Pasta al Forno, the new West Village Italian restaurant by Fiaschetteria owner Emanuele Bugiani, is named precisely for the dishes it serves. And boy do they look incredible.
“Pasta al forno” translates to “baked pasta,” which started as a tradition in southern Italy for Sunday dinners, holidays and other special occasions. But luckily in NYC—as with most things—you can have it whenever you want.
The new restaurant comes from the owner of Fiaschetteria “Pistoia,” which has locations in the East and West Village and features traditional Tuscan cuisine and authentic imported wines. He’s taking a trip further south with his most recent venture.
The mouthwatering menu includes Lasagne alla Bolognese with tomato and beef sauce, bechamel, ricotta cheese, spinach, and layers of lasagna pasta; Timpano del Cardinale with ziti pasta, pecorino Romano, Parmesan and mozzarella cheese covered with San Marzano tomatoes and topped with basil; and Timballo di Anellini with peas, hardboiled egg, prosciutto crudo, meatballs and anellini pasta.
If you have trouble knowing what something is, the menu has these adorable illustrations to help guide you:
Like his other restaurants, Pasta al Forno’s concept comes from historical roots. It was inspired by the first “Baked Pasta Only” restaurant, opened by Marino Pollacci in Florence, Italy back in 1964. Pollacci was originally from Tuscany, and served in the Italian Army in Palermo from 1940 to 1944 where he met his wife Rosina Fagioli. They moved to Napoli when the war was over and then continued on to Florence where they decided to bring their family recipes and the baked pasta dishes they had tasted all over the country.
Where: 167 7th Ave.
Hours: Everyday 11am-11pm, no reservations needed.
For more details, see their website here.
featured image source: Pasta al Forno / Credit to Tina B. Foto