NYC’s Lasagna Ristorante opens Huntington location

Ever sit there wishing lasagna had more to offer than sauce, cheese and ground beef?

Lasagna stuffed with shrimp and scallops, eggplant and even short rib meat cooked for seven hours and pulled off the bone are just some of the options diners can choose at the new Lasagna Ristorante at 400 New York Avenue, the site of the former Riley’s.

Nourey Lhajii, who owns the Huntington location alongside partner Adam Honig said the new establishment will serve all the lasagna dishes offered at the restaurant’s Chelsea location — once it is fully staffed.

“Usually we have 17 different kind of lasagnas all made to order,” Lhajii said. “We did a soft opening and did a smaller menu because it’s hard to find workers.”

In the meantime customers can still dine on seven unique lasagna dishes: those listed above as well as sausage and onion, spinach, ground sirloin and primavera.

Lhajii said customers can also opt to have any pasta dish made gluten-free.

The limited menu gives customers a chance to dig into a selection of other Italian dishes as well, such as chicken marsala, hot and spicy penne alla vodka and shrimp scampi.

Once the menu grows, the restaurant will offer one of its classic desert menu items.

“We are famous for our tiramisu in Manhatten,” Lhajii said. “It is homemade.”

Adam Honig’s father, Nathan, founded the original Lasagna Ristorante on the east side of Manhattan in 1993. The business expanded to Chelsea in 2009, but the original location closed four years ago due to the price of the rent, according to Lhajii.

After that location closed, Lhajii said he was determined to open a location on Long Island. Now, he no longer has to regularly commit to the city from his Wantagh home.

The Huntington location opened its doors in August and Lhajii said one of the restaurant’s lasagnas has already made its mark.

“The short rib is very famous here on Long Island,” Lhajii said. “It’s cooked to perfection.”

Top: Photo courtesy of Lasagna Ristorante.