On my floormate’s continuous recommendation of Basta Pasta, an Italian restaurant with a Japanese accent, inside the Yinova Center in our hood, I met friends there for lunch.

We opted for the $30 prix fixe with antipasti (a choice of salad or soup), a choice of pasta and housemade gelato or sorbet and coffee.

Two of us started with a steaming bowl of flavorful chicken soup (+$2) with chickpeas, chicken meatballs and veggies; my other friend had their huge tossed green salad.

I liked — and would again order — their Calabrian chili spicy fusilli with Iberico sausage, chopped Prosciutto and ricotta salata.

My friends tried their signature Tagliolini on Prosciutto e Parmigiano — fresh egg pasta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, sliced Prosciutto and basil served tableside. Sadly, they were disappointed as the resulting pasta was watery.  

When we mentioned it to our waiter, he refilled our wine glasses with more of the reasonably priced ($10) elegant Aglianico ’19 Puglia. 

We finished with espresso and some of their housemade strawberry gelato and pumpkin sorbet. 

Basta Pasta
In The Yinova Center
Chelsea
37 W 17th Street
New York, NY 10011
(212) 366-0888
bastapastanyc.com/