One of Long Beach’s finest authentic Italian restaurants will open for lunch effective immediately. Passaparola Trattoria, the Italian eatery located near PCH and Loynes, will open for lunch daily at 11:30 a.m., announced General Manager Luca Carteni, who with his brother, David, and Executive Chef Stefano Procaccini, own and operate the eatery that is known for its vast menu of handmade pasta dishes and authentic entrees. The trio, who also own the popular La Parolaccia on Broadway, launched Passaparola Trattoria late last year. Passaparola, which translated means “word of mouth,” has since earned favorable reviews from both critics and the public alike for its rustic cuisine representing several different regions of Italy.
Among the items on the lunch menu are a number of appetizers most priced below $10. They include Calamari Luciana (sautéed in garlic, green peas, white wine in a fresh spicy tomato sauce) and Parmigiana di Melanzane (baked roasted eggplants with fresh mozzarella cheese and fresh tomato sauce). An assortment of Panini (Italian grilled sandwiches), most priced at $8.95, include the Toscana (sliced grilled chicken breast, provolone, grilled zucchini and pesto sauce) and the Passaparola (Italian salami, prosciutto, mortadella, spicy salami, provolone, lettuce and tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil and red vinegar).
Homemade pasta dishes, $11 – $13, include a rigatoni sautéed with homemade beef meatballs, lightly spicy tomato sauce and pecorino cheese; homemade lasagna; and fresh homemade spinach and ricotta cheese ravioli sautéed with roasted garlic, tomato sauce and topped with Asiago cheese and fresh basil. Among the entrees, $12 – $16, are chicken prepared Marsala or Piccata, Veal Parmigiana and a free-range Cornish Game Hen, grilled crispy on a brick and marinated in herbs and olive oil.
Passaparola Trattoria is located at 6204 E. Pacific Coast Hwy. For more information, visit www.passaparolausa.com or call 562/986-5280.