Tysons Galleria’s newest dining option serves up pasta made by hand right in front of customers.
Scolapasta launched with a soft opening on Nov. 21 in the mall’s third-floor food court, which has been steadily filling back up after an apparently ill-fated partnership with the food hall operator Urbanspace petered out last year.
Coming on the heels of Char’d and Rabbit Taco, which both arrived at Tysons Galleria this summer, Scolapasta is a brand-new concept inspired by a vacation that its owners took to Italy, according to marketing director Edrick Chan.
Helmed by Executive Chef Roshan Ashiq, who comes from Italy’s Modena region and previously worked at D.C. restaurants like Georgetown’s Il Canale, the eatery takes a fast-casual approach to pasta dishes, aiming to provide a fresh, authentic taste without the long wait of a sit-down restaurant.
“It’s a beautiful process,” Chan said. “Kids, families will walk by [at] Galleria to watch the pasta being made, and we have great staff, and people at Tysons Galleria have been fabulous. It’s great for somebody that wants … great quality, authentic Italian pasta within minutes.”
The menu primarily consists of build-your-own plates with patrons picking one of five pasta shapes, such as spaghetti or rigatoni, and pairing it with a sauce and toppings, which include meatballs, chicken, burrata and mozzarella. All of the food is halal, including the meat, Chan noted.
There are also a few “chef’s favorite” dishes that can’t be customized: a shrimp scampi made with black squid ink spaghetti; classic spaghetti and meatballs; “The Hulk” with casarecce pasta, chicken and pesto; and “The Rustica,” which also uses casarecce with mozzarella and arrabbiata, a spicy tomato sauce.
According to Chan, everyone on the restaurant’s team is from the D.C. region, and many of them have memories of visiting the malls in Tysons. They were eager to bring their concept to the area, particularly with business “booming” at the Galleria food court, thanks in part to veteran Andy’s Pizza and popular coffee shop Shotted’s recent expansion.
The response to Scolapasta since its soft opening has been “overwhelming and very supportive,” according to Chan.
“It was a magical night,” he said, comparing the first day of business to Black Friday or the line for a new iPhone launch. “We opened for two hours, but we ended up staying open for two hours extra. It was incredible, an overwhelming response.”
After closing last Thursday (Nov. 28) for Thanksgiving, Scolapasta opens daily at 11 a.m. with the mall, generally closing at 9 p.m. on weekdays and 11 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Operating hours are posted on its Instagram page.
Tysons Galleria Senior General Manager Rich Dinning says the mall is “thrilled to welcome Scolapasta” as well as Rabbit Taco and Char’d, which, respectively, serve Mexican street food and halal burgers.
“These additions enhance the variety of experiences we offer and reflect our commitment to providing our guests with the best in shopping, dining, and entertainment,” Dinning said in a statement. “We look forward to offering our visitors even more reasons to come together, enjoy great food, and make lasting memories with family and friends.”
Scolapasta is still working on a second location in Arlington’s Ballston neighborhood. Though that site was previously expected to open first, a December or January opening is now looking likely.
“We should be opening, hopefully in one or two months, but it’s going to go the same way, like fast-casual, so you get your pasta the way you want it,” Chan said. “… You can enjoy pasta to go, pasta to stay. You can enjoy all the pasta-bilities.”
