Family jewels,
Pasta Casareccia is Italian done right on the west side

by Joanna Fox

Sherbrooke Street West in NDG is like Monkland avenue’s cooler, older brother. Sherbrooke is just naturally more edgy, gritty and cultured while Monkland tries, but never seems to be able to get the moves right. With Sherbrooke’s vast array of shops, restaurants and grocers, it’s a street full of eclectic variety that always draws me back in. Along this strip is Pasta Casareccia, a small Italian restaurant and deli three doors down from the legendary Cosmos.

A family-run business for 25 years, Pina Petraccone and brothers Mauro and Fabio serve simple, fresh food with no pretensions, creating a well-loved staple for many devotees in the hood. Casareccia is small and narrow with a long deli counter to one side selling various cured meats, antipasto, cheese, fresh pastas and a selection of their sauces that taste just as good over Primo pasta at home (when you impress your guests with your “secret” family recipe).