Imagine the business model of say Subway or McDonalds, but with the best pasta you’ve ever had, in a country famed for pasta, Italy. I guess that’s the TLDR.
Ask a local in Milan where is good for Pasta they will say Miscusi. There’s 6 of them dotted around the city, not so much a chain just a single owner who has opened up a few venues.
Stazio Centrale is the one I went to, nestled in a quiet bunch of streets only a 2-minute walk from Milan’s central station. Not even peak times and it’s packed out having to wait 3-4 minutes for a table.
All the pasta is made fresh by this guy, by fresh I mean within the last hour.
The premise is as simple as, choose your pasta type, then select the sauce. You can eat in and be served within a few minutes or you can have a takeaway.
Rigatoni with Pesto Genovese. The rigatoni is perfect like the Italians do, al dente, uniform thickness and a dreamy smooth texture. Your choice pesto is confirmed as the correct one as soon as it touches your tongue. The Grana Padano is subtle but you really would miss it if it wasn’t there. Then to top it off with toasted pine nuts is a great shout! Typically when I make Pesto pasta I’d usually add a sprinkling of crushed Brazil nuts. The issue that I discovered (admittedly I only discovered it was an issue after this dish) was that brazil nuts have a very similar firm consistent crunch that is shared in the Pasta. With the toasted pine nuts however it’s more of a crispy crunch, a total distinction to the pasta which strengthens the dish.
To reprise, If you’re going to specialize in 1 food type, you best do it well and they do. The pasta they make is, without a doubt, the best I’ve had in Italy. It even outdoes Malloreddus whilst in Sardinia. The service is great as is the atmosphere. There’s 1 reason not to visit, that’s if you’re Celiac, everyone else, pay the circa €8 and thank me later.