It’s nice to return somewhere from last year’s list to get a new list item. Last year I had an amazing duck and foie gras ravioli at Scarpetta thanks to Time Out. And I’m hoping their entry this year, the Tagliolini will be just as mind-blowing.
We sat at the bar and were given good service considering they were pretty crowded. They were also nice enough to split our pasta in to two portions, even though we didn’t ask. I do think in splitting it we lost some of the sea urchin because the waiter said it was garnished on top, but neither of us could find it.
Tagliolini is a long pasta in the same family as tagliatelle, but not as flat. Scarpetta serves their tagliolini as a black squid-ink pasta tossed with lots of mixed seafood – mussels, squid, and shrimp.
The pasta was clearly homemade and it was perfectly cooked. It was very creamy and thick. The seafood, if a little underdone, added some nice textures and rich flavors. It wasn’t as spectacular and memorable as that ravioli from last year, but it was a good dish. It seems like that’s how Scarpetta likes to do it.
Would Scarpetta’s Tagliolini make my Top 100 of the year? Probably not. The pasta was good, but not as special as their ravioli dish. I give it a 7 out of 10 and find it hard to believe there aren’t other special gems on their pasta menu.
