On Top of Spaghetti

With the opening of Domenica, John Besh’s rustic Italian enterprise, now on the horizon, I thought a brief tutorial on its various pastas would be in order. In all shapes and sizes, these tender morsels – each in a flavorful sauce traditionally dictated by the noodle’s characteristics – will make you lean back in your chair sighing “Mama mia!”

Spaghetti, you already know; here at Domenica, it will be offered simply tossed with olive oil, garlic, herbs, and Parmigiano. Linguini – who knew?- means ‘little tongues,” thanks to its flat, narrow shape; try it here with Louisiana shrimp, shaved bottarga, chiles and mint. These two are fine imported Italian pastas; the rest are handmade in house, just as Executive Chef Alon Shaya and key members of his team were taught to make them during their extensive training in Parma.

Anolini, small semi-circular pockets, are stuffed with braised pork and prosciutto, and served with chanterelles, herbs, and Pecorino. Stracci, literally ‘rags,’ are hand-torn herbed noodles served with oxtail ragu and fried chicken livers. The Lasagne Bolognese is a sauce of ground veal, beef, and pork layered with green spinach noodles. Tagliatelle are quarter-inch ribbons of spinach or egg pasta, served at Domenica with a braised rabbit ragu and summer squash. Fazzoletti, another of the many descriptive pasta terms, means ‘little handkerchiefs” -- indeed, these are flat, loosely folded squares of pasta, sometimes filled, sometimes not – tossed with housemade guanciale, heirloom tomatoes, and basil at Domenica, you can’t go wrong.