Peter M.
Yelp
The plan, for my last day in Vegas was proceeding well. It was time for lunch, before heading to the airport and home to the SFV. I went back to the Park MGM and walked around Eataly, absorbing what was cooking, at the restaurants and eateries. My mood was for pasta, but it had to be, something simple and legendary. So I ended up at La Pizza E La Pasta Ristorante (note the Yelp page erroneously has "&" instead of "E"). Walking in to the small dining space, one cannot miss the big sign above the open kitchen that states, LA PASTA FRESCA E DI GRAGNANO. Essentially stating that the pasta is fresh and from the town of Gragnano (in Italy). I was intrigued by this bold statement and questioned my server. She clarified, that while some pastas were made fresh there, the others were boxed. So in a way, the sign is misleading, even if both use ingredients from Gragnano. My interest was in the Bucatini Cacio E Pepe, prepared with Afeltra Bucatini (a boxed pasta), Genuine Fulvi® Pecorino Romano DOP, Black Pepper. And I had previously conducted copious research on this preparation.
Please allow me to share. This dish was originally prepared by shepherds, a quick pasta meal with two basic simple ingredients, cheese and pepper. Some restaurants favor Bucatini over Spaghetti for the pasta type. The former is thicker to accommodate the hollow center that runs throughout, and apparently allows the sauce to coat both the inside and out of the pasta. The Afeltra pasta brand is indiginous to the Italian town of Gragnano, lauded for its pastas. To get this dish right, the cheese has to be Pecorino Romano, an Italian hard cheese made from 100% sheep's milk that originates from specific geographical areas. DOP stands for Denominazione d' Origine Protetta (Protected Designation of Origin). So now, the entree was in front of me. Will it live up? So simple, but yet so stunningly beautiful and magnetically presented (see my photos). The pasta was cooked al dente (the only way I like it), and every strand was coated with this rich cheese and black pepper, that made a statement but was not overwhelming. Yes, the pepper was freshly cracked, just the right amount, but it had a unique and fragrant pungency. Was it from Italy too? Sorry, I should have, but did not ask. Instead, I was engulfed in the texture and memorable flavor of this spectacular dish. Unforgettable. Memorable. Divine.
Grazie mille signore e signori di questo ristorante.