Pasta Fresca - Bukit Timah

It was here in Bukit Timah, back in 1988, that Salvatore Carecci opened a modest, three-table Italian restaurant. Pasta Fresca Da Salvatore has now grown to encompass several restaurants in Singapore (Boat Quay, Siglap, and in Kuala Lumpur and Shanghai) and has become a household name when it comes to hearty Italian food and exuberant, typically Italian service. Pasta Fresca specialises in southern Italian cuisine, with a focus on fresh pasta made daily in the traditional way, with no artificial ingredients. In fact, Pasta Fresca has been certified a Healthier Dining Partner by the Health Promotion Board! Book a table at Pasta Fresca’s Bukit Timah Road headquarters to see, and taste, where life began for the brand that has kept at least two generations of the city’s Italian food fans happy.

The recipe for success, says our veteran Italian restaurateur Salvatore from the cosy interior of his original outlet along Bukit Timah Road, is to listen to the customer. Riding the crest of the vogue for Italian cuisine for over 25 years has seen the Pasta Fresca Da Salvatore brand remain attentive to Singapore’s notoriously discerning diners, and it’s gratifying – at least to us – to see several new options on Pasta Fresca’s menu. In particular, the tagliere di salumi, tagliere di formaggi, and tagliere misto (platters of cold cuts, cheeses, and a combination of both plus vegetables) round off an already impressive antipasti selection. It also indicates the moves Pasta Fresca is taking in the direction of the retail Italian delicatessen, especially here and at its Siglap restaurant. From these gourmet shops, customers can take a slice of Italy home with them after a singularly memorable Italian meal. As the name suggests and the legacy confirms, Pasta Fresca is one family of restaurants that is never prone to stagnation.

An unmissable way to begin your meal at Pasta Fresca Da Salvatore is with the renowned melanzane alla parmigiana, layers of baked eggplant with a simple cheese and tomato sauce. It’s a classic of Italian cuisine, thoroughly home-style, and made here it’s one of the best in Singapore. As you move inexorably to the stars of the show, the pasta dishes, be sure to check out other of the chef’s special recommendations on the way, but this is what we’re looking for – the permission to create il vostro piatto preferito di pasta, to create your own favourite pasta dish from 16 different kinds of pasta (fettuccine, squid ink linguine, conchiglie, beef tortellini, ravioli verdi, panzerotti... ) and at least as many sauces as this Bukti Timah Italian restaurant has years. There’s much more southern Italian cuisine to explore here and at Pasta Fresca’s other outlets, but we’ll let you be guided by your gut instinct. A word of warning, however: advance reservations are highly recommended for these well-known restaurants.