Tucked away in a cheerful setting in downtown Westport lies a sunny slice of Italy: Il Pastaficio. Owned by husband-and-wife team Federico Perandin and Anissa Nouhi, who opened their first outpost in Cos Cob, it is both pasta shop and restaurant. It’s a unique concept where locals can buy freshly made pastas, sauces, prepared dishes, pastries, and imported dry goods, or dine in—lunch or dinner—for some of the finest food in town prepared by chefs who have trained at Michelin-starred restaurants in Italy.

The menu features classic fare with a modern twist, like a seductively tender and unexpectedly pink vitello tonnato or perfectly orb-like polpette di melanzane served with Parmesan chips and basil powder. The consistently delicious cuisine is elevated and stylish in its clarity. Pasta, of course, at the heart of it.