Fresh pasta takes exactly two minutes to cook, according to chef Ian Marks of Sebastopol’s Acre Pasta. No more, no less for the perfect al dente consistency — firm to the bite.
“Any longer is a sin. And this is where we draw the line,” said Marks, who makes the tiny Barlow restaurant’s frilly pappardelle, lumache and tagliatelle daily.
Using only semolina flour and water for the dough, Marks has the preparation and cooking time down to a science — not only for its al dente quality but because it’s the most efficient way to make pasta in his pint-size open kitchen.
So, when customers started sending back his cacio e pepe bucatini, asking for it to be cooked longer — up to 7 minutes — he took it off the menu.
“I can’t change the culture, so we work around it,” he said.
The Acre family
Just steps from Acre Pizza at The Barlow, Acre Pasta is a sister restaurant created by restaurateur Steve DeCosse. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because DeCosse also founded Acre Coffee (now Avid Coffee), which he sold in 2021.
The small indoor-outdoor space is as close to a Roman trattoria as DeCosse and Marks could make it, with an easygoing patio perfect for people-watching and a warm indoor dining room with table service. Guests at surrounding taprooms and wine shops can also order from the Acre Pasta menu.
DeCosse’s career as a restaurateur began in 1991 with San Francisco’s Slow Club, which former San Francisco Chronicle critic Michael Bauer named one of the most important restaurants of the past 30 years in 2013. DeCosse sold the business in 1998; it permanently closed in 2015.
Acre Pasta marks his 14th restaurant venture and it stays true to his long-standing philosophy: make good food — or, in the case of Acre Coffee, good coffee — with good ingredients at a good price. Now 61, DeCosse considers Acre Pasta his swan song.
Big dreams, small kitchen
DeCosse teamed up with Marks in February to create a small, sustainable menu for the new trattoria.
“We talked about our dream pasta spots, like Delfina in San Francisco, and classic cacio e pepe in Rome,” said Marks, a consulting chef for Acre Pasta.
Marks’ background as a restaurant owner, research-and-development (R&D) chef and food manufacturer helped shape the menu, cooking techniques and pricing strategy. DeCosse was adamant about offering dishes under $15 — the spaghetti with Sunday sauce, for example, is just $12.
That’s why the two-minute pasta cooking time is so important to Marks. Not only does it deliver the right consistency but also helps streamline operations in the small kitchen.
“It’s about how many times you touch the dish, and I was thinking it through for the cooks and the company,” he said. Sauces and other staples are prepared in a commissary kitchen shared with Acre Pizza in Petaluma, and some ingredients are repurposed — like leftover pizza dough turned into breadcrumbs for Caesar salad and meatballs.
Cacio e pepe, originally on the opening menu, was removed because it took too long to finish in the restaurant kitchen. In its place, Marks added spaghetti al limone, a light, summery dish with lemon, cream and Parmesan that’s quicker to execute. Other new additions include baked pasta (think lasagna), Pasta alla Norma with Italian sausage, eggplant, ricotta and mozzarella — dishes designed for easy preparation.
But efficiency doesn’t mean the food lacks a personal touch. The Sunday red sauce tastes like it came straight from nonna’s kitchen, with a slow-cooked flavor and kick of fresh tomatoes. The lumache pesto went through dozens of iterations before landing on one made with cashew cream, giving it a subtly sweet, gentle quality you don’t find in most pesto.
Cacio e pepe may be off the menu for now, but Marks hasn’t ruled out a return.
“It’s a hard little thing to do, but it might come back. I’ve always thought it should be an off-menu item on a secret menu — someday,” he said.
Best bets
Burrata toast ($12): Simple triangles of grilled bread slathered with creamy burrata and topped with sliced Roma tomatoes, balsamic glaze and torn basil.
Caesar salad ($15): The usual suspects are chicories and romaine with a shower of fresh Parmesan, breadcrumbs and anchovies. There’s garlic in the dressing, but not so much it leaves you reeking for a week.
Meatballs with Sunday red sauce ($15): The meatballs are made with beef, pork and breadcrumbs made from leftover Acre Pizza dough. The sauce steals the show.
Spaghetti and Sunday red sauce ($12): The research and development that went into this sauce may be NASA-level, but its simplicity is the real magic. Rather than relying on meat, Marks concentrates the juice from canned tomatoes with fennel seed, adding chopped tomatoes at the end. Perfection.
Spaghetti al limone ($16): It’s a grown-up version of buttered noodles. This crowd favorite relies on pasta water to thicken the creamy lemon sauce. Summery and whisper light.
Tagliatelle pesto ($17): Probably one of my very favorite dishes, with snap peas and asparagus (seasonal vegetables will change) in a cashew-based sauce. Not your usual sticky pesto.
Paparadelle al Ragu Bolognese ($22): This is the Bolognese I’ve been looking for. We can argue all day about what a “real” Bolognese recipe includes, but this slow-cooked meat sauce has the warmth of a summer day in Emilia-Romagna.
Lumache al funghi ($24): Strictly for mushroom lovers. The concentrated flavors of dried and fresh mushrooms in cream hug the curly tubes of lumache (cooked very al dente). This dish can be divisive (two of us loved it, two of us weren’t so sure), but I’m a fan.
Note: All pasta dishes can be upgraded with a dollop of burrata, pancetta, mushrooms, chicken breast or wild Gulf shrimp. Gluten-free pasta is also available, and several pasta sauces are vegetarian. The menu is also available for pickup and will soon be offered for delivery.
Prosecco, a Cappelletti Spritz (an Aperol spritz dupe), Folk Machine wine blend wine, and Reality Czeck Pilsner are available.
Overall: Affordable and accessible with plenty of heart and soul.
Acre Pasta, 6751 McKinley St. at The Barlow, Sebastopol, acrepasta.com. Open 4-8 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday; 4 to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Lunch coming soon.