fresh pasta Archives - Taste With The Eyes

Pasta with Scallops, Lobster, Asparagus, Sage Truffle Butter

Restaurant Style
Pasta with Scallops, Lobster
Asparagus, Sage Truffle Butter

A most memorable meal at Ferraro’s inspired me to recreate one of their many fabulous menu items: the Pappardelle Mimmo. This seafood pasta, a favorite of the chef, was simply outstanding. We shared all our dishes at dinner and agreed that the pappardelle is now one of our favorites too.

Established in 1985, Ferraro’s Ristorante is located near the Las Vegas Strip. It is a family-owned business that prides itself on offering authentic Italian cuisine with a focus on traditional methods and recipes, high-quality seasonal ingredients, and homemade “everything” including sausage, meatballs, pastas, breads, desserts and more.

The restaurant is especially noted for its warm inviting atmosphere, superb service, and extensive wine list that features a wide selection of Italian and international wines. It’s no wonder that Ferraro’s has garnered a loyal following among Las Vegas locals and visitors alike…and that Gambero Rosso recently recognized them as one of the top Italian restaurants in the world.

Pasta with Scallops, Lobster, Asparagus, Sage Truffle Butter — Taste With The Eyes re-creation of Pappardelle Mimmo

Ferraro’s Ristorante Las Vegas

Ferraro's Antipasti — Ferraro’s Antipasti

Burrata con Zucchine
Burrata with grilled zucchini and herb oil

Carne Battuta
Prime beef tartare, Reggiano truffle reduction, black truffle crostini, hazelnuts

Vitello Tonnato – “A Must!”
Thinly sliced roasted veal, tuna sauce, caper berries, capers, lemon

Ferraro's Pasta, Pesce, Secondi — Ferraro’s Pasta, Pesce, Secondi

Pappardelle Mimmo
Long wide Pasta with scallops, lobster, asparagus, butter, sage, truffle

Lasagna alla Gino
Bolognese sauce, Béchamel sauce, ricotta cheese

Osso Buco – “House Specialty”
Veal shank in red wine reduction served with saffron risotto

Sogliola ai Capperi
Oven roasted Holland Dover Sole, lemon, butter, white wine, capers, deboned table side with roasted potato, grilled asparagus

Ferraro's Sogliola ai Capperi — Ferraro’s Sogliola ai Capperi

Ferraro's Pappardelle Mimmo — Ferraro’s Pappardelle Mimmo

Ferraro's Dessert — Ferraro’s Dessert and Happy Birthday Stone!

Passione Pistachio
Layered Pistachio cream, cream cheese custard, atop a rich walnut crust

How to Make Pasta with Scallops, Lobster,
Asparagus, and Sage Truffle Butter

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Truffled Mushroom Pappardelle

This mouthwatering Truffled Mushroom Pappardelle is a delightful pasta dish that features wide, flat, fresh pappardelle noodles paired with a savory-creamy-herby mushroom sauce where a drizzle of white truffle oil enhances the earthy mushroom flavors.

We are fortunate that our local Las Vegas Italian restaurant sells fresh house-made pasta to go, including pappardelle, fettuccine, spaghetti alla chitarra, and gnocchi. I am more than happy to promote Prosecco in Las Vegas for their imported cheeses including Burrata di Puglia and excellent fresh pasta.

Mushroom Pappardelle Recipe

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How To Make Spaghetti alla Chitarra

The chitarra, pictured above, is an implement that has been used for ages to make fresh noodles in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It has a wooden frame that is strung with several taut parallel wires, reminiscent of a guitar, hence the name “chitarra” which is “guitar” in English.

A long rectangle of pasta dough is pushed through the wires with a rolling-pin to make noodles. Although the instrument is old, my method is not. Below I show how to make Spaghetti alla Chitarra with a food processor to form the dough. Old World meets New World and fresh pasta noodles couldn’t be easier, or more fun!

Spaghetti alla Chitarra Recipe

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Spaghetti alla Chitarra, Lamb Ragu

Spaghetti alla Chitarra, Spiced Lamb Ragù

One of the most popular dishes of the Italian region of Abruzzo is spaghetti alla chitarra. It is also known as maccheroni alla chitarra – but the long noodles are more similar to spaghetti than what we call macaroni-shaped pasta, so “spaghetti” is often used outside of Abruzzo.

A chitarra is the implement used to make the noodles, it looks, and when strummed, sounds like a guitar, hence its name. It is a wooden frame that is strung with many parallel wires. A long rectangle of pasta dough is pushed through the wires with a rolling pin to make the noodles. I show how to make spaghetti alla chitarra in the next post, here.

A hearty lamb ragù is most often paired with these robust noodles. With its mountainous pastures and grassy plains, Abruzzo has been an ideal environment for sheep-farming for centuries. I’ve spiced my lamb ragù with toasted fennel, cinnamon, and oregano. It’s topped with pecorino, an Italian cheese made from ewe’s milk.

For fun, I styled and photographed the dish in the dramatic style of late 16th century Italian master painter, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio.