Vrij(e)dag Friday! - Slow-Food Take-Away at L'Inizio

I had to do a double-take when I saw the clapboard sign outside the hole-in-the-wall along Parijsstraat.  Slow-food pasta dishes for take-away? Is that even possible?  But L'Inizio does all of that, and more.

This brave little establishment is a one-man enterprise, serving fresh pasta with made-from-scratch sauces (hence, the Slow Food philosophy) during the lunch-rush and the evenings--located right behind the Oude Markt, this place never runs out of student clients needing a bite of carbs with some good quality olive oil to tide over their Stella Artois binges.  During summertime, the chef actually sets up ONE tiny square table and two folding chairs in front of his counter, for lucky diners who want to enjoy the rare Flemish sun while taking forkfuls of spirelli alla puttanesca or rigatoni bolognese.

And since I was too tired this week to even bother cooking for myself, I picked up a serving (a very generous portion! I even brought the leftovers for lunch) of spirelli alla sasi. And I was rewarded with a good flavorful mix of fresh pesto, peperoncini, toasted pine nuts and grilled slivers of zucchini, with immoderate flakes of parmesan to top off the order.

When I was halfway through the pasta, I realized that I was full and I forgot to take a "before" photo of the food.  So here's the "leftovers" for the next day...

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L'Inizio
Parijsstraat 39
3000 Leuven, Belgium
+32 16 202056