5-Course Pasta Tasting at Bar Sugo: Decadent & Delicious

Jeff "jfood" Schlesinger May 19, 2015

Several years ago I sampled Chef Pat Pascarella’s Pasta Bolognese and it was one of the best Bolognese I had ever tasted. Since that time, Pascarella opened Bar Sugo on Wall Street in Norwalk and I have enjoyed many of Chef Pat’s creations. He recently introduced his full-table Pasta Tasting menu and invited CTbites to sample the five courses…from a straightforward tomato and basil to a complex lobster, morel and truffle. The incredible Bolognese that Chef Pat served me several years ago was a prelude to the fantastic five courses that I enjoyed with wine pairings from Sommelier Megan Pacarella.

The first course was a traditional Spaghetti with tomato and basil. The pasta was cooked to al dente with just a small bite to the texture. It was swathed with a rich and thick tomato sauce with a smattering of torn basil leaves. The sauce was a deep and vibrant concentration of tomato flavor. This simple presentation proved that a great dish requires only perfectly cooked pasta and a rich, delicious tomato sauce.

This was followed by two filled pasta courses. The first was a golden beet and Robiolina cheese stuffed Casonsei. The triangular pockets were served atop a butter sauce, accented with a drizzle of saba and finished with a sprinkling of poppy seeds. The Casonsei were minimally filled with the golden beets and cheese purée which offered a touch of sweetness from the beets and a slight tanginess from the cheese. The saba delivered a delightful sweetness and the poppy seeds were an excellent addition to add earthiness and a little crunch.

The next course was Ricotta Ravioli topped with peas, a mint and pea purée and a few shreds of pickled ramps. The mint and pea purée was fantastic with the peas served al dente to add a little textural difference. The pickled ramps were a great addition and added a different twist with its pungent notes to complement the earthiness of the peas and the mint. These three ingredients created a perfect balance to this dish.

The fourth and first non-vegetarian pasta was a Fusilli Bianco & Nero. A traditional fusilli was paired with a squid ink fusilli. The twin pastas were swathed with a smoked tomato sauce and served with chunks of sausage, shrimp, smoked tomato and “pickled hots.” This playful “surf and turf” interpretation featured various competing components. The sausage, tomato and pasta were wonderful and the addition of the pickled hots added a great layer of spiciness. The squid ink with the shrimp and pickled hots was a different flavor profile, combining the mildness of the shrimp with the spiciness of the peppers. In the end, I really enjoyed the sausage and pepper combination and would order that as a separate and delicious savory pasta.

Chef Pat saved the best for last and when I say best, the fifth pasta was one the best entrées I have tasted in quite some time. The presentation began with a delightfully soft ricotta Gnocchi, served with chunks of lobster, morel mushrooms, a black truffle butter sauce and finished with a smattering of black truffle pieces. The gnocchi were the perfect canvas for the decadent combination of the rich lobster, truffles and morels. The holey texture of the mushrooms captured the sauce with each bite and the lobster added a mild sweetness. The entire dish was elevated with the addition of the black truffles, which added a rich and fragrant earthiness. This was a brilliant execution in every aspects.

Overall, the five pastas that Chef Pat prepared were fantastic. From the simplistic tomato and basil to the highly complex gnocchi with morels and lobster, each showcased a balanced approach to pasta with creative and delicious combinations. I hope each will be available separately to Bar Sugo guests so more people can enjoy some of the best pasta in the area.

Bar Sugo - 102 Wall St, Norwalk, CT 06850

(203) 956-7134

Outstanding