The Best Pasta in Boston You’ve Probably Never Tried

I’ve been around Italian food my entire life.

North End kitchens. Family recipes. Classic red sauces. Dishes everyone knows and orders without even looking at the menu.

And still, Rigatoni alla Boscaiola surprises people.

Half the people who try it say the same thing:
“I’ve never heard of this before… but this is incredible.”

That’s why I call it the best pasta you’ve probably never tried.

What Is Boscaiola?

“Boscaiola” means woodcutter’s style.

The dish comes from central Italy, where woodcutters would forage mushrooms and cook hearty meals built from simple, powerful ingredients. Mushrooms. Cured pork. Onions. Something rich and satisfying after a long day of work.

It wasn’t meant to be fancy. It was meant to be filling. Flavorful. Real.

Over time, different regions put their spin on it. Some versions are cream-based. Some use tomatoes. At Antico Forno, a classic Italian restaurant at 93 Salem St. in Boston’s North End, the kitchen brings those elements together.

Why It Works

The Rigatoni alla Boscaiola is made with:

• San Marzano tomato mascarpone sauce
• Mushrooms
• Sweet peas
• Onions
• Italian ham

The San Marzano tomatoes give it structure and a natural sweetness. The mascarpone smooths everything out and adds richness without making it heavy. The mushrooms bring depth. The Italian ham gives you that savory bite. The peas add just enough contrast to keep it interesting.

And the rigatoni matters.

Those ridges hold the sauce. The hollow center traps it. You’re not getting a thin coating. You’re getting a full bite every time.

Why You Should Try It

If you usually default to vodka sauce, bolognese, or carbonara, this is your moment to try something different without stepping too far outside your comfort zone.

Rigatoni alla Boscaiola feels familiar, but it has its own personality. It’s hearty without being overwhelming. Rustic but refined. The kind of dish you finish and immediately think, I’m ordering that again next time.

Why It’s on the Tour

My family has been in the North End since 1897. Five generations in this neighborhood. I grew up eating in these kitchens, watching nonne roll pasta, and learning that the best Italian food isn’t always the dish with the longest line or the most Instagram posts.

Boscaiola is one of those dishes.

When I built the North End Boston Food Tour, I knew Antico Forno had to be a stop, and this dish had to be part of it. Not because it’s trendy. Because it tells a story. The woodcutter’s pasta, made with simple ingredients, done right, in a neighborhood that’s been cooking this way for over a century.

That’s the whole point of the tour. I’m not taking you to the places everyone already knows about. I’m showing you the dishes and the stories that make this neighborhood what it actually is, the stuff you’d never find on your own unless you grew up here.

Go Try It

Antico Forno is open seven days a week at 93 Salem St. in Boston’s North End. The Rigatoni alla Boscaiola is on the dinner menu, and if you ask anyone who’s had it, they’ll tell you it’s one of the most underrated dishes in the neighborhood.

Walk in. Sit down. Order the dish nobody talks about but everybody remembers.