Grassa | NW Portland

Who's in the mood to carbo-load??

Grassa - another outpost from the geniuses behind Lardo - just opened a second location right around the corner from us, here in good ol' NW Portland. Our 'hood, as bumping as it might be, was seriously lacking a fast-casual spot with incredible food and decent beer on tap. Thanks to Grassa, that void has been filled.

Now, first things first: Grassa just opened their doors here in NW, so this isn't a review. I just want to share my initial thoughts on this new spot here in my own neighborhood, as I've been anxiously awaiting its opening - and I think it's worth the early visit.

The concept behind Grassa, in my own words, is a casual atmosphere (you order at the counter, then seat yourself) with a high quality yet simple menu (simple meaning your options are pasta, mostly, with a few additional appetizers and sides - think salad, garlic bread, cheese plate).

Z and I dined there last Friday night, and we both ordered a Barley Brown's Hand Truck Pale Ale to start. (It's a solid, local pale ale). To start, we also had the surprisingly impressive Cheese Board ($8) served with a generous amount of roasted garlic, grilled bread, oil-cured tomatoes, and the most decadent Cambozola cheese.

We also opted for the house Garlic Bread ($3), which had odd yet welcome notes of orange zest in each bite. We eagerly heaped the creamy cheese, sweet roasted garlic, etc. on each crusty piece of bread, getting a bit too full too fast - but calories don't count on Fridays, amiright?

For our entrees, we each got one of the two vegetarian pasta dishes on the menu (sadly, Grassa doesn't seem to modify meat dishes for vegetarians - even if the request is simply "no pancetta"). I got the Spaghetti 'Aglio Olio' ($8), tossed with garlic, chile flake,  olive oil, Grana, and breadcrumbs.

Z got the Cacio e Pepe ($9), made with truffle butter, sea salt, cracked black pepper, and Grana.

While both dishes were quite simple, the flavors were spot-on, and the pasta texture was perfectly toothsome. For the prices, the serving sizes were quite huge - we both went home with half of our dishes as leftovers (the bread and cheese beforehand may have helped with that, though).

I'm definitely excited to make a return visit to this new Grassa location, despite how dangerous its proximity to me will be for my waistline.

Have you checked out the new Grassa yet? 

Red-Wine Spaghetti with Walnuts and Parsley

Guys. Turns out we've been cooking pasta wrong all along.

Instead of boiling water, we should have been boiling RED WINE.

What were we thinking???

Z found this recipe for Red-Wine Spaghetti a few weeks ago, and I immediately knew we had to make it. I mean, the recipe basically tells you to boil carbs in wine, and that it is a good idea. Obviously, I'd be on board.

But the best part about this method of cooking pasta is that the red wine gives the noodles so much savory flavor. And thanks to cooking all the alcohol off, you don't feel like you're biting into warm wine, either. This method really just elevates a somewhat simple pasta dish into a glorious meal.

What are we waiting for? Here's how to make the best damn pasta you've ever cooked.

Red-Wine Spaghetti with Walnuts & Parsley
Yields: 4 generous servings
Adapted slightly from Food & Wine
-5 cups water
-3 1/4 cups dry red wine (I used a local Pinot Noir, and it worked just fine)
-Salt
-1 pound spaghetti
-1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
-4 small garlic cloves, minced
-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
-1/2 cup chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
-1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
-1/2 cup grated good Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
-Black pepper

Directions:
1.) In a large saucepan, combine the water with 3 cups of the wine and a large pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook, stirring, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid.
2.) In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the garlic and red pepper and season with salt. Cook over moderate heat for 1 minute. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of wine and the reserved cooking liquid and bring to a simmer. Stir in the pasta and cook until the liquid is nearly absorbed, 2 minutes. Add the parsley, nuts, the 1/2 cup of cheese and the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and toss. Season the pasta with salt and pepper and serve with extra grated cheese and an additional sprinkling of parsley.

I mean...how easy is that? AND you get to cook carbs in alcohol. Hallelujah!

Have you ever cooked pasta in red wine before? If not, will you now??