Marcello Ristorante, Chef Tino di Marcello's Classic Italian in Thousand Oaks

[mktye]

(even the aggies were cheering for us)!

Next time, if you are as far north as Sherman Oaks, consider driving about a half an hour further up 101 to Thousand Oaks and going to Marcello Ristorante (140 W Hillcrest Dr., 805-371-4367) for their Ravioli de Zucca.

[DonRocks]

On 1/10/2006 at 9:50 AM, mktye said:

Next time, if you are as far north as Sherman Oaks, consider driving about a half an hour further up 101 to Thousand Oaks and going to Marcello Ristorante (140 W Hillcrest Dr., 805-371-4367) for their Ravioli de Zucca.

Nearly twelve-years later, Marcello Ristorante still has Ravioli con Ripieno di Zucca al Burro e Salvia on both their lunch and dinner menus for $15.50 and $19.50, respectively (zucca is pumpkin or butternut squash). Almost always, when you find this dish (and it's at several upscale pastarias in DC, most notably Tosca in terms of longevity), it's with Brown Butter and Sage, as it is at Marcello.

I'd say the biggest difference with the passage of time is that it may not be necessary to go out of your way to find this dish; however, if it *was* necessary, I'd do it, as there just isn't a more delicious combination of flavors - I would recommend a half-portion if possible, as it has definite, sweet overtones, and may be best-paired with other pastas in a smaller portion. Whoever first thought of this dish (decades ago? centuries ago?) was a genius.