I cannot believe that it has been 2 years since we went to Basta Pasta, the US outpost of an Italian restaurant that opened in Japan in 1985, that I discovered few years ago and remains one of my preferred Italian restaurants in the city. Always packed, the menu there is amazing with so many mouth watering dishes that you are not sure what to get and just want to order the entire menu.

We went there on a Thursday evening, arriving a it earlier, so we sat at the bar to enjoy some drinks while waiting for our table. Jodi had a mocktail called the Pompelmo, made with grapefruit juice, fresh mint, soda and tonic, while I had the No BS cocktail, made with Bird Dog Bourbon, hibiscus syrup, lime juice, serrano salsa and fresh mint (I asked for not too much salsa so it would not be too spicy).

We started the meal with the burrata that was served with a Winter citrus salad (I loved the combination of the oranges with the creaminess of the cheese), walnuts, onion and olives. Refreshing, this is a perfect dish to share and one of the few vegetarian appetizers.

For her main, Jodi went for the Cavatelli mozzarella, pomodori e fungi, that is homemade cavatelli pasta with mozzarella, fresh tomato sauce, shiitake mushrooms and grana padano cheese. Quite good and comforting, with a nice amount of cheese, this is the perfect dish if you love mushrooms.

Cavatelli mozzarella, pomodoro e funghi at Basta Pasta in NYC, NY

On my side, I could not resist ordering the spaghetti Nero ai frutti di mare or squid ink spaghetti with clams, squid, sea scallop and shrimp. The pasta was amazing, perfectly cooked al dente and every piece of seafood was perfectly cooked too. It was served with a discrete tomato sauce that definitely enhanced the entire dish. I loved it!

Spaghetti nero ai frutti di mare at Basta Pasta in NYC, NY

For dessert, we decided to try their chocolate lava cake. Served warm, gooey in the center, it was served with a creamy vanilla Ice cream that paired perfectly with the chocolate and balanced the sweetness of the cake.

Chocolate lava cake at Basta Pasta in NYC, NY

We left satisfied after a delicious meal at Basta Pasta. This place is quite unique: the food is exquisite and the service on point. I definitely recommend it.

Enjoy (I did)!

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Basta Pasta - 37 W 17th St, New York, NY 10011

Basta Pasta, Italian food by a Japanese Chef

I Just Want To Eat!