Hasta Headsta Basta Pasta

We've walked past Basta Pasta countless times, but I didn't know much about it other than the fact that it had pasta. A coworker was having a going-away lunch and chose this spot. and I was very intrigued to learn that it is pasta done by Japanese chefs. A Japanese/Italian Fusion of sorts.

The Mr opted for a penne with bacon (no surprise there) and really enjoyed it:

 Penne with Bacon, Onion, Egg Yolk and Cream Sauce

I ordered the Crespelle con Funghi e Ricotta: homemade silk handkerchief pasta with mixed mushrooms, lemon zest, and ricotta cheese. Silky and light! I didn't really see/taste any Japanese influence in The Mr's dish, but in mine, the addition of shiitake mushrooms was a bit unique.

Crespelle con Funghi e Ricotta

Interestingly though, the dish to get was the Spaghetti con Prosciutto e Parmigiano: spaghetti with parmigiano reggiano and parma prosciutto. Several of our party ordered this and the server wheeled up a cart with a gigantic half wheel of parmesan cheese and mixed it all up in there right at the table. It looked rich, cheesy and delicious and our friends raved about it. However, again, I'm not seeing the Japanese fusion element?

Overall this place has some yummy pasta. However, I felt like there wasn't enough Japanese influence to differentiate it from all of the other Italian places in this city serving delicious pasta.