GREENWICH, CT — Il Pastaficio will officially become a part of Flavortown, USA, on Oct. 13 at 9 p.m., when the popular Greenwich pasta shop is featured on Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" with Guy Fieri.
Located in Cos Cob's Mill Pond Shopping Center at 213 E. Putnam Ave., Il Pastaficio opened in 2018.
There is also a location in Westport at 135 Post Road East which opened last year and just held a grand reopening in September after adding an expanded menu and a dine-in restaurant component.
At Il Pastaficio, customers can find a menu full of traditional and innovative recipes in genuine, organic, and freshly made Italian pasta dishes.
A rotating menu each week features specialty pasta dishes from various regions in Italy.
Find out what's happening in Greenwichwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
There are also gluten-free pasta options, antipasti, salads, and desserts. Catering is also available.
Customers can either dine-in or take fresh pasta and sauces home to build their own taste of Italy. Owner Federico Perandin uses genuine, natural, and healthy ingredients that he imports directly from Italy.
Perandin was contacted by producers of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" in April and told that a customer suggested them for the show. Perandin put together a package of what Il Pastaficio is all about and included five dishes for consideration.
"We wanted to show Guy Fieri and the producers why we are so unique, and why we are different. We put forward some of our most important dishes," said Perandin's wife, Anissa Nouhi.
Fieri and the producers liked what they saw from Il Pastaficio, and the pasta shop was chosen for an episode. Both Perandin and Nouhi said they'd like to thank the anonymous customer for mentioning them.
Also earlier this year, Fieri filmed an episode in Stamford at The Stamford Diner.
"Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" first aired on Food Network in 2007, and quickly gained popularity. Fieri, a longtime restaurateur, takes viewers on road trips across the country to find hidden gems, local eateries and unique restaurants that are offering up good food.
Titled "From Chicken to Noodles," the episode will air Oct. 13 at 9 p.m. ET on Food Network. Be sure to check your local listings.
"This trip, Guy Fieri's divin' into chicken, noodles and more in-between. In Omaha, a sweet and savory spot is goin' big with pasta and cheese, plus they're whipping up a decadent dessert. The in Los Angeles, an all-star culinary cast is assembling at a champion chef's restaurant for a Nashville-Chinese mashup, while in Greenwich, Conn., a real deal Italian spot is putting out homemade pasta for their next-level dishes," the description for the episode reads.
Crews came to Cos Cob in May to film the episode, and Perandin stepped into the kitchen with Fieri to prepare two dishes near and dear to his heart:
Both dishes are available in Greenwich and Westport.
Perandin said the Bigoli dish reminds him of his childhood. Nouhi, who is from a different part of Italy, had never heard of it before until Perandin introduced her to it.
The dish features thick, round pasta noodles made with eggs, flour and a pinch of grappa — a pomace brandy — with a duck ragu.
The dish is more than 300 years old, Perandin said, and the pasta is made with a special hand machine. The way the dough is made allows the ragu, which takes hours to make, to stick and absorb perfectly.
The lasagna was created as a way to make an easygoing, family-style lasagna dish, Nouhi said.
On the show, Fieri will try a dish and then explain what makes it so great. Perandin said it wasn't intimidating waiting for Fieri to give his opinion.
"It was very fun. It was like a friend visiting you," Perandin said. "I grew up with these kinds of dishes. I'm pretty confident about what we're offering."
Perandin's love for food began at an early age. Born and raised in Padova, Italy, he attended two International Hospitality Management schools in Italy: the Pietro D'abano and the Pellegrino Artusi. Both are famous worldwide for having delivered acclaimed Italian chefs.
Following in his father's footsteps, however, Perandin found success as the founder of an Italian advertising agency. He still kept up with his passion for cooking, especially during the summer months when he would cater for the Ferrari Racing team.
He moved to Greenwich in 2016 and decided he wanted to share his passion for Italian food in the form of Il Pastaficio. Perandin's goal is to keep his offerings 100 percent true to his Italian heritage.
To be featured on the Food Network is an honor, Perandin said. Having spent most of his life in Italy, he would watch "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" and appreciate Fieri's work.
Perandin called Fieri his "idol."
"This was a dream," Perandin said of being recommended for the show.
"When I came here... I was the Italian guy with an American dream," Perandin added. "This is something that's very important for me because I put all my love, experience, and heart into this. After five years, the clients are recognizing what we are doing, but also when someone like Guy Fieri comes to us, it's the best reward I can have."
Nouhi said they don't know how the episode came out — Friday will be the first time they've seen any footage. Nouhi and Perandin plan to have a watch party in Westport with family and friends to celebrate.
Perandin also owns two gelato shops in New York City — FIGO il Gelato Italiano — at 178 Mulberry St., in Manhattan, and 2902 23rd Ave., in Queens.
For more on Il Pastaficio, check out their website or follow them on Instagram and Facebook.