We got the sauce: Presto Pasta brings Italian-Jamaican fused flavour
Published:Thursday | April 13, 2023 | 12:34 AMKrysta Anderson/Staff Reporter
There’s a new ‘pastaria’ in town bringing the taste of Italian-infused cuisine to the local market. Exploring the concept of presto, a quick way of preparing dishes, Presto Pasta is looking to change the way you savour the unique flavour.
“It’s a pasta-forward menu, but we also have thin crust pizzas like pepperoni, seafood, signature sweet chilli oxtail, and jam-waiian, which is a take of the Hawaiian style, made with pulled pork and pineapples and caramelised onions. There are baked goods such as lasagnas with various toppings, macaroni and cheese with different toppings, like shrimp or pulled pork, beef Italian and chicken Parmesan sliders, as well as macaroni and cheese spring rolls, chicken wings and herb garlic fries,” Manager KaRaine Hill told Food.
Located at 76 Red Hills Road, it came out of a need to fill the void for pasta lovers. “We’re a quick service restaurant that is centred around an Italian-themed menu; pasta being the flagship,” she said.
While they have a wide array of dishes for you to choose from, here comes the fun part. You can build your pasta from two up to four topping selections, as well as pasta of your choice and the sauce that you want. And it is freshly cooked right in front of you.
The toppings include jerk chicken, herb chicken, shrimp, pepperoni, and Italian sausage, as well as vegan options of marinated tomatoes, toasted vegetables, callaloo, and ackee.
“We have pasta favourites: penne, fusilli, farfalle, linguine and fettuccine. And we make different sauces like Scotch bonnet cream sauce, roasted almond pesto, roasted garlic herb sauce, creamy Alfredo, and a tomato sauce,” she shared.
For my tasting pleasure, I tried the Italian sausage and jerk chicken topping with a pesto sauce. The jerk chicken gave it the right amount of spice and the Italian sausage brought the ‘feel for something nice but different’ taste to the overall dish. It was cooked to perfection and I am officially hooked on the pesto sauce. This was an ideal choice for someone looking to cut down on the diary content without compromising on delicious flavour.
Since opening on March 24, the feedback, Hill says, has been pretty good. She is happy with the customer response so far, with many returning for more options. Big on the organic growth of the company, they are looking to have an official launch in a month. “The business is a partnership between an overseas company and a local food industry company called Elite Creations. We have a great team that is talented and eager to learn. And we are bringing a fresh and unique concept to Jamaica. So we are just taking it one day at a time. The team is the backbone of our business and we want to invest in them as much as possible,” she added.
The meat lovers’ pasta, chicken wings, pepperoni pizza, macaroni and cheese spring rolls, and the many variations of lasagnas are already favourites among customers. With garlic bread and lasagna nuggets making their debut on the menu soon, Hill is encouraging others to visit and take a taste of Italy meets Jamaica for yourself.