Old Montreal is a great part of town where you can find great pasta dishes any time of the year. Here's a glimpse of what you can enjoy there!
Le Serpent delivers quite a different pasta experience, including a luscious, creamy lobster risotto with mascarpone, and veal. The orzotto is piled high with foie gras shavings for a decadence that melts into the orzo with rich and flavourful veal. And finally, try the chestnut ravioli with pomegranate molasses and Jerusalem artichokes for an earthy dish that will astound you.
Da Emma is an Old Montreal institution run by Emma Risa, known to all as Mama Emma, for the past 20 years. All pasta is homemade and the fettuccine with mixed mushrooms is fresh, simple and delicious. If you’re looking for something more robust, try the gorgonzola tortellini, which is rich and decadent. And their potato gnocchi are perfection, not too heavy, and definitely satisfying.
If you’re looking for a risotto that really stands out, check out Mercuri. Made with truffles, morels and pistachios, the flavours melt into one another seamlessly. The truffle flavour is apparent, the morels are plentiful, the pistachios add a lovely crunch, and the stracchino cheese adds to the dish’s creaminess. Be sure to check out the fire pit side of the restaurant too.
When a restaurant has whole prosciuttos hanging in the window, you would expect their menu to be heavy on the meat. And while Hambar doesn’t disappoint in this respect, it also has plenty of pasta dishes to choose from, we love their gnocchi with mushrooms and prosciutto. The gnocchi are made small and light, with plenty of mushrooms and salty prosciutto. Hambar also has a duck confit “carbonara” with pappardelle, and, when in season, a squash ravioli.
Tagliatelle carbonara served in a lobster bisque sauce with shallots, sundried tomatoes and basil is a must try at Bocata. The egg arrives in its half shell, seasoned with salt and pepper, ready to mix in with the pasta for added richness. The smoked bacon is essential to the dish, and the lobster is an added (and very welcome!) twist on a classic carbonara.
Reminiscent of a favourite Diva dish, the ravioli at Le Local are filled with cheese and topped with a luscious duck confit and shiitake mushroom sauce. It is hearty, comforting and doesn’t skimp on the duck or mushrooms. The sauce is made with a thickened au jus sauce and the arugula is wilted nicely with the heat of the ingredients.
When you keep returning to a restaurant for one specific dish, it’s something special. The ravioli stuffed with Portobello mushrooms, topped with a mound of pulled duck confit in a sauce made of duck juice and cream, is perfection at Vallier. Crisp green beans, arugula and parmesan shavings are also incorporated into the dish – the flavours all compliment one another and aren’t overpowering.