Anyone fancy a picnic in Central Park?

The weather is supposed to be quite spectacular this weekend! Grab your sunglasses, a copy of the times and head over to Central Park after you stop by to pick up your ticket to Prix Fixe Paradise 🙂

It Pays To Be A Social Fan :)

Being a social follower really pays off! Pappardella shows their most loyal Facebook Fan appreciation by offering a dinner for two on the house! Who will be next?

 

Yoshino Cherry blossoms bloom….in Central Park

In case you haven’t noticed… it’s officially “Spring” all around. Check out the beautiful Cherry Blossom Bloom in Central Park from NYC Daily Pictures. Sooo exciting! It’s almost time for picnics in the park!

Monica Bellucci Graces The Cover of Glamour Italia

Gourmet Goods at Great Prices

For those Upper West Siders looking for a happy medium between the prices at Whole Foods & Gourmet Garage, the Columbia Spectator has let us in on a little secret… WestSide Market is opening a new 24 hour location on Broadway between 96th and 97th streets, this location will join the WestSide family of markets scattered from MorningSide to the UWS and Chelsea. The new location will have a soft opening in the first week of April (Next Week you guys!)… So you probably won’t even know it’s open unless you happen to walk by, or read this post. Two weeks later, they plan to move forward with ads and all that jazz. The prices will be the same as the location on 110th street, but the new location will feature wider isles, speedier checkouts, a deli and salad bar and a greater product variety. So there you go… another place for you to save on all of the gourmet ingredients you’re going to need to follow Pappardella’s recipes 🙂

Dinner in New York

Check out this post from thehonestpalate: This truly is Dinner in NY! Everyone deserves a break every once in a while right? I don’t know about you, but it’s 66 degrees and the flowers are blooming up and down the UWS streets. I’ll take my dinner in the cafe with a glass of Prosecco thank you 🙂

“Life is a combination of magic and pasta.” ~Federico Fellini

Box of Rotini $1.75

Fresh Veggies & Cured Meat $10.99

Enjoying a lite, healthy and flavorful  Italian Pasta Salad with a view of Central Park…Priceless.

It would be criminal to eat lunch at your desk this afternoon. Join us on the patio at Pappardella for a savory mid-day siesta. For the price of a deli sandwich and a drink, you’ll avoid the lunch lines and get a chance to soak in some much needed vitamin D. “Mangiamo!”

If you can’t make it to the restaurant, try Chef Marion’s simple recipe at home…

Pappardella Pasta Salad

Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 15 mins

Serves: 6
Ingredients

• 1 (1 lb) box Rainbow Rotini
• 2 cups chopped green peppers
• 2 cups diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cups chopped red onions
• 1/2 lb cubed mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 lb sliced pepperoni
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives
• Ingredients for Dressing
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. Mix together dressing first and set aside until sugar is dissolved completely.
2. Cook pasta according to box directions and rinse under cold water until cool.
3. Cut the sliced pepperoni circles in half and separate slices.
4. Mix together all pasta ingredients.
5. Cool and let marinate for an hour. enjoy

Leaving on a Jet Plane?

They say tomorrow will be 80 degrees in the city… kinda makes you want to hop on a plane for a sun kissed, relaxing vacation on Florence Italy’s Cinque Terre Beach. For those of you stuck on THIS island, we’d love to see you soak in the sun rays from our outdoor cafe over a brunch mimosa or a satisfying semifreddo.

(SOURCE: TravelPod.com)

A Cure For Spring’s Sweet Tooth

Everyone loves dessert right? The only thing is… warm weather makes you want to steer clear of anything overly rich or heavy. We’ve been lucky enough to have a mild winter here in NYC, and now it seems as though Spring has already sprung. We’re already wearing shorts and sandals in the middle of March!

Anywhoo… What better than fresh strawberries to add a crispness to your confectionary craving? Chef Marion here at Pappardella whipped up this refreshing spin (Strawberry Tiramisu) on an old school classic last summer, and it sold wildly out of control as the choice dessert for our outdoor cafe.

Come to Pappardella to try it, or follow the directions below to make it yourself and impress your friends at your next dinner party.

Creamy Strawberry Moscato Torte

Time: 20 minutes, plus 6 hours for chilling

You’ll Need:

1 1/2 quarts strawberries
1 tablespoon superfine or granulated sugar, more to taste
1 bottle (750 milliliters) moscato wine, more for serving
2 pounds mascarpone
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, more for sprinkling if desired
2 plump, moist vanilla beans
48 ladyfingers (2 packages).
1. Hull and slice 1 quart of strawberries. Leave remaining 1/2 quart whole for garnish. Put sliced berries in a bowl and gently toss with superfine or granulated sugar, adding more if berries are very tart. Add a splash of moscato to bowl and macerate for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile in a large mixing bowl, whisk together mascarpone, heavy cream and 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar. Use a sharp knife to split vanilla beans lengthwise. With the knife’s flat side, scrape out seeds and add to mascarpone mixture. Lightly whisk until soft peaks form. (Save vanilla pods for another use, like vanilla sugar.)

3. Pour 3 cups of moscato into a shallow bowl. Working with 2 or 3 cookiesat a time, dip ladyfingers into the wine, turning once to coat for a few seconds so that they can absorb some of the liquid; use as many of them as fit to line a 9- by 13-inch baking dish (or other 2-quart casserole) in one layer.

4. Spread half of mascarpone mixture onto ladyfingers. Spoon strawberries and juices on top of mascarpone in an even layer. Dip more ladyfingers and arrange on top of berries in an even layer. Top with remaining mascarpone mixture, using a spatula to smooth. Cover and refrigerate torte for at least 6 hours and for as long as 2 days. Garnish with reserved strawberries. Scoop torte into bowls or goblets to serve and drizzle with a little more moscato.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings.