlevrano olives, almonds and honey. This dish is not to be missed. We’re also offering the classic “Vitello Milanese”, a pan-fried parmesan crusted veal cutlet served with an organic baby arugula salad. And for the “sweet course”, enjoy our “Coppa Rabarbaro”, which is a scrumptious dessert of rhubarb compote served over artisan gelato from “La Copa Loca” of San Francisco!

For the next several weeks, you can find this menu along with a fixed course tasting menu throughout our restaurants in Northern and Southern California.  If you’re feeling adventurous, our Pleasant Hill and San Jose (The Alameda) locations are offering a different seasonal special menu, with items that we are “testing” for future use. If you want to get in on the “testing” or try a different seasonal dish, please visit those locations to see what the Pasta Pomodoro Culinary Team is working on.  We hope you enjoy the new dishes as much as we do and look forward to your feedback!

 

Mother’s Day is this Sunday… Treat your Mom (i.e. that wonderful woman) to Pasta P this weekend…

We’ve selected one of the best seasonal specials yet… Our Halibut Calabrese is herb crusted and grilled with tomatoes, garlic, black olives and drizzled with balsamic vinegar… Served on organic spinach, order this entrée for lunch or dinner… Weather permitting, we will have fresh local halibut for the entire weekend!

 

The rain has finally stopped! It’s time for Spring! Enjoy our new Seasonal Specials menu!

We’re pleased to announce the launch of our Early Spring Seasonal Special Menu! The new menu showcases in-season, fresh and local ingredients such as cauliflower and Dungeness Crab. We’re also featuring artisan meats from Bay Area favorites Zoe’s Meats and Fra’Mani.  Enjoy our hearty soup made with heirloom Scarlet Runner Beans on those rainy spring days and evenings. Our “second course” entrees include a wonderful roasted cauliflower risotto and a linguine with fresh Dungeness Crab. For the meat lovers, we have rich braised short ribs served over fettuccine.  Try the ribs with a glass or bottle of “un4seen”, our current Artisan Wine. And finally for the “everything goes better with bacon” crowd, we’re pleased to offer a Zoe’s meats bacon sundae with vanilla gelato!  That’s right a bacon sundae!  Try it and you’ll be back!

For the next several weeks, you can find this menu along with a fixed course tasting menu throughout our restaurants in Northern and Southern California.  If you’re feeling adventurous, our Pleasant Hill and San Jose (The Alameda) locations are offering a different seasonal special menu, with items that we are “testing” for future use. If you want to get in on the “testing” or try a different seasonal dish, please visit those locations to see what the Pasta Pomodoro Culinary Team is working on.  We hope you enjoy the new dishes as much as we do and look forward to your feedback!

 

LangeTwins Wine Dinner in Roseville!

If you missed our special wine dinner in November, you have another chance to join us! We will have a casual wine event on January 22nd at our Roseville location near Granite Bay.  Please come in anytime after 6:00pm and enjoy the wine dinner at your own pace – meaning when you are ready to move on to your next course, both the food and wine pairing, along with a personal explanation of the wines will be ready.  There’s no waiting on anyone.  You set the tone for your evening!

Reservations are not required, however if you would like to secure a table in advance, please call (916) 773-4027.

Below is our Winter seasonal menu with the LangeTwins wine pairing:

First Course
Insalata di Cavolini
sauteed sliced brussels sprouts with house-cured pancetta, egg, red onion and aged red wine vinaigrette
2009 Generations Viognier

or

Gnocchi Formaggi
potato dumplings with gorgonzola, fresh Belfiore mozzarella and parmesan
2009 Estate Chardonnay

Second Course
Pollo Saltimbocca
fresh chicken breast with Zoe’s Meats prosciutto, provolone and fresh sage with a porcini mushroom reduction, served with sautéed organic spinach
2007 Culinary Merlot

or

Ossobuco di Maiale
Kurobuta pork shank braised in white wine, served with fettuccine
2008 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Third Course
Spuma di Cioccolato
dark chocolate mousse with raspberry sauce
2006 Icon Midnight Reserve

The Details:

Cost: $36 per person

Where: 3984 Douglas Blvd # 110, Roseville
When: Saturday, January 22, 2011, from 6:00pm until closing

 

Our winter garden is ready to be harvested… Early Winter Seasonal Specials have arrived!

We’re pleased to announce the launch of our Early Winter Seasonal Special Menu! The new menu showcases in-season, fresh and local ingredients.  If you love our Pasta P Brussels Sprouts (“Cavolini”), you will definitely need to try our Insalata di Cavolini with house-cured pancetta, chopped egg, red onion and aged red wine vinaigrette. It’s amazing!  For the cold winter days, we’ve introduced our version of Gnocchi Formaggi, which is a little lighter and features mozzarella from Berkeley based Belfiore Cheese Company.  Chicken Marsala lovers should try our Pollo Saltimbocca, which is stuffed with provolone and fresh sage and features prosciutto from Petaluma based Zoe’s Meats. It’s sautéed in a porcini mushroom reduction and served with sautéed organic spinach. Many of our regulars will be pleased to know that our Ossobuco di Maiale has returned!  Our culinary team has improved on the recipe and we now offer Kurobuta pork shanks.  Up to now, the major market for Kurobuta pork was Japan, where taste took priority over fat content. In Japan, Kurobuta pork is prized as much as Kobe beef, but now, local Bay Area and Socal chefs at upscale restaurants have “discovered” this artisanal pork.

For the next several weeks, you can find this menu along with a fixed course tasting menu throughout our restaurants in Northern and Southern California.  If you’re feeling adventurous, our Pleasant Hill and San Jose (The Alameda) locations are offering a different seasonal special menu, with items that we are “testing” for future use. If you want to get in on the “testing” or try a different seasonal dish, please visit those locations to see what the Pasta Pomodoro Culinary Team is working on.  We hope you enjoy the new dishes as much as we do and look forward to your feedback!