Pasta Party at The Italian Bowl, Newtown
Sunday, July 16, 2017
I don't think there is anything quite like the humble bowl of pasta in the world of comfort food. There's probably not a single person I know who would turn down a bowl of pasta. It has such universal appeal, and can be cooked in so many different ways that it's hard not to say no.
The Italian Bowl is
a popular Newtown eatery serving up hearty Italian meals at wallet-friendly prices.
It's the kind of place you'd go for a simple, home-style pasta feed with family or
friends. Order at the counter, grab a number and wait for the food to arrive
at the table.
The place is buzzing
when we arrive at peak dinner time on a Friday night, with a queue that snakes
out the front door and onto the street. The kitchen is an entertaining sight to
watch as we wait in line to order. Pots
simmer away with steaming vats of sauce; pans sizzle as carby pasta deliciousness is tossed with the various sauces.
It serves up typical, classic Italian fare, and as we glance around at diners tucking into their bowls, we observe that pasta seems to be the go-to dish. All pastas are made to order, and it's a build your own approach with 7 pastas and 18 sauces on the menu, which are priced between $12 and $18 depending on the sauce. There are classics like amatriciana, bolognese, carbonara and pesto, as well as more interesting options such as chicken peppercorn and mare e mote (prawns and mushrooms). For those with a bigger stomach, there are also options to upsize your pasta, or combine a pasta with a side of chicken or veal schnitzel. Also on offer are risottos, baked pastas, hearty veal and chicken plates, and a handful of fresh salads.
Service is fast and
efficient, however this probably isn't the best place to dine if you want to
relax and linger over your meal. Seating is on a first order basis, and can
become quite cramped during busy times. That doesn't matter if you're here for
one thing: pasta.
Penne Boscaiola ($16)
There is plentiful
amount of chopped bacon and mushroom in this pasta. The boscaiola sauce is
ultra creamy and glossy; i's quite a thick sauce and teeters on the verge of
being a little too creamy.
Linguine Marinara ($18)
This seafood-lover's pasta is chockers full of calamari, octopus, white fish, prawns and pipis. The
hearty tomato sauce is ultra flavoursome and full of seafood goodness. It's a hearty bowl of
pasta.
Ravioli Napolitana ($12)
There aren't too
many ravioli in this serving, but the napolitana is a simple, tasty sauce that
is hard to go wrong with.
Gnocchi Calabrese (without olives) ($16)
Soft pillows of long
potato gnocchi pair well with the tasty heat of chorizo in this dish, which makes for the perfect comfort meal on a chilly night. It's a big serving, too.
Linguine Aglio e Olio King Prawns ($18)
This winning pasta is
one of our favourites of the night. The glossy sauce coats every strand of the linguine and is infused with rich prawn flavour. The prawns are fat and juicy. It's
a seemingly simple but super tasty pasta, and the addition of rocket adds a fresh,
peppery note to each bite.
Spinach Cannelloni ($15)
Two long cannelloni
hold their shape well and are coated in a thick, flavoursome tomato sauce.
This is comforting,
no fuss Italian pasta for the soul. Perfect for any pasta lover.
Website:
https://theitalianbowl.com.au/
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