Artigiano – Yukon Gold Gnocchi in Gorgonzola-Cream Sauce

Artigiano– fine dining quality Italian food from a food cart.  It’s amazing that they make their fresh homemade pasta all in a cart, and they also source local ingredients to complete the dish. Seriously, this is tablecloth restaurant quality stuff, the kind of food that I would expect with candles and sparkly chandeliers… but instead you get to enjoy it al fresco on the streets of SE Division.

Here is a photo of their meltingly delicious gnocchi, one of their handmade pasta dishes from their menu. This is the Yukon Gold Gnocchi in Gorgonzola-Cream Sauce with Filberts hazelnuts, and along with some arugula, parmigiano reggiano, and ground pepper with a touch of vinaigrette to help balance the richness… and a nice piece of bread to wipe up the sauce afterwards. I don’t know where the gnocchi kept disappearing so quickly- it was in my mouth and then gone like waking up from a good dream and trying to remember it quickly before it fades- and I kept taking spoonfuls and then I had no more, sad. 🙁

Recently the recipe for this dish for this dish was shared in Mix Magazine as part of an article on Comfort Food, Italian Style: Five Portland chefs share recipes. As Artigiano owner is quoted as saying the article regarding this dish…

“There’s nothing more comforting than the melt-in-your-mouth texture of perfectly made potato gnocchi,” says proprietor Rachael Grossman.

I agree- I barely noticed the gloomy cloudy skies of a rainy spring day as I sat beneath the little tent next to their cart to embrace the comfort from this dish.

Don’t let a rainy blustery day stop you from getting your pasta: you can call in take-out orders, and they have parking available in the Larry’s Lighting Repair Lot on 33rd & Division after 5pm for your quick pick up and go!

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Handmade Pasta at Nostrana, by Francesca Tori

A dinner at Nostrana, thanks to a special event that evening… egg pasta handmade from scratch and done the old fashioned way with a rolling pin from the tradition of Bologna and the Emilia Romagna region. Francesca (and her brother Tommaso) are from Bologna, Italy and doing a 1 month “pasta class tour” in the US that had started with Texas and then Seattle and had stopped in Portland next before going off to California for the rest of October (go to her website and email her if you are interested in signing up). I’m jealous that she was only in my area for a week but California is getting her for a month for opportunity of learning from sweet Italian girl (at least she appeared that way whenever I glanced over to the banquet table where she and her brother, Cathy Whims, and other guests were having dinner family style right next to us…). It seems a lot more lighthearted fun (and less intimidating) than learning from an Italian grandmama.

Handmade Pasta at Nostrana, by Francesca Tori

I started out with a wine flight of Vini del vulcano, red wines from Mt Etna “a magnificent wild terroir”. I’m a big fan of wines made from grapes in volcanic soil regions. I was in love with the middle wine especially, a Etna Rosso DOC I Custodi ‘Aetneus’ 2007 from grapes of 100+ year old vines, because it was so smooth and almost buttery in feel while being light berry forward. Meanwhile, F was excited and enjoyed some tasty Italian beers such as D’uvaBeer by LoverBeer and Genziana by Birra del Borgo.
Nostrana, Cathy Whims, Nostrana, Cathy Whims, Nostrana, Cathy Whims,

Starterwise, both the salad (Insalata mista with lettuces, crisp seasonal vegetables, arbequina olive oil and red wine vinegar) and House charcuterie plates were big hits. I was glad they refilled our bread plate so that I could use it to balance out all the rich meaty goodness. The House Charcuterie plate included, from upper left corner clockwise, crispy pork trotter, lamb liver and fresh herb pate, porchetta di testa, apple mostardo, coppa di testa, smoked ham, pickled radish and pattypan squash
Nostrana, Cathy Whims, bread service with olive oil Nostrana, Cathy Whims, Insalata mista with lettuces, crisp seasonal vegetables, arbequina olive oil and red wine vinegar Nostrana, Cathy Whims, House charcuterie plate, crispy pork trotter, lamb liver and fresh herb pate, porchetta di testa, apple mostardo, coppa di testa, smoked ham, pickled radish and pattypan squash

Finally, the beautiful handmade pastas from Francesca Tori, thick and doughy and fresh. The favorite pasta was the Caramelle candy-shaped pasta filled with Red Kuri squash, nutmeg, parmigiano, and sage butter (although maybe a little too generous with the butter, but nothing a little shake couldn’t help with), although the wonderful sauce with the Garganelli with prosciutto, arugula, brandy, milk, tomato, parmigiano was good enough to drink as a soup.
Handmade Pasta at Nostrana, by Francesca Tori, Caramelle candy-shaped pasta filled with Red Kuri squash, nutmeg, parmigiano, and sage butter Handmade Pasta at Nostrana, by Francesca Tori, Garganelli with prosciutto, arugula, brandy, milk, tomato, parmigiano

We wrapped up with a Tiramisu of ladyfingers, rum, mascarpone, Spella espresso and Pizzeria Mozza’s butterscotch budino with salted caramel. You cannot go to Nostrana without having budino!
Nostrana, Cathy Whims, Tiramisu of ladyfingers, rum, mascarpone, Spella espress Nostrana, Cathy Whims, Pizzeria Mozza's butterscotch budino with salted caramel Nostrana, Cathy Whims, Pizzeria Mozza's butterscotch budino with salted caramel

Nostrana will sometimes host various dinner and even cooking events with visiting chefs, so keep an eye on their Facebook and website to see what Nostrana is exploring next!

 

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