KC shop to launch pasta-centric dinner service. ‘What classic Italian food really is’
When Zero Zero Handmade Pasta opened its shop on Kansas City’s Westside three years ago, customers would line up outside the door to buy fresh gnocchetti and pappardelle.
Years of pasta peddling has been building to this: Zero Zero will soon offer a full Italian dinner service.
Right now, owner Mitchell Fagan said dinner service is in the soft launch stage, and he hopes to finalize the menu for the official opening Thursday, April 3.
When it launches, customers can reserve spots online to sample dishes like the creamy lumache alla norcina, an Italian dish that will feature sausage from Barham’s Family Farm in Kearney.
“What we like to do with our dishes is really be able to point to a region and pay respect to that … but also have this Midwest flair where we’re also focusing on locally sourced ingredients,” Fagan said.
Zero Zero’s tiramisu, which customers who’ve tested have raved about, is made with coffee from Post Coffee Company. It’s a softer, more rich version than the traditional dessert. The shop will have a small wine list to pair with dinner.
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“I think the most exciting thing is to really just be able to show people just what classic Italian food really is,” Fagan said. “Be able to eat Italian food and be able to say, ‘Wow, this really reminds me of Italy.’”
The shop space at 1702 Summit St. is small — about 10 seats — so customers are highly encouraged to make reservations online at zerozeropastakc.com/reservations to secure a spot. Fagan is hoping to add in four more bar seats and an outdoor patio.
Don’t worry, Zero Zero has always known its pasta-buying customers aren’t going anywhere.The shop will still sell pasta for customers to cook at home. They’ll also continue to make appearances at farmers markets and popup events.
“What’s really nice about our space is we don’t use it at night,” Fagan said. “We’re just using it to its full capacity.”
Dinner will be from 5 to 10 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Fagan and his girlfriend Leah Steinberg have traveled to Italy multiple times. It was after one of these trips that Fagan, also an emergency medicine doctor, decided to bring his passion for making pasta to Kansas City.
“What’s amazing about it is you transform such simple ingredients — water, flour eggs — and can make such a wide array of dishes,” he said. “There’s just so much history behind it.”
Zero Zero is a play on double zero flour, a finely milled Italian flour that’s considered ideal for making pasta.
It’s been a surprising journey for Fagan, turning a hobby into a successful business, but he’s seen the demand.
“People love it. That’s why we keep doing it.”