Quick Look: Pasta D’Arte
By Staff in Food on May 30, 2014 7:30PM
Chicago is a wonderland of surprises, with restaurants hidden down residential streets and off commonly traveled paths. One such restaurant like that is Pasta D’Arte in Chicago’s Far Northwest Side. Those who savor authenticity in their Italian dishes will appreciate a fantastic menu selection and multi-course meals that are made to order instead of rushed to the table.
Start with homemade, complimentary Italian bread. Light and crusty on the outside, the inside is fantastic for dipping in olive oil. For a more traditional starter, do not miss out on the insalata caprese. Usually the tomatoes come halved, but at Pasta D’Arte they come in slices with fresh mozzarella, black olives, and a dollop of pesto instead of vinaigrette.
For a soup, there are the staple minestrone and tomato basil. However, the best soup is one jokingly called their garbage soup. Prepared with a vegetable broth and plum tomatoes, it has sage, white beans, barley, onion, and garlic.
When it comes to pasta, the restaurant shines. It only takes a forkful of the penne arrabbiata for one to agree. Arrabbiata is Italian for “angry”, which likely refers to the sauce’s spicy kick from the red pepper, which is balanced with the addition of black pepper, garlic, and onions.
If you prefer a cream sauce rather than a red sauce, the dish that will sate the appetite is their ravioli di arragosta. One may be inclined to forgo all red sauces after having this ravioli stuffed full of lobster and served in a cream sauce with tomatoes and shredded lettuce.
Save room for dessert and coffee. Cannoli and tiramisu are indeed on the menu. With temperatures warming, a flight of gelato is a light and ideal wrap-up to a hearty meal. The flavours change weekly, but if you get the combination of blood orange, raspberry, and lemon gelato, do not be surprised if you find yourself shouting, “Bravo!” The gelato is made fresh in-house and diners will enjoy the combination of citrus, tang, and natural sweetness in each scoop.
Pasta D’Arte feels more like walking into someone’s home. It is quaint, “old country,” and the great food and outstanding service keeps one wanting to experience more art of pasta from the Far North Side.
Pasta D’Arte is located at 6311 N. Milwaukee Ave.