Sometimes I get a craving for pasta and I won’t be happy again until I’m twirling fresh linguine on my fork. Anyone with me?
I was hardcore craving pasta while my mom was visiting recently, so we asked for a recommendation from a local lady we trust (my mom’s BFF, Daisy, who’s lived in Rhode Island for a long time).
We dined in at Angelo’s Civita Farnese Restaurant, what seemed like a Providence institution. Everyone in the restaurant knew each other by name (and last name, and children’s names, and a lot of personal details). When we sat down, our server already knew Daisy’s order (even down to how much sauce she wanted on her broccoli).
I can’t resist a good gnocchi and my eyes nearly bugged out of my head when I saw that I could put vodka sauce on the gnocchi. Ordered. Done. Couldn’t wait to try it. (Vodka sauce is my all-time favorite, can’t-get-any-better-sauce, why-have-any-other-sauce.)
The dish was worth every calorie and definitely worth having to unbutton my jeans at the end of the meal to make room for my growing belly. Everyone else’s order looked amazing (and tasted great when I went in for the ole distract-and-steal).
Head to Angelo’s for a classic Italian dinner in a family-owned restaurant with a ton of character, great service, and a friendly feel.
The next time I got my pasta craving, I decided to find a place to order to-go and enjoy my meal with some wine at home. On my couch. In pajamas. Watching Will & Grace reruns. Heaven!
I picked Pasta Beach in Wayland Square and I ordered the Tagliatelle ai Funghi. The staff was so sweet and they even included some bread with my order. I took a short walk home and got settled in on my couch for a real treat-myself experience.
The dish was creamy, tasty, and perfectly cooked. The pasta tasted incredibly fresh. The sauce, mushrooms, and bread were absolute indulgences and I’m not mad about it. The serving size wasn’t unreasonable, so when I finished the meal I was full, but not uncomfortable.
I immediately wanted to try more menu options, so I decided to head back at my earliest opportunity.
The good news is that I was able to go to Pasta Beach again for a hangover meal with my best friend. It was a rough Sunday—we definitely earned those carbs!
Once again, I was unable to resist the gnocchi. I ordered it with pomodoro sauce and started stuffing my face with fresh bread and ginger ale.
The restaurant is decorated very nicely—crisp and bright with an open concept. We could watch the chef expertly preparing our pasta and he even brought it out to us. What an angel (I love any man who delivers me fresh pasta).
The gnocchi was amazing, which I expected, but the sauce! Oh, the sauce. It had the perfect combination of flavors and it was just a delight.
I was able to take some of the large portion home to enjoy later in my hangover (which I did).
There are about 10 more menu items I want to try at each of these lovely places, but I know there are a lot more Italian restaurants to try (and someone’s gotta do it!). Where should I go next?
Coming soon: a Best of Rome post that may leave you searching for cheap flights to Italy!
jane b. diener 