Grazie Ristorante in Vaughan: Casual Italian Cuisine

Grazie Ristorante subscribes to the three Rs that make Italian food truly great: rustic, robust and reasonably priced. Inside it's simple and friendly. With the original location booming in the Yonge and Eglinton neighbourhood for over 20 years, Grazie expanded to its newest location in the heart of Vaughan about five years ago. Created in the mid 1990s by Chef Joe Brancatella and former partner Louie Granicolo, Grazie's recipe for success has been consistency: the servers are always friendly and attentive, the ambiance warm and inviting and the food simple and reliable with an extensive menu and wine list that features a wide selection of antipasti, zuppa, pizza, pasta, secondi and of course dolce. For rustic Italian-inspired fare, Grazie has something for everyone.

Fresh squishy baguette

Olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Mixed olives

I Muri Primativo from Puglia

Minestra: Traditional Italian soup served with hearty greens and beans

Fresca Focaccia: Fior di latte mozzarella, plum tomatoes and oregano

St Vito Pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella, roasted peppers, sopressata and green olives

Alessandra Pasta: Strozzapreti with rapini, spicy fennel sausage and tomato

Bologna Pasta: Rigatoni in a hearty meat sauce

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Grazie Ristorante Quattro Stagioni Fusilli

Serves 4

Recipe courtesy Chef Joe Brancatella, Grazie Ristorante

3/4 lb fusilli pasta boiling water with salt

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 sweet red or green pepper, seeded, chopped

2 small zucchini, diagonally sliced

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 1/2 cups sliced bite-size broccoli florets

1 cup diced drained, canned plum tomatoes

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup 35% whipping cream

1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes

freshly grated nutmeg

salt and pepper

freshly grated Asiago or parmesan cheese

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook fusilli just until tender. Drain but do not rinse. Meanwhile, heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sweet red pepper, cook until onion is soft. Increase heat to medium-high, add zucchini and cook 1 minute. Add mushrooms and broccoli, cook 2 minutes or until broccoli is a bright color. Stir to keep vegetables from sticking. Add tomatoes and cook 30 seconds. Add chicken stock, whipping cream, hot pepper flakes and a generous pinch of nutmeg. Bring to a simmer, cook 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add drained pasta and toss with sauce. Serve right away on warm plate garnished with grated cheese. If pasta is held for any time, you may need to add more chicken stock.