First Look: Salumi Specialist Il Porcellino Launches Evening Pasta Menu

What: Il Porcellino Pasta

Where: 4324 West 41st Avenue

When: Open 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday

For more info: Follow @ilporcellinopasta on Instagram

What we saw: Of course, one of the first Il Porcellino Pasta meals served to guests started with charcuterie.

Since opening in 2015, Bill Miner’s Il Porcellino Salumi has continued to evolve. Though its deli and retail space just off Tennyson Street is small, the company added a production facility in Basalt in 2018 to handle the growing wholesale demand for its cured meats.

Just before the pandemic hit, Miner and his crew welcomed Food Network star Guy Fieri to the deli to film an episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, which aired for the first time on April 3, 2020, and highlighted the popular deli sandwiches. The appearance, which is regularly repeated, helped boost the shop through the pandemic.

But now Miner is introducing a completely new way to experience Il Porcellino, with an evening-only, pasta-focused menu that launches on March 1. “I love making handmade pasta at home with my wife and kids,” he told Westword in January as he finalized the new lineup.

While there are a few tables inside where patrons can opt to dine, the Il Porcellino Pasta options will be packaged for takeout, too. Selections include a variety of starters, like the charcuterie of the day served with cheese and toast ($23), along with two soups ($5-$10) and three salads ($10-$17).

The real fun, though, is in the way Miner incorporates cured meats throughout his dishes, including the asparagus topped with citrus slices, everything seasoning and a dollop of ricotta mixed with lomo, or cured pork tenderloin ($16). The carbonara ($23) is made with guanciale, an Italian cured meat, and a piece of crispy pork belly on top makes it even more indulgent.

The tortellini ($23) is a standout on the opening menu. To make the filling, the end pieces of the mortadella served in the deli are whipped with goat cheese for a sort of mortadella mousse. The pasta is then coated with a vibrant green, creamy pesto and topped with crunchy pistachio pieces.

Mortadella is also key in the Italian foot-long hoagie ($20), one of four extra-large versions of the deli’s daytime offerings. The menu is rounded out by a few vegetarian-friendly options, like eggplant lasagna ($19), as well as two large-format entrees designed to share: a whole roasted chicken with polenta and garlic kale ($54), and a hulking slice of porchetta ($52) that’s cooked for four hours until the skin is shatteringly crisp. It’s served with polenta and broccolini.

What surprised us: The Il Porcellino team’s baking skills, though Miner notes that baking is similar to making salumi because it requires attention to detail.

Along with a platter of thinly sliced meat and chunks of nutty cheese, we kicked off our dining experience with thick slices of light and airy focaccia, served with carrot-top pesto and wild-ramp butter ($12). The staff was excited to get feedback after many rounds of recipe testing, and their efforts paid off big time.

The desserts, too, were an unexpected treat. Cannoli ($7 each) stuffed with ricotta is topped with candied bacon for an Il Porcellino twist on the classic, while a traditional tiramisu ($11) is a crowd-pleaser. The favorite of the sweet treats, though, was the bright and creamy lemon meringue cheesecake ($10).

While the shop doesn’t have a liquor license at this time, the pasta-to-go menu is ideal for low-key date nights at home, or an indulgent meal anytime you’re not in the mood to cook. Plus, you can load up on salumi and other gourmet goodies while you pick up your dinner, which is a major bonus considering the quality of products that Il Porcellino continues to create.