I came across Pastaiolo e Sugo through the trusty Instagram algorithm that always seems to show me the coolest food businesses. Pastaiolo e Sugo offers fresh pasta and other homemade goods like sauces and fresh ricotta. And I think it really was some kind of social media fate that brought me to their page because the week I found the business, there was an amazing-sounding ravioli on the menu. Pork, mint, pecorino, and scallion—I mean, doesn’t that sound delicious?
If I’m being honest, I’m not particularly familiar with Italian food or pasta. Yes, I know that there are different styles of pizza and some of the pasta shapes, but it’s not something that I’ve actively sought out or tried to make at home. Most of my memories of eating pasta are specifically around the chicken parm from the default Italian restaurant in my hometown, so I thought it would be exciting to eat fresh ravioli at home.
Peter is the chef, delivery person, and operations manager of Pastaiolo e Sugo. Like many other businesses started within the past year, he’s a one-man operation and prepares food for people around the city from his home. And if you live in Manhattan, he also delivers the pasta to you. (If you’re outside of Manhattan, he does pickups downtown.) Peter started up Pastaiolo last spring when, like many other food industry professionals, he found himself out of work. He initially made pasta to sell to his friends and neighbors, but soon word got out and he started making them for anyone in the city who is interested.
Running a home business is by no means an easy task. Peter, who formerly worked at Rezdora and Pasquale Jones and currently is a Sous Chef at Wolf, says that figuring out logistics in the beginning was difficult. When he works in a restaurant, there are staff members assigned to different roles, whereas with Pastaiolo, he handles everything from ordering produce to arranging delivery. However, the biggest challenge has been working out of a small apartment and kitchen although the end product is still fantastic. Peter says that he enjoys getting to create his new menu every week and seeing different neighborhoods while making deliveries.
But how was the ravioli I got? I really liked that I could cook the pasta at home and have it be a different experience than when I pour jarred sauce on my usual pantry spaghetti. When I asked Peter how I should eat the ravioli given its flavor profile, he suggested using just butter and some stock rather than the marinara sauce he had that week. While I’ve never boiled fresh pasta at home or made a butter-based pasta sauce (which I know sounds strange), I still had a wonderful dinner. The pasta itself was perfectly chewy and the filling was well seasoned—I think having the mint to cut through the pork in the ravioli made it a very unique flavor experience. Peter was right; the ravioli didn’t really need much to taste good, other than the butter and stock. I definitely will be ordering from Pastaiolo again in the future!
If you like pasta and you either live in Manhattan or don’t mind doing pickup, I highly recommend Pastaiolo e Sugo. It’s perfect for treating yourself to fancy pasta or a fun date night. You could probably even pretend to your date that you made it all by yourself—your secret is safe with us.
Check out the weekly menu and order from Pastaiolo e Sugo at @pastaiolo.e.sugo
Shin Hye Away 