Spaghetti w/ Tobiko (flying fish roe) & Shiso

by Celia Sin-Tien Cheng
August 29, 2006

BASTA PASTA
37 W 17th St
(5th & 6th Aves)
New York, NY 10011
212-366-0888

Celia Sin-Tien Cheng

Basta Pasta opened in 1990. Since then, they’ve maintained the quality of their food while developing a loyal following. I love Japanese spaghetti — the Japanese have successfully adapted pasta into their own cuisine, coming up with delicious flavors and original sauces. When I lived in Japan, I had to go to my local Japanese spaghetti restaurant at least once or twice a week to get my fill. The butter and soy sauce based pastas were my favorite. My point in telling this story is to explain that Basta Pasta is not some weird imitation Italian restaurant opened by Japanese people. It’s a true representation of the Japanese interpretation of Italian cuisine in Japan.

To start, the bagna cauda (fresh vegetables with warm anchovy cream dip) are not to be missed. This item hardly stands out on the antipasti menu, but believe me, it’s a real knock-out! The vegetables are fun with asparagus, okra, endives and green beans in the mix — the selection varies depending on what’s in season. But the secret weapon is the warm anchovy dip. It’s not dense and creamy like most vegetable dips, but rather watery in consistency, making it light, easy to eat, and extremely addictive. Once we finished all the vegetable sticks, my friends and I continued to soak up and finish the anchovy dip with bread. This is definitely a no-prisoner-left-behind dish.

The seared tuna with wasabi tartar sauce and salad came highly recommended by the waiter and it was a lovely way to start the evening — even before the veggie sticks — with something light, refreshing, and balanced in flavor. Seared tuna can often be a bore these days, but the wasabi tartar sauce jazzed it up with a nice subtle touch. The last appetizer we shared was the black mussels & clams, steamed in garlic and white wine, and it was a bit lackluster as neither the clams nor the mussels were meaty or juicy enough.

For pasta, the spaghetti tobiko and shiso was so tasty that I’ve been dreaming about it ever since. The Japanese love mixing pastas with fish roe — mentaiko and tarako are most commonly used — and it works because the texture of the roe adds a miniature crunch and a strong flavor to the pasta. There’s a lot of butter and garlic in this dish, so it’s not as light as it may sound. The shiso gives the dish a fresh, crisp flavor that balances the other, more potent flavors of the dish.

Oh! One of the great things about Basta Pasta is that you can order half portions of the pastas. I love this option not because I only want half a portion but because this way, I can taste more than one or two pastas. The homemade squid ink tagliolini with Chilean sea bass ragu & shredded zucchini in spicy tomato sauce is also delicious and I highly recommend it. It’s simply a good combination of great ingredients and flavors. The linguine with 5 kinds of clams in light tomato sauce is also very nice. I love clams, and with five varieties of clams, it makes this pasta more fun. I also tried the linguine with sea urchin and basil in pink sauce, and though the Japanese love to use uni in their pastas as much as the Italians do, this one did not stand out for me. The uni flavor tasted a bit flat and the pink sauce was a little too heavy.

Although Basta Pasta is bustling every night, it’s one of those places where you feel at ease and comfortable. The open kitchen, the friendly and professional staff and the consistently good food keep the regulars coming back for more. And for those who who can’t contain their inner American Idol, there’s a karaoke bar conveniently located next door.

Also in Flat Iron District, Italian, Pasta, Seafood