Pastagasm, a new Italian concept, is wrapping up renovations and preparing to open in the next few weeks.
What Now NY connected with co-founder Lorenzo Ramovecchi over an email Q&A.
“Pastagasm was born with the mission of making fresh pasta more accessible in the city,” Ramovecchi said in an email Q&A. “More accessible in terms of price so our pasta dishes will be sold within a price range of 15$-20$ each. But this doesn’t mean that we won’t use quality ingredients. In fact we are going to use Italian high-quality ingredients wherever possible, such as flour, cheese, guanciale etc… In order to do this we chose a small place with low rent and we decided to serve our pastas in recyclable kraft paper bowls, easy to take home, to the office or wherever you want. We seek to push back against preconceptions about pasta, proving that it is possible to offer top-quality dining, made nutritiously and out of excellent ingredients, without any of the pomp and circumstance other classic fine-dining restaurants require.”
Lorenzo Ramovecchi co-founded Pastagasm with his friend Fabio e Nicola. While neither Ramovecchi nor Nicola have worked in a professional kitchen setting, they bring relevant experiences from a number of other industries to their new venture with Pastagasm. Ramovecchi studied financial markets and worked in a small investment fund in Italy before moving to New York. Nicola has worked in a post office and as a hairdresser as well.
“Our common passion for Italian cuisine and especially for pasta moved us to come here to make our dream real,” said Ramovecchi. “It was love at first sight the first time we came here on vacation one year ago.”
Now, Ramovecchi and Nicola are just weeks away from opening the doors to their new restaurant. Pastagasm in NoMad will have nine seats in total. There is a bar wrapping around the interior of the restaurant with seven stools as well as a couch under the window. Starting next year, Ramovecchi hopes that Pastagasm will be approved for an outdoor seating permit.
“We were looking for a small place, and I found it here in the perfect center of Manhattan,” said Ramovecchi. “I saw almost 20 different commercial spaces for rent but when I saw this, in this vibrant area full of restaurants, people and offices I was sure I had found the right place.”
The team at Pastagasm took inspiration from 70s Italian design emphasizing stark patterns juxtaposed with pastel tones. The yellow color is a nod to the restaurant’s pasta dishes, and the pink is symbolic of innovation and passion.
While the menu will feature many pasta dishes, one featured dish will be the homemade ravioli. It will be filled with ricotta and a spicy sausage from Calabria, before being topped with a cherry tomatoe sauce and fresh burrata.
According to Ramovecchi, the grand opening is on the horizon in two weeks’ time.
