For chef Nic Patrizi, the key to good Italian food is using fresh ingredients that are cooked simply.

Patrizi sticks to this philosophy at his new food truck, Patrizi's, which opened May 20 on the outdoor patio of the Vortex Theater, a performance arts space at 2307 Manor Road. Pairing freshly rolled, cooked-to-order pasta with house-made sauces that use only several ingredients, Patrizi said he aims for the food truck to serve the best Italian food in town.

"[Italian is] the method of cuisine I prefer to cook," he said. "It's simple, it's classic, it's congruent to the new Austin food culture vibe, which is all about getting great fresh ingredients and preparing them simply."

Cooking is a family tradition for Patrizi, who also owns The Jalopy food truck at 1502 San Antonio St. His family owned an Italian restaurant in Beaumont for about 60 years, and his food truck uses many longstanding family recipes from the restaurant.

"[The Beaumont restaurant] was such a big part of our lives growing up, and it has always been my dream to reopen it," he said.

Patrizi worked with his cousin, Matt, to get the food truck and location operational. He said he was drawn to open Patrizi's on the Vortex Theater's patio because of its Austin vibe, steady customer base and connection to the local arts scene.

Patrizi's is open for dinner daily from 5–11 p.m. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/patrizisaustin.