The Central Texas College Patio Café Cuisine Nights dinner series continues this Friday with an Italian cuisine.
Dinner, prepared by students in the CTC Culinary Arts program, will be served from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the campus Student Center.
The menu opens with a Grande 3 appetizer ($9) – a combination of three popular antipasti: antipasti salad kebobs with in-house-made mozzarella balls, parmesan-herb stuffed mushrooms and deep-fried arancini balls. The featured soup is zuppa Toscana ($6.50 for a bowl or $3.50 for a cup with an entrée) – a hearty soup with spicy sausage, fresh kale and tender potatoes topped with crispy bacon. Diners can choose the house salad ($4) or the grilled peach caprese salad ($12) – a blend of spring greens mixed with in-house-made mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. It comes with a balsamic peach vinaigrette and is topped with charred chicken and grilled peaches.
The entrees are garlic butter shrimp scampi ($20.50) – sautéed shrimp tossed in a white wine butter sauce flavored with garlic and fresh herbs and served with tagliatelle pasta and one side dish; ossobuco ($21) – robust beef shanks braised in wine with caramelized vegetables, crushed tomatoes and fresh herbs; and chicken piccata ($18) – pan-fried chicken cutlets coated in a buttery lemon and caper sauce.
Unless otherwise noted, the entrées are served with a choice of two side dishes. They are: flame-grilled zucchini – sliced zucchini with succulent garlic flavor topped with a golden parmesan crust; oven-roasted asparagus – fresh asparagus roasted until crisp then sprinkled with lemon juice; mushroom risotto – a rich and creamy risotto incorporated with warm umami flavors; tagliatelle pasta – in-house-made pasta tossed with butter, garlic and herbs. Each side dish is also served a la carte for $3.50 each.
Dessert choices are strawberry gelato ($5.50) – refreshingly creamy strawberry gelato topped with whipped cream and fresh berries and pistachio ricotta crostata ($6.50) – a tartine with a ricotta and pistachio filling topped with chopped pistachios.
Reservations for the Patio Café dinner are required and can be made by calling the CTC Hospitality department at 254-526-1515.