30 August,2013 01:42 AM IST | | Kanika Sharma
If the name Emiliano Collazo, former Zenzi partner, is already on a fellow hogger's lips the moment he walks into Pastaa Bastta, you know the place has truly arrived.
White Herb Sauce Penne with Salmon was a tasty combination. Pics/Jay Munagekar.
The comfortable seating in red and white conjured a vibrant touch to the place. The inside had more of a bar stool-arrangement. Hardly cramped and simply adorned in the European mélange of butter yellows and browns, Pastaa Bastta has a huge display to let a roving eye decide choice of pasta, sauce - including signature (Aglio Oilio / Carbonara / Arrabiatta etc.) - and toppings: leaving a nice open window for the fussy folk.
Ceasar Salad was delicious despite the time it took us to bring all the elements together
We'd decided on our orders: Rs 165-priced Spaghetti Aglio Olio con Peperoncino (with additional garnish of Olives, Corn, Zucchini et al), Ragu alla Bolognese (Lamb Bolognese; no beef on the menu but cost was Rs 210), Spaghetti Carbonara (Rs 210) and Spaghetti Arrabiatta with additional garnish of lamb meatballs (Rs 165). Lastly, (almost) to counterbalance the Spaghetti overload, an Asparagi Alla Panna Con Salmone (Asparagus cream with fresh asparagus spears and smoked salmon) was ordered. But being amiss from the stock in the kitchen, we instead settled for the Penne White Sauce with Herbs garnished with Salmon (Rs 265). For the diet conscious, it was a Ceasar Salad (Rs 190) that promised Grilled Chicken and Herbed Croutons, which arrived almost in a jiffy.
We liked that the fresh salad had a separate sealed box for croutons to avoid the soggy syndrome. The dressing, on the other hand, came in a small container and was too thick to be culled out and bind the salad. The Bolognese was the first pasta to arrive. Steaming hot in the Chinese meal box, the saucy and cheesy puddle looked appetising but turned out to be too tangy to be carried on post midway. Arrabiata reiterated the same and despite request for extra spiciness, hardly impressed our taste buds. The Carbonara was infused with bacon and replenished the sauce with its adequate herbi-ness.
They say, save best for the last. And, Aglio Olio was precisely this. An absolute go-to, this stringy concoction is a mouthful of flavour, freshness and unctuousness. Twists of taste and promised desserts (as per the press release), if become available, would absolutely make the buck stop here as the outlet's name suggests (in Italian Basta means enough). 'Nuf said already.
