A Bandra pastificio’s easy-to-cook pasta range brought us closer to Italy in our kitchen, albeit with a pocket pinch
1. Focaccia (Rs 400 onwards): This garlic-infused focaccia has been our go-to breakfast for the past four days, and we long for more of the slightly salty crust, and light and yeasty body. We recommend pairing it with the lemon-chive butter and your morning cuppa
Sticky macaroni or penne swimming in a pool of thick white sauce, or tomato gravy that’s more desi than Italian — it’s difficult to part from this mental image of Pasta if you, like this writer, have grown up in an average middle-class household, where the Italian delicacy is unabashedly Indianised. It has taken 36-year-old Apeksha Agarwal, founder of the Bandra-based pastificio Cacio e Pepe, two years to convince foodies that they don’t need to drown their pasta in sauce. Just let the flavours and textures of the artisanal pastas shine, she says.
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2. Ravioli verdi di ricotta (Rs 575; eight pieces) and lemon-chive butter (Rs 150; 50 g): This green spinach dough ravioli with a creamy stuffing of ricotta, parmesan, nutmeg, salt and pepper was our favourite. It is complemented by the zesty lemon-chive butter; take Agarwal’s advice and don’t go overboard with the butter sauce. Let the ravioli shine
The kitchen home-delivers fresh pastas, which need to be boiled, tossed and devoured. To make the DIY experiment easier, Agarwal offers a range of condiments — pesto and pomodoro varieties, walnut-based salsa di noci, and a host of butters that one can quickly stir the pastas in. The menu also features ready-to-bake dishes, focaccia, cantuccini, amaretti, the occasional rustic Italian pie and more. Eggless and gluten-free options are available too. “I hate ordering-in pasta as the texture gets compromised. I think, making your own pasta adds to the charm,” she believes. Agarwal, a TV commercial producer-turned-pasta-maker, fell in love with the eggs-flour-water concoction five years ago, on a trip to Italy. She then travelled across Italy, learning the ropes of pasta-making from friends, their nonnas, and in eateries.
3. Amaretti (Rs 450): The delicate macaroon-like biscuits are moreish and light, like a chewy naan-khatai
After organising weekend menus for a while, the venture took off amid the 2020 lockdown. The website offers a glimpse of what’s in store for the week; there’s also a pan-India delivery section of cantuccini, amaretti and crackers. The how-to tab, which details the process of tackling different kinds of pastas, is particularly useful. The DIY aspect can feel daunting though. We would have liked to see an instruction card with the order — as is standard with DIY kits nowadays — but Agarwal encourages diners to ask questions, and leaves you with more tips than you sought. The fare turns your kitchen into that of an Italian nonna’s — brace for the aromas — but it is steep, when compared to store-bought options. Agarwal doesn’t deny. Unlike the latter, her pastas are hand-rolled, slow-dried, and some are extruded using bronze dies, which makes them porous and easier on the gut. Check out The Guide’s favourite six picks:
Log on to cacioepepe.in
4. Tortelli mugellani (Rs 475; 12 pieces) and sugo di pomodoro (Rs 400): While boiling the reddish tomato dough ravioli stuffed with potatoes, tomato paste, garlic, parsley, butter and parmesan, be careful to not break them. The ravioli packs a bite and comes together beautifully with the chunky, addictively fresh and herby tomato-basil pomodoro
5. Tagliatelle (Rs 300 onwards) and burro e salvia (Rs 90; 50 g): We tossed this flat ribbon pasta in the sage-infused butter, garlic and sausages for a light, aglio-olio-style dinner, topping it off with parmesan. We were happy to note that despite turning cold, the pasta, unlike store-bought ones, doesn’t turn clumpy at all
6. Gnocchi al forno alla Sorrentina (Rs 400; 450 g): The house-rolled potato gnocchi layered with sugo di pomodoro and mozzarella is part of the ready-to-bake section. All you need to do is pop it in the oven for five to 10 minutes at 220 degrees. What comes out is pure indulgence — a sweet and tart tomato sauce, crispy cheese bits, and the soft, gooey gnocchi
The pasta boxes include the date of preparation and storage instructions
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