Pastaria Abate Review: Affordable Handmade Pasta At Tanjong Pagar From $8.80 Nett

Tucked in the quaint neighbourhood of Craig Road, just off the busy CBD, Pastaria Abate serves up affordably priced handmade pasta. Owned by an Italian, Mr Gino Abate, and his Singaporean wife, Jemima, the restaurant gives off a homely vibe that makes you feel like you’re chilling at your best friend’s place.

You’ll have to place your orders at the counter and retrieve your food from there. Pastaria Abate: Affordable Handmade Pasta At Tanjong Pagar From $8.80 Nett Food at Pastaria Abate The food has a sense of authenticity with most of the recipes passed down from Gino’s family.

The pasta and sauces used here are house-made with a keen attention on making everything from scratch. We kicked off things off with Fried Mozzarella ($6.80) , which was accompanied by a side of marinara sauce. Even so, I found that the mozzarella was still a little hard in the middle and could have been cooked a little while longer for a more stretchy and creamy consistency.

The pasta menu is extensive with 16 types of pasta to choose from. The noodles are broken down into categories of egg pasta, regular pasta, and flavoured pasta where you can opt for interesting variants such as porcini and saffron.

The classic marinara sauce is a good test of a restaurant’s mettle as it’s usually the base where other sauces are derived from. The Marinara ($8.80) with tagliarini egg pasta did not disappoint, with the restaurant using the famous San Marzano tomatoes, which are highly coveted for their sweetness.

The egg noodles were cooked just right and absorbed the sauce very nicely. I liked how there were many layers in the sauce, with the tomatoes giving a little sourness and sweetness to the dish.

The Carbonara ($12.80) with tagliatelle comes served with chunks of pancetta along with Parmesan cheese and a poached egg. It’s hard to choose the right noodles from such a wide variety, but I personally like the tagliatelle as its thick and wide surface area makes it great for soaking up the rich and creamy carbonara sauces. The chewy pancetta and creamy egg gave additional texture to the dish.

The restaurant makes you feel like you’re in an upscale bistro while feeling unpretentious at the same time. While it’s a self-service concept, the staff members were friendly and are happy to give recommendations on any dishes.

The verdict The generous portions and authentic recipes at Pastaria Abate make it a great place to visit for no-frills Italian fare at a pocket-friendly quotation.