Pasta has undoubtedly earned an MVP title amongst the quarantine foods, since a bowl of warm, creamy and comforting carbs is just what we all need during stay-at-home orders. To bring the elegance of a fancy Italian date night (with yourself or with a loved one) home, chef David Marcelli has launched a new popup offering pasta kits that make it super easy to cook up a delicious and sophisticated meal in your home kitchen.
Pastaio David x Il Covo is available through Tock, a platform which has risen in popularity over the past several months by allowing upscale restaurants to pivot to a take-home model. The kits can be snagged on Fridays and Saturdays only, and each one includes pasta handmade by Marcelli, a sauce, any finishing touches and recipe cards to serve four people. As the name suggests, this pop-up is the latest food concept to emerge from Il Covo, a beloved Little Italy spot that has become so much more over the course of the pandemic by providing a space to host various experiments in food, cocktails and meal kits. This new partnership with David Marcelli is a match made in heaven, as his stunning handmade pastas are the ideal compliment to the silky sauces that Il Covo cooks up.
The kit options provide three different pasta dishes to choose from, each one incorporating different shapes, textures, flavours and styles. The Maccheroncini di Campofilone includes fine semolina egg noodles that get tossed in a bright green butter, caper and anchovy sauce, then finished with parsley oil and breadcrumbs.
For those in the mood for something a little more adventurous, the Cresc 'Tajat Pizzicati features a pasta dough made of polenta and flour that starts as a flat diamond cutout and gets pinched and folded into a beautiful geometric shape. This one is based on a classic Marchese pasta dish and includes a sauce of smoked cannelini beans with mustard greens and black beans, finished with Parmigiano and organic olive oil.
Last but not least, for those times when you're just craving a classic, pillowy gnocchi smothered in red sauce, the Gnocchi di Ricotta delivers with David's soft, ricotta-based gnocchi and a spicy 'nduja and wild ramp tomato sauce, with a salty dusting of ricotta salata to tie it all together.
Each pasta comes with the chef's easy-to-follow recipe card detailing how to prepare the dish, which is not much more complicated than simply heating up the sauce, cooking the pasta and plating it (perhaps the only DIY part that might make your dish deviate slightly from a restaurant's version). Of course, no pasta night is complete without drinks for those who are so inclined, and the Tock ordering system offers 500 mL cocktail kits from Il Covo's Radio Cocktails initiative for accompanying the meal. Along with cocktails, you can partake in an Aperitivo Kit to start your meal off with local cheese, olives, marinated artichokes and salami, and they also have a selection of lovely wine bottles to complete the true European experience.
Orders open up on Thursdays through Tock, for pickup on Friday and Saturday evenings starting at 6 p.m. from Il Covo at 585 College St. Make sure to head over to their website to reserve one of these delectable, limited-quantity pasta kits and create your dream Italian meal at home!
