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. 

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