If there's any one thing you should know about my family, it's that my monsters, hubby and I absolutely love good food. As parents, the hubby and I are advocates for having our children try varied foods whether it's during a home cooked meal prepared by their daddy or while enjoying local eats at a favorite restaurant or trying out a menu some place new.
Over the summer we were invited out to visit family owned, Pazzi Pasta in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn which was the perfect way to spend our afternoon before walking over to the Barclay Center for this years WWE Summer Slam. Who doesn't love a warm, tummy filling bowl of Pasta right?
Husband-and-wife team Dr. Giovanni Campanile and Dr. Sandra Cammarata with their children Dan (pictured with the boys above) and Francesca Campanile created Pazzi Pasta, which serves up a variety of wholesome, organic pasta dishes made with ancient grains, locally grown produce and are topped with delicious, made from scratch sauces. So there's no need to feel guilt ridden while digging into a bowl of anything they've got on the menu.
So why should you eat at Pazzi Pasta? While keeping true to authentic southern Italian traditions of pasta making and inspired by Sandra's mother - a gourmet chef in Italy- paired with Dan's ingenuity in conceiving the concept, the family wanted to make sure that New Yorkers had a unique and interactive experience that wouldn't break the bank. Without sacrificing freshness or mind-blowingly great taste their dishes come out quickly and you won't be disappointed because it's just so good. Customers will enjoy being able to pick and choose from their healthy choices of hand-made pasta, their rich sauces and varied toppings.
Pasta: kamut semolina, farro, spinach or tomato, nero di seppia (cuttlefish ink), gnocchi, and ravioli; gluten-free choices are also available.
Sauces: San Marzano tomato, ragù Bolognese, pesto, four cheese, smoked salmon and gorgonzola, funghi boscaoiola (mushroom sauce), puttanesca and cauliflower with garlic and almond
Slow-cooked toppings: meatballs, veg-balls (zucchini, eggplant, ricotta, egg white, wheat breadcrumbs), grilled chicken, pan-fried eggplant and zucchini, mixed forest mushrooms, and peas and pancetta
The space itself is quite charming and not overly designed, just lots of bright natural lighting and seating. It was really relaxing and inviting when you step foot in the door and makes for a great place to dine with family friends. The lil' monsters loved the kids korner and got in a few rounds of connect four after talking to Dan and while they waited for their food. And while it's definitely great for family dinners, I actually thought it was a cute spot for date night too! With a lovely outdoor patio in the back and offerings of wines and deserts, I told the hubby he and I would have to go back on our on one day and bring back sweets for the boys.
CJ couldn't resist being offered the chance to try out the sauces. His favorite by far was the smoked salmon with Gorgonzola because to him it tasted like bacon.
Our mini foodies with not so mini appetites were so excited when they found out we'd be taste testing a few pasta dishes and couldn't wait to dig in and try them all. Despite being a bit under the weather, even 4 year old Tristan was ready to stuff his cheeks.
We'll admit we were a bit skeptical about trying the cuttle fish ink pasta, something about black pasta just didn't seem appealing but it was AMAZING! Honestly, it paired with the smoked salmon sauce was really good. The pasta didn't taste like anything out of the ordinary because of it's coloring and was surprisingly our favorite out of all the ones we tried. We even insisted that one of the staff members (who had never tried it) trust our judgement and invited him over to dig in.
Hands down, really good!
The monsters can't wait to head back and try a pasta making class. If you're ever in the neighborhood we'd recommend you stop by and enjoy the serene space, friendly staff and healthy eats!
227 Smith Street
Brooklyn, NY
(347) 916 - 1076
Disclosure: We were invited for a complimentary meal in order to facilitate this review, no other compensation was received.
