For our February issue, we are scouring the neighborhood for great pasta dishes. Valentine’s Day will be approaching soon, so you’ll want a classy spot to reenact “Lady in the Tramp.” One such place is the cozy and romantic Zio Cecio Cucina Italiana where you can keep it simple with spaghetti and meatballs or go for the more adventurous items like the squid-ink infused spaghetti with fresh clams.

Then there’s the rare, exotic (and very expensive) sea urchin. Chef Francesco Farris just happen to have a batch of the creatures fresh out of California at our photo shoot recently. You won’t find them on the menu – definitely a specialty item that’s not available daily.

To prepare the sea urchin, Farris cuts it open, cleans out all the “caca” (his words) and then lightly cooks the eggs with pasta, which is served inside the shell. He says the only other place you can find sea urchin is sashimi style at Japanese restaurants.

For more on Zio Cecio, look for our February issue at the end of this month.