Pasta Nostra

Italian Restaurant in Old Street

Pasta Nostra (which translates to ‘our pasta’) is a new Italian restaurant in Old Street offering freshly made, affordable pasta. The chefs, Wilfred Mafham and Luca Cianti, have great experience from Michelin-starred Trinity and Bistro Union, Pastaficio and Restaurant ‘Ours’. We also had the pleasure of meeting co business owner, Ian, who is very passionate about Pasta Nostra.

The restaurant is a relaxed two storied venue with a covered courtyard and seating directly outside the venue. It reminded me of an Italian wine bar but with the added atmosphere of watching the chefs prep in the open kitchen.

The Small Plates

The menu is kept simple with a variety of small plates, pastas and a couple of desserts. We kicked off with an excellent Negroni Frizzante and Aperol Spritz and a complimentary appetiser of Panzanella which is a bread salad soaked in vinegar and olive oil.

We just had to try a variety of small plates so opted for:

Focaccia (£3)
Crispy Prawn with Parmesan Foam (£3)
Selection of Italian Salumi & Salume Bun (£7)
Burrata, Gazpacho, Chili EVO (£6)
Arancini Carbonara (£5)

Everything looked and tasted so fresh (obviously the best way!). I was surprised at how much I loved the prawn with the parmesan foam. We absolutely recommend getting a couple of these.

The Focaccia was so moreish and delicious, as was the salami and we loved that the bun is made from the off cuts of the charcutuerie. The burrata was creamy and delicious and the arancini were flavoursome but I would have liked to see a little more sauce in the risotto balls. Overall, a top notch small plates menu.

Pasta Dishes and Dessert

We were spoilt for choice with 8 wonderful sounding dishes. We had:

Fettuccine Amatriciana with 6-hour slow cooked cured pork cheek tomato and pecorino (£8)
Spaghetti alla Chitarra with surf clams, courgette sauce, confit tomato (£13)
Mezzaluna, ricotta and fresh herb filled pasta with crispy courgette (£10)

The Pappardelle Oxtail Ragu looked amazing but had sold out and we can’t wait to back and try the Tortilla Carbonara with crispy cured pork cheek.

We were surprised at how much we loved the Spaghetti alla Chitarra which is named after the way it is made. The courgette sauce was so good, and the portion of clams was generous. We also loved the Mezzaluna with the crispy courgettes on top creating a nice contrast in textures.

The menu is rounded off with two classic desserts, a Sicilian Cannolo (£4) with fresh sheep’s ricotta in a crisp shell and Tiramisu (£5) served in a cup! The Tiramisu had an excellent crunchy top texture which complimented the bitter chocolate on top.

Overall

We were super impressed by the quality and affordability of this lovely Italian restaurant in Old Street. You can dine in, purchase fresh pasta from the counter or enjoy a £10 takeaway deal for a dish of pasta, house focaccia and mixed leaf salad. They have gluten free pasta and a vegan and veggie menu which showcases the versatility of their dishes.