In my never ending quest for the best Italian restaurant in the area, we took a trip to north Raleigh and ate dinner at
Ninas Ristorante. The pasta dishes here are very much worth a mention, as is the desert we tried. I had the
Rigatoni Amatriciana which had a mildly spicy, deep flavored sauce made with panchetta, chilli peppers, plum tomatoes, basil, and red wine. So perfect for a winter evening with a glass of red wine. I did not take any home! One of my daughters had the
Ravioli con Salmone, served with chunks of salmon, peas, and toasted pine nuts in a creamy sage and basil sauce.
I must admit I was worried that the ravioli would be too "pasta" heavy as so many house made ravioli are, but these were beautifully done. The ravioli seemed to be swimming in the sauce, but again, once a taste was had there was no need to complain. My other daughter had the
Penne alla Vodka without the chicken. Since this dish is a family favorite, we enjoy ordering it whenever it is on the menu. It never ceases to amaze us that the creamy pink vodka sauce can vary so much from place to place. This one was a bit heavier on the cream than some, which my daughter seemed to relish. And for dessert we shared an order of
tiramisu, which stunningly was one of the best we have had in the area. It was a bit mild on the espresso and liqueur but not overly sweet and otherwise light and wonderful...made by the owner Nina herself.
In my never ending quest for the best Italian restaurant in the area, we took a trip to north Raleigh and ate dinner at Ninas Ristorante. The pasta dishes here are very much worth a mention, as is the desert we tried. I had the Rigatoni Amatriciana which had a mildly spicy, deep flavored sauce made with panchetta, chilli peppers, plum tomatoes, basil, and red wine. So perfect for a winter evening with a glass of red wine. I did not take any home! One of my daughters had the Ravioli con Salmone, served with chunks of salmon, peas, and toasted pine nuts in a creamy sage and basil sauce. 
I must admit I was worried that the ravioli would be too "pasta" heavy as so many house made ravioli are, but these were beautifully done. The ravioli seemed to be swimming in the sauce, but again, once a taste was had there was no need to complain. My other daughter had the Penne alla Vodka without the chicken. Since this dish is a family favorite, we enjoy ordering it whenever it is on the menu. It never ceases to amaze us that the creamy pink vodka sauce can vary so much from place to place. This one was a bit heavier on the cream than some, which my daughter seemed to relish. And for dessert we shared an order of tiramisu, which stunningly was one of the best we have had in the area. It was a bit mild on the espresso and liqueur but not overly sweet and otherwise light and wonderful...made by the owner Nina herself. 
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