Tastes of Summer at Casa Barilla

We dined as a guest of the venue

Summertime is here, and it’s the time of year to live a little more carefree, being out and about in the sunshine and letting someone else do the cooking as you gather around the table. Casa Barilla at South Coast Plaza delighted us with a recent visit to enjoy “A Taste of Summer.” It is happening right now through July 8th with two flavorful dishes, an Insalata Bietole and a Spaghetti Dell’Orto. Both pairs perfectly together and lean on the lighter side with an emphasis on summer vegetables.

Since we are big fans of all things from the garden, we enjoyed the flavor and the vibrant colors that scream beautiful and healthy. The Insalata Bietole is a refreshing, sweet, savory salad of Mixed Greens, Arugula, Green Apples, Roasted Beets, Candied Walnuts and Crumbled Goat Cheese, drizzled with a light Lemon Dressing. It is a great salad for lunch or dinner, and you can always add a protein of your choice; perhaps a bit of salmon, shrimp or chicken. We loved it so much we ate all of it!

You’ll find Casa Barilla to be a lovely place to gather with a relaxed, bright open space and a clear partition that allows you to take a peek at Chef Alfonso while he prepares your favorite meal. We love observing the art of cooking, how passionate cooks create beautiful dishes with such ease.

A vibrant plate of Spaghetti Dell ‘Orto was soon placed before us; the color of this pasta dish with perfectly sliced vegetables of Bell Peppers, Asparagus, Zucchini, Roasted Tomatoes all tossed with Spaghetti and Pesto. The sauce complimented the vegetables and pasta without being too overpowering, and it was gorgeous to look at as well. Now we want this pasta again!

As we lingered with our coffee, Chef Alfonso teased us with gorgeous little desserts of Tiramisu, Caramel or Fruit Pana Cotta. All are a perfect finish to their new Summer Dishes, and this writer couldn’t get enough of the Fruit Pana Cotta; light, refreshing with just the right amount of sweet.

Delicious food is meant to be shared, so give yourself a night off to go enjoy the savory delights of Casa Barilla’s Summer menu.

Casa Barilla is located inside South Coast Plaza at 3333 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa, CA.

Darice is very active, has a passion for being positive and a big believer in squeezing as much out of life as possible. She enjoys a career in sales, loves writing for us and is a member of a nationwide network for women that helps elevate women in business and communities. She is the mother of Nicole Sebring, another writer for OC Mom Blog; you could likely see them together at some of the events that we cover. Family, friends and those close to her heart are what she most treasures. Darice is a social butterfly who always looks forward to new adventures, helping others and seeking out new places to visit