As the most iconic ingredient of Italian-American cuisine, pasta is an entire culinary system. When chefs are passionate about their craft, their first step consists of selecting the ingredients that will make or break the culinary experience; in the case of great pasta dishes, they go with genuine items.
If you wish to taste the best pasta in Jersey City, a good starting point is to look at what the menu lists in terms of ingredients. For example, traditional non-pesto spaghetti with basil should be made with olive oil and grated Grana Padano cheese from the Veneto region of northern Italy; you can’t accept replacements such as parmesan because the overall taste will not be achieved.
In the case of tagliatelle with bone marrow a la cacio e pepe, this is an Italian-American twist on a traditional Roman recipe. To get the taste and texture right, you can’t substitute the marrow for beef concentrate, and the same goes for the pecorino, which some cooks claim they can replace with caramelized bacon, but it doesn’t work.
Another critical element is the pasta itself. Fresh, homemade pasta offers a superior texture and flavor; however, dried varieties can certainly be used as long as they are from quality brands. Semolina pasta is traditionally preferred for its high protein content for a tighter hold on the sauce.
To see special dishes made with the best pasta in Jersey City, visit janedoejc.com, where you can enjoy special events such as Pasta Tuesdays, Vinyl Lunch Sundays with a live DJ, rush hour cocktails, and more.
