A Little Bit About a Lot of Things

Ciao Pizza and Pasta is a little shop located just across the street from the Chelsea courthouse. The newly renovated eat in area features about 10 seats at the bar – but most people come in for takeout. The restaurant features coal fired pizza made in 90 seconds and pasta made from scratch.

We had a chance to sample a not yet on the menu appetizer, the shrimp bruschetta. The bread is the pizza dough and it is light as a feather – I love the flavors of this dish- bold flavor but not heavy at all.

Of course I tried the bolognese made with housemade campanelle pasta ($14). The chorizo bolognese is not a traditional one, but it puts this bolognese near the top of the list for all time favorite bolognese dishes. It’s lighter than its creamier counterparts and topped with Parmigianno reggiano and bacon.

The porcini fettucini was an unexpected favorite – served with mushrooms, black truffle butter and Parmigiano reggiano. This is the kind of dish that you would expect at a high end restaurant, and at $12, it’s a steal!

The herbed gnocchetti ($18) was light as air, served with red wine braised short ribs, root vegetables and Parmesan cheese. A great choice on a cold rainy day – comfort food at its best.

And as if I couldn’t fit another bite in, we decided we just had to try a pizza, so we picked the sopressata ($12) that was topped with garlic confit (!!), cherry peppers and pecorino cheese. The crust is amazing and the toppings are generous. The pizzas are personal sized, so don’t feel bad eating one all by yourself (I will not confirm or deny that this may or may not have happened when we went back for takeout).

Another item not to miss on their menu, the housemade potato chips! Light and salty, with a little bit of a kick from paprika.

Thanks Richard from the Passionate Foodie for the awesome suggestion!

Ciao Pizza and Pasta

59 Williams Street, Chelsea, MA

http://www.ciaopizzaandpasta.com

Tags: bolognese, casual dining, chelsea, pasta, pizza, takeout