I have my list of places that are not Italian—where the specialties are not the lovingly made tortellini and spaghettini and cavatappi, the gnudi and farfalle and bucatini—but where the chef turns out excellent handmade pastas all the same, and where, if there’s a pasta dish is on the menu, I’ll be eyeing it; chances are, it’s going to be good.
Graham Dodds is one of the city’s best under-the-radar pasta makers. I’ve always loved the lightness of his pate-a-choux gnocchi, and you may have had his lasagna, on the Wayward Sons menu in winter and spring: tender fresh noodles layered with a hearty, flavorful Bolognese and light, house-made goat’s milk ricotta.
Currently at FT33, where the fresh pasta is equally artful, there’s a beautiful summer pasta dish on the menu as a starter.
Tagliardi, from the Italian “to cut,” are flat, broad noodles like pappardelle, cut into squares. I found the loose, easily tussled mound irresistible, with a long, slow-cooked sugo of tender braised chicken, veal, pork, and duck, along with chanterelles, peaches, and the herb summer savory, like sage or thyme, but more delicate in flavor.
Consider bookending the meal with Maggie Huff’s lemon verbena mousse—light and aromatic over a gingersnap crust, with blueberries, sour cream, and lemon curd.
Both dishes are beautiful bites of summer.
