Textbook pasta for a college neighborhood

For nearly a year, I've avoided writing about Pisticci because I liked not having to wait more than five minutes for a table at this cozy, no-frills neighborhood Italian joint near the northern tip of Morningside Heights. But the secret seems to already be out as of late, so there's no reason to deny you my favorite pasta in Manhattan.

I know I'm not immune from a little bit of neighborhood chauvinism, but that's not to say that Piscticci doesn't make a classic, toothy pasta sauced with a simple, light touch. I'm not so thrilled about their main courses, or their desserts, but their spaghetti pomodoro ($8) is exactly what spaghetti should be (don't spring for the meatballs, either). Sure, the tomatoes probably came out of a can, but you'd be hard-pressed to find anything better at this price, and certainly at this time of year. The same goes for the penne Pisticci ($11), which includes marble-sized chunks of fresh mozzarella, and the somewhat meatier (in feel, if not in actual meatiness) fettuccine with wild mushrooms ($12). You can get truffle oil added for an extra $2.50--I'm into it, but it is a little pricey. Not quite the highway robbery that is the $4 basil at Patsy's, but a bit ridiculous nonetheless. I suppose it depends on how you feel about truffles--my old roommate said it tasted like a mushroom farted in the woods.

Pisticci (map)
125 La Salle Street (Between Broadway & Claremont)
1/9 to 125th Street