There are more than 300 identified pasta shapes in Italy, each with a unique history, birthplace and use — from cheese-filled tubes to ruffled ribbons that grip sauce.
Chef Shane McAnelly of Dry Creek Kitchen pays a delicious tribute to his favorites on the restaurant’s new six-course pasta tasting menu, including the street corn agnolotti that stole my heart in the summer of 2020.
It was one of my favorite dishes of that challenging year. The pillows of pasta with roasted sweet corn, shishito peppers, lime, cotija and cilantro were the essence of summer on a plate. I’ve long wondered if it was as good as I remembered. It is.
The Dry Creek Kitchen pasta tasting menu ($119 per person, $85 supplemental wine pairing) is a departure from the restaurant’s progressive American cuisine, allowing McAnelly to showcase his pasta prowess.
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The former chef of Healdsburg’s Chalkboard and Brass Rabbit, McAnelly was celebrated for his handmade pasta and lush, seasonal sauces. He later reintroduced many of those dishes at Bricoleur Vineyards in Windsor, where he was executive chef for three years.
More than macaroni
What sets this tasting menu apart is the joyful celebration of Sonoma County produce, made magical at this time of year.
The opening salvo is a single slice of Russian River Organics heirloom tomato atop creamy stracciatella with fresh basil leaves, Rochioli olive oil and a drip of aged balsamic. It’s almost comical in its simplicity, but a talented chef knows when to step back and let the ingredients shine.
Bellwether Farms ricotta gnudi wrapped in squash blossoms and bathed in a clear broth of tomato water and Parmesan is breathtaking. I have no idea what sorcery it takes to make umami tomato water, but bathing in it would not be out of the question.
The showstopper is a sweet-savory Cocao Trifoglio, which McAnelly has revived from the Chalkboard menu. The clover-shaped tubes of pasta are infused with cocoa, lending an earthy foundation for a nest of Liberty duck confit. The lily is gilded with rich Madeira cream sauce and crunchy hazelnut praline. This will absolutely be one of my “Best Dishes of the Year.”
Beet Gigli with short rib sugo in a zesty horseradish gremolata is the heartiest course and had me crying for mercy and a doggy bag. It was just as amazing the next day for lunch, overlooking the fact that I microwaved it. Sorry, chef Shane.
Pastry chef Taylor Kelley gets into the pasta spirit with a strawberry nuvole pasta (made with flour and strawberry powder). Shavings of white chocolate and a quenelle of mascarpone mousse add glam to this clever dessert.
While I’m all about a good plate of macaroni or a messy plate of spaghetti and meatballs, Dry Creek Kitchen’s pasta tasting menu does a deep dive into the ocean of what pasta can be in the hands of a master.
Reservations are highly recommended.
Dry Creek Kitchen, 317 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg. 707-431-0330, drycreekkitchen.com
You can reach Dining Editor Heather Irwin at heather.irwin@pressdemocrat.com. Follow Heather on Instagram @biteclubeats.