Where To Find Affordable Cheese Wheel Pasta In NYC

New York City is not known for its cheap eats, though it is possible to find a few budget-friendly options. If you are craving a bowl of delicious, cheesy pasta at an affordable price in the big city, look no further. There is a restaurant called Pasta de Pasta that offers a generous serving of fettuccine Alfredo from a cheese wheel for under $10.

The pasta dish is also known as pasta alla ruota and has grown in popularity for its Instagramable presentation. While the meal has roots in Italy, it is not as common in the country as it is in the United States. In Italy, the dish is typically reserved for special occasions, like a formal banquet for a wedding or a milestone birthday.

Around the world, the price of cheese wheel pasta varies. Other restaurants in NYC, like Bocelli Ristorante in Staten Island and Sotto La Luna in Queens, serve the dish for $26 and $25.50, respectively. At Albertino's Italian in New Jersey, the tableside dish is $30. Overseas, the pasta costs 25 euros (about $27.90) at Osteria Serafina in Milan or 14 euros (about $15.60) at Trattoria Da Danilo in Rome. 

Pasta de Pasta, located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, serves the special pasta for only $9.90 per serving. And even with the low price, the restaurant is still serving high-quality food — with recent reviews on Google praising it for its fresh pasta and straightforward Italian cooking.

Cheese wheel pasta is prepared just as the name suggests: in a cheese wheel. The dish is made by adding very hot pasta to a cheese wheel with a splash of starchy pasta water. The pasta is then mixed in the cheese wheel with utensils, which allows the water and the cheese to form a creamy sauce. Common cheese wheel pasta dishes are fettuccine Alfredo or a classic cacio e pepe, as the two recipes have a similar base.

Pasta de Pasta uses an original Parmesan cheese wheel for the dish, as well as a plant-based cream. To complement the fettuccine Alfredo, the restaurant offers toppings for an extra price, including bolognese, shrimp, and dried tomatoes. For anyone who is craving an even cheesier meal, you can also add mozzarella or more Parmesan.

Parmesan cheese wheels have a hefty price tag, which is why the dish is often on the expensive side. The wheel typically costs over $1,000 and the most authentic type  — Parmigiano Reggiano — can only be made in Italy. However, there are ways to snag a deal on the pricy cheese wheel. For example, Costco sells a 74-pound wheel, imported from Italy, for $949.99. Once the wheel is acquired, it can be used to make hundreds of servings of the dish and can last for several months. Now, nobody has to let their wallet keep them from trying this delectable dish.