Fast casual favorite Forma Pasta Factory opens second location In Fort Greene 

By Scott Lynch

Order at the counter (Scott Lynch)

There was a trend, about five years ago, that saw a sudden surge of design-y, mostly counter-service pasta places popping up around town: Renowned Del Posto chef Mark Ladner opened the spacey Pasta Flyer near 14th Street; the aggressively pink Sosta went after the Instagram crowd in NoLIta, and SoHo got the Sola Pasta Bar, with a front-and-center “blast this fucking music” neon sign in the dining area.

The first two shuttered after brief runs, the third quickly became a tourists-only spot. But the best of them from that era, Forma Pasta Factory, which Amit Rabinovich and Gal Ohayon opened in Greenpoint in 2019, has become something of a cult favorite among North Brooklyn locals. You don’t hear a lot of hype about this place, but stop by almost any time of day or night and Forma is hopping.

The reason for the success is simple. The folks at Forma are great at what they do. “It’ll be four years next week since we first opened,” Rabinovich tells Brooklyn Magazine. “And we’ve kept our purpose the same: serving high quality, freshly made pasta, with good sauces and ragus, everything made in house, all at an affordable price.” If you know, you know.

And now they’re spreading that starchy love across Brooklyn with a spiffy new Forma Pasta Factory on Greene Avenue and Fulton Street. It has the same menu as in Greenpoint, the same fast-casual format, and the same crazy low prices.

Meatballs, $7 (Scott Lynch)

We’ve had pretty much everything at Forma over the past few years and always walked away full and happy, but at an opening-week feast in Fort Greene — enjoyed, by the way, in the spacious and comfortable new backyard — the highlights were a rich pappardelle bolognese and a shockingly bright and lively gemelli pesto.

Pappardelle bolognese, $13 (Scott Lynch)

There’s a different special pasta each day, and on Wednesday it was a knee-buckling three cheese agnolotti in butter sauce. If you’re there on a Sunday, get the lasagna, either the meat or the spinach one. Other pasta picks include the creamy pipette ragu with sausage, the classic spaghetti pomodoro, and the “frutti di mare” chitarra special on Thursdays.

Three cheese agnolotti, $16 (Scott Lynch)

And the sides are just as accomplished, and affordable. The trio of meatballs are dense and well seasoned, the roasted lemon cauliflower gets some zing with chili peppers, and the complimentary slabs of just-baked focaccia are soft, warm, and just the right amount of oily.

Cauliflower, $7 (Scott Lynch)

Several of the desserts hit the spot, too, though my favorite is the chocolate budino with salted caramel.

You can be in and out of here in like 20 minutes if need be, or sit and linger over a glass (or bottle) of wine, or some beers, or a coffee. It’s an excellent option for families, too, or even dates, especially if it’s warm enough to sit outside where you can post up at a “real” table. Basically, Forma Pasta Factory is a very useful restaurant to have in your neighborhood, with the added bonus that it’s also very good.

Gemelli pesto, $13 (Scott Lynch)

“People have been lovely and welcoming,” says Rabinovich about the opening week in Fort Greene. “It’s really nice to get to know the neighborhood, and we hope to form a bond here just like we did over in Greenpoint. That means everything to us.”

The new digs in Fort Greene (Scott Lynch)

The new Fort Greene Forma Pasta Factory is located at 5 Greene Avenue, right at Fulton Street, and is currently open Wednesday through Monday from noon to 10 p.m. (347-799-1333)