Find which Rio Rancho institution is bringing comfort food, value to Paseo del Norte corridor

In 2022, the beloved Rio Rancho Italian restaurant M’tucci’s Moderno expanded across the river and opened a place in Nob Hill. The restaurant, dubbed M’tucci’s Bar Roma, quickly became a hit.

Perhaps inspired by that success, another popular Rio Rancho Italian restaurant recently made the trek southeastward. That restaurant is Joe’s Pasta House, which in August launched a new location on the north side of Paseo del Norte, east of Interstate 25

The opening was big news in the Albuquerque dining scene, as the Rio Rancho Joe’s had become an institution under the guidance of longtime owners Joe and Cassie Guzzardi and chef Rick Koenig. Joe’s menu may not be as adventurous as M’tucci’s, but its friendly service and big portions at reasonable prices have helped it develop a loyal following.

The Guzzardis retired in 2022 and sold the place to the Shariff family. The new owners soon saw an opportunity to expand their reach when Weck’s vacated one side of a strip mall in Holly Plaza, a shopping center between Louisiana Boulevard and San Pedro Drive NE. They moved in last year and gave the large space an impressive makeover. The front dining room, backstopped by a tiled bar, and the smaller dining area beyond it are dressed in whites and pale wood tones, and the decorative flourishes brighten the space without making it seem cluttered.

The dining room was largely empty when I joined a friend for lunch just before noon on a recent weekday. Despite the drowsiness, the server said the place has been quite busy since opening and often fills up at dinner.

While the new restaurant looks different from the original, the menu remains largely the same: that is to say, Italian American classics that would not look out of place at an Olive Garden. The Lunch Menu is broken into Appetizers, Salads, Burgers & Subs and Pasta. Everything is under $20. The more expansive and expensive Dinner Menu rolls out some higher ticket items like Lobster Ravioli with Shrimp ($26) and offers entrees outside of the pasta realm such as Seasoned Pork Chops ($30) and a 12-ounce Ribeye ($30).

Our lunch began with a complimentary appetizer of four slices of bread served with cups of seasoned olive oil and a tomato-based bruschetta spread. The bread was fresh and light, the serving size modest enough to preserve our appetites.

Promoted with a sign by the front door, Joe’s Lunch Combo Special offers two half-size dishes for $13 or three for $18 that are good options for lighter appetites.

Our choices for the two-for-$13 special were the Garden Salad and the Tortellini and Meatball Soup. The salad was a basic mix of romaine and spring lettuce with cucumbers and grape tomatoes served in a shallow white bowl. The thick, tangy vinaigrette dressing added some pop to the fresh ingredients.

Served in a broad, shallow bowl, the soup was an impressive sight, with fresh spinach leaves floating on top of a fiery red broth. Presumably because it was a half-size portion, the broth held only one dense meatball and a few tortellini. A decent, if salty, soup that separated into two layers after a minute or two on the table.

The five appetizers on the Lunch Menu cost $8 to $12. We shared the Fried Calamari ($13), a couple dozen breaded strips piled on a rectangular plate next to cups of marinara and a tasty pesto aioli. The tender calamari under a coating that was more crunchy than crisp was quite similar to the version they serve up in Rio Rancho.

The menu’s four salads cost $10 to $11, with the option of adding shrimp or chicken for an additional charge. The Caesar Salad ($10), served in a deep bowl, was terrific, with an optimal balance of crunchy romaine lettuce and tangy sauce. Slips of Parmesan studded the dressing, and a tangle of roasted red peppers topped it off. The portion was more than enough for two to share.

The lunchtime pasta menu has 10 choices, starting at $11 for Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce and climbing to $18 for a few dishes with shrimp.

My favorite dish was the Southwest Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken ($14). The liberal dose of Hatch green chile in the buttery, nutty sauce produced lots of heat in every bite — not so much as to activate the mucus membranes, but enough to trigger a pleasant rush of endorphins. I was glad to have a tall glass of Pineapple Lemonade ($6) nearby, as its tart flavor cut through the richness and heat of the sauce. Lots of cubes of white meat chicken added to the heft of it all. The pasta may have been a touch past al dente, the Alfredo sauce a bit on the thin side, but the flavor was potent and the value good, with enough for two large servings. The version with shrimp costs $18.

Speaking of shrimp, my friend had the Scampinelli ($18), a variation of the classic scampi dish with tomatoes, garlic and butter tossed with linguini and shrimp. Another good-sized portion with six plump shrimp and fresh tomatoes that elevated the otherwise unassertive sauce.

Joe’s has gluten-free penne, which we tried in a to-go serving of Lemon Pepper Pasta ($14). The al dente pasta tubes were topped with a nicely done chicken breast that carried a snap of citrus and some smokiness from the grill. The generous assortment of vegetables tossed in with the pasta included broccoli, artichoke hearts and strips of roasted red pepper. Healthy eating, even if there wasn’t much in the way of a sauce. Our to-go order came with a full loaf of bread.

Stalwarts like chocolate cake, apple pie and cheesecake fill Joe’s dessert menu, but we opted for the more genre-appropriate Cannoli ($7) served on a square plate dressed with chocolate sauce, chocolate chips and blackberries. It was decent, the smooth, silky filling like a custard piped into the crispy, blistered shell.

The Cappuccinos ($5) we got to accompany the dessert were a miss. They looked like regular coffees with milk. No foamy top, no bitter espresso flavor.

While Joe’s in Rio Rancho has beer and wine only, the Paseo location has a full liquor license and a cocktail menu that changes with the seasons.

The Rio Rancho location of Joe’s Pasta developed a reputation for good service over the years — one that I can vouch for — and that appears to have carried over to the new spot. Our server was friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. The food came out quickly.

Joe’s Pasta House’s new location brings its Italian comfort food to a bright, clean space within range of a large swath of the city’s population. Time will tell if it attracts the following of the original, but at the very least it’s encouraging to see a local operation expanding amid all the recent restaurant closures.