Being my first time at Nuovo Restaurant on Shrewsbury Street, I didn’t quite know what to expect, but I went in with an open mind. Upon entering I was greeted with chic designs and a dimly lit dining room with well dressed tables and an inviting environment. When we finally got to our meals, we had the choice from an array of Italian classics with a twist. To start my meal off, I ordered the Arancini, which are fried rice balls with ham, peas, and covered in a buffalo mozzarella marinara sauce. This was quite different but delicious in the same breathe. The crunchy outside gave way to a creamy rice center and the sauce put it over the top. The buffalo mozzarella added a slight heat to the dish that was welcome and was a great way to start any meal.
My main dish was the parpadelle a’matriciana, a parpadelle pasta dish with pancetta, onion, pecorino romano cheese and tomato sauce. When presented with my meal, it was a heaping plate of pasta displayed in a big bowl with an ornate pasta serving spoon for effect. The pasta was cooked al dente and the one particular item that stood out right from the start was the onions. They were cooked but still crunchy and gave an excellent textural contrast to the fork tender pasta. I found that the pancetta could have been a little more prominent as I found myself really having to search for the nuggets of delicious pork. When it was found, it added a nice smokey aspect to the meal. In addition to these tastes and textures, the pasta sauce was well balanced. Once again, it had a slight heat at the end but nothing that made it too overpowering nor unnoticeable. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who is looking for a quiet meal with a spouse or significant other and wanted some delicious Italian meals that you can’t get many other places. -ED