I can't believe I have not reveiwed this place yet. Even tho thats me in the "seriously, don't take my pic right now" shot of the restaurant. thanks hubs! =) It's actually cool. I get hunger cranky, bad. I continue to go back here even though I've moved and it holds up every time. It started as a strictly cafe line place - you ordered, got your food to stay or go, and bussed your own table. Which was great when you were working and only had a short meal break. And for the price, which was expensive for a college student, you got a great meal, if not two meals with the leftovers. Then the upstairs began to serve dinner, like real restaurant style, and I didn't expect the quality to continue. I was so happy to be wrong. The service can be hit or miss, as in, where the hell is the hostess? Do we just sit down? The space is really a treat too, the view of Amherst common is pleasant and the staircase in the middle of the room, well, its just neat. I havent explored their bar area, just never had a chance. and the downstairs continues to be awesome too! They make amazing rosemary focaccia that they serve on the table with olive oil. This place has last meal on earth potential, however, I haven't been in a while, so I shouldn't go that far. Sigh. I'll just have to go back and make sure. read more

Yesterday I was extremely close to driving to Amherst from Boston just to eat here. The pasta is the best I've ever had. And the bread with olive oil they bring out before the pasta is awesome. I miss eating in Amherst. read more

Great place for some good, cheap Italian food. We came on a Friday night and it wasn't too crowded so there was no wait. For those unfamiliar, this place is 3 floors high, the first being cafeteria-style and the second and third being an actual sit-down place. Being tourists, we asked the waitress for suggestions: we asked her to recommend some of the lighter options because we had just had some heavier Italian the other night. She said the crazy Alfredo was the most popular, but was the heaviest. She recommended some of the white wine pastas, especially the seafood ones, and started us off with some bread and amazing olive oil (it's got a garlicky flavor) that's got some red and green bits (sorry, have no idea what they are ;) ). We ordered: - A mushroom appetizer (I think it's a special): a really nice mushroom, mozzarella, and pesto dish baked on some lovely focaccia bread. The mushrooms are especially juicy, ($4.95) - Chicken Verdicio: a large dish with a generous helping of linguine. Nice and lemony, with juicy mushrooms tasty artichokes. I was a little hesitant before ordering it but didn't regret it in the end! ($13.50) - Frutta di Marre: the highlight of the meal that I had been waiting for, and it didn't disappoint! Linguine with a lot of big clams, juicy mussels, shrimp and octopus. Light, not too salty and had a beautiful color ($16.50). - Salad: it was just a simple add on to the Frutta di Marre that I ordered because I haven't had many vegetables lately, but I'd like to point out that my parents said the cherry tomatoes were very fresh ($1.50). - White Zinfandel (or the 'white zin'): A glass of pink wine that's on the sweeter side. Not great, but not bad ($5.00) The bill came out to be ~$45 and given how stuffed we were (we also came out with plenty of leftovers) it was pretty cheap for delicious, filling meal. I had my qualms at first because this town seems to be surrounded by farms and cornfields, but I had a lovely time here and might come again if I'm ever in town. Try it! :) read more

Pasta E Basta - Italian Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

Pasta E Basta is one of my all time favorites, a solid 5 stars. They have THE BEST chicken marsala I have ever had in my life. I crave it all the time - can you please open in the Boston area?? read more

Pasta E Basta - Best Chicken Marsala of all time - Italian Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

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Oh. My. Gosh. Love love love this place. Went here for the first time last night, the menu is awesome and has great choices! The bread and oil you bring to the table is delicious, we got the bruschetta as an appetizer, also very good. Great service, great experience. Will definitely come back the next time I'm here! read more

Pasta E Basta - Bruschetta, and the bread they bring to the table - Italian Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

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When I lived in Amherst I loved Pasta-e-Basta. I had two dishes that were my favorites - the Arancini and the Gnocchi with Pesto. The bread was awesome - the sauces were fresh and delicious. I never tried anything else - didn't need to. Fast forward some years. I went to dinner there last night with mom and spouse. On a saturday night the bottom portion was empty and it felt strange to contemplate sitting there. So despite the fact that my mom has a problem with stairs right now, up the the steep case we went. Tables available on the third but at that point it was too much of a climb so we waited on the 2nd till one opened up. Sorry for the detail, but I feel important to mention for those who may have problems due to the lack of an elevator ... The bread was as great as I remembered, MH really liked it. All the rest still applies - huge portions - good prices but I really should have stuck to my originals. None of us were really crazy about what we got, popular choices though they may be. Steak with Fettucine Alfredo, Clams with Oil & Garlic and Chicken Sorrentino (I think) - the last was mine and it just seemed really watery and salty. The chicken was lightly poached, which I am NOT a fan of. I did get some (tried & true) food to go but honestly, even though it's local and i really want it to be the one - Bertucci's satisfies me more. Man I guess I've really changed - kind of scary!! read more

So incredibly disappointing!! To say the least! The Penne Bolagnese had no sauce, it was just greasy, overcooked (not al dente) pasta. The vegetable lasagna had a few chunks of green and yellow zucchini, too much cheese and was also greasy. The pizza had virtually no sauce. One person in our group liked his penne with meatballs which actually had sauce. So the food is mostly terrible, but that's not the worst of it. The person at the pizza oven moved a pizza in the oven and then placed the wooden paddle thing and stood it on its side between the 2 counters... ON THE FLOOR!! But wait...there's more! A waiter dropped the piece of foil that's goes on top of the bread to keep it warm and he picked it up, turned the foil over and put it back on the bread. So no, we will not come back, feeling the after effects of eating greasy, overcooked, just terrible food made in an obviously dirty environment. read more

We went last weekend as a pre-celebration for my daughter's 21'st birthday and it was wonderful. It's a little confusing when you walk in (the takeout is on the first floor), but once you get upstairs it has a great feel to it, intimate but open, big windows with a staircase to a 3rd floor. The layout was great (but the stairs take some time if anyone has mobility challenges). The service was wonderful, our server was prompt and responsive, very friendly and checked up on us throughout our meals. We had beers and a cocktail (I had the basil lemon martini), and the food was absolutely amazing. Portions are more than enough, the bread was fantastic. We had the arancini appetizer and my Mom and I had the Chicken Beneciano (they were willing to make it w/out mushrooms for me), my daughter had the Tomato Basil Mozzarella. I would absolutely go back the next time we visit Amherst. read more

The pasta is good. The bread is delicious. The pasta tastes even better the next day! The service upstairs SUCKS. I can attest to this because EVERY SINGLE TIME I have gone here, I have waited too long, been served cold bread occasionally, and had poor service. The waitresses/waiters seemed overstretched and stressed. But I still return so they must be doing something right or maybe Amherst just lacks options. The spicy Alfredo is yummy, the salmon Alfredo is a no, I've had better gnocchi, everything else is good. read more

Pretty decent Italian for Western Mass! Atmosphere is cozy, good for groups or even date night. I usually go with the chicken beneciano (you really can't go wrong with the white wine sauce!) or the crazy alfredo for all you meat lovers out there. Calamari as an app isn't too bad either and you really can't go wrong with tiramisu for dessert. I've always seen the service as pretty friendly and efficient. Definitely give them props for dealing with such a condensed college area.. Lastly, the bread is SO GOOD, especially if it comes out fresh. I swear their oil is ridiculously addictive because every time I go I request like three bread baskets. But perhaps thats just me. read more

Having come here several times before, I thought I'd give this place another go. I came in a group of 4 and we were sat immediately. For appetizers we ordered the Arancini Balls, and the Breaded Cheese Ravioli. For entrees, we ordered two Lobster Alla Mares, Vegetable Lasagna and Chicken Broccoli Alfredo. We were starving, and by the time the appetizers came, we inhaled them. Once we were finished with our appetizers, we moved on to our entrees. We got the Lobster Alla Mare, and Vegetable Lasagna at once, but there were hiccups along the way. The Chicken Broccoli Alfredo came out as a Chicken Parmesan, so we quickly returned it, as mistakes do happen. The next time the dish came out as a Chicken Broccoli Spaghetti. Close, but not close enough. By this time, we were already starving and didn't want to annoy our server once more so we just took it. My friend was very displeased with his dish, and it was the wrong one! My friend ordered the Vegetable Lasagna which he was displeased with as well. I ordered the Lobster Alla Mare which was just as I remembered, delicious. I thought the service could have been better, but because the food that I had made up for it, I gave this place a 4/5. read more

I love me some pasta e basta. Before college I wasn't a big fan of pasta but Pasta E Basta changed that. I slowly eased into developing a liking for pasta from their crazy alfredo and linguine with white clam sauce. Their portions are big and at a reasonable price. They also provide you with their amazing homemade bread with olive oil. They have a few floors. The first floor is for casual dine ins and you don't need to tip. After the cashier gives you your food, you seat yourself and grab what you need. The second and third floor is where you go if you want a full dining experience. I've only been upstairs once and had a pleasant experience. This place definitely deserves 4 stars! read more

The food is average, cheap, and in huge portions, but that doesn't necessarily warrant 5 stars. I really like garlic, but Pasta E Basta uses it wrecklessly. More does not equal better! Also, every time I've gotten anything with meat or seafood, it's dry, overcooked, and not too tasty. It's a local version of the Olive Garden. read more

Just had lunch here with my wife and two good friends. I had shrimp and broccoli over pasta with olive oil, garlic and spices. My wife had chicken broccoli and alfredo sauce over penne . Our two friends both had veal Parmesan. All of our meals were delicious and we all had some left overs to enjoy later at home. We also had warm focaccia bread with seasoned olive oil . This too was so delicious I could have made a meal of it. To drink I had very tasty IPA beer. For sure we will be back whenever we are in the area again!!! read more

Pasta E Basta - Great Food! Great Restaurant ! Great Time Had By All! - Italian Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

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I was very impressed by Pasta E Basta, and will definitely be back! The service was nice and friendly. I loved the fresh bread with garlic and basil dipping oil. The prices are very reasonable, and portions are so large that we had more than enough for lunch the next day. I had a calzone, which was very tasty and a bargain at $6. I was less impressed with my boyfriend's pasta with chicken and cream sauce, which was a little boring but not bad at all. read more

I really wanted to like this place. But ultimately it was just "okay". Their menu looks impressive. They have a lot of cream sauces like other reviewers mention. But the food gives is...meh. I had tortellini carbonara. The tortellini was way over cooked. And the carbonara sauce was a bit salty. I'm not even the least bit picky, and I did finish my plate, but it just wasn't all that good. Started with the pasta fagioli soup - an Italian classic. It was just meh as well. A bit on the salty side. I probably wouldn't come back. There are a bazillion amazing restaurants in Amherst and Northampton. I'm sure there are plenty of better places out there. read more

Amazing food, and priced well. I tend to stick with the tortellini alfredo, and you can't go wrong with that. And the basket of bread they give you is out of this world. One can choose between the simple, order-with-the-cashier style downstairs, or a nice sit-down restaurant upstairs. For the best Italian food in the Amherst area, Pasta E Basta cannot be matched! read more

The pasta comes SWIMMING in sauce. Ick. The bread is ok, the portion sizes aren't ridiculous, but the food tastes like something you could do at home with a can of sauce, a box of pasta, a pot of boiling water and if you were inclined, old seafood. Nothing special, especially for the price. I'm not coming here again unless I have to. read more

I have had hit and miss meals with pasta e Basta. I really wish their sauce had an element that was unique (garlic, basil, spicy, sweet, etc). The chicken parm is always hot and crispy. I wish just a bit of season. The fried calamari is a great go-to. The bread is perfect with the meal. read more

My favorite place to eat in Amherst. It's the one restaurant I miss post-graduation. It's affordable. The pasta dishes are delicious. Upstairs and downstairs serve mostly the same food. The difference is that upstairs is a sit-down restaurant with waiting staff, while downstairs is much more casual. read more

The food here is really good. The bread is phenomenal. The prices may seem a bit high considering there is no table service. The food is of such high quality, it's well worth it. (You'll spend less than your average sit down restaurant, but the food will be way better.) read more

I probably would have enjoyed Pasta E Basta better had I not been comparing it to one of my favorite local Italian places, Viva Fresh Pasta in Northampton. They both have a cheap pick a pasta and sauce option, so they're easy to compare. Here's my take. -Bread- Winner: Pasta E.B. They have homemade focaccia bread and it comes with olive oil to dip it in. Yum. -Caesar salad- Winner: Viva F.P. Viva's has olives and roasted peppers, which makes it super tasty. -Pasta and sauce choice- Winner: Pasta E.B. They have lots of choices, but since I'm in love with the Romesco sauce at Viva, I missed this option. -Quality of the pasta- Winner: Viva F.P. Perhaps focusing on making a few pastas each day improves the quality. So, overall, Viva Fresh Pasta is still my first choice for Italian in the area. However, if you find yourself in Amherst instead, this isn't a bad choice. read more

I agree with Lisa D. on the upstairs - its almost like they forget they are serving food to the upstairs - and your one shot with the waitress is it... that being said, overall the quality of food is high, and as many reviews before have proclaimed the bread is amazing. I recommend this as more of a lunch spot or early dinner - and eat downstairs - you can watch them cook the food - and still order the entire menu. I usually go by whatever special is up on the board, but their raviolis are awesome. read more

The crazy alfredo is pretty much legendary, but the portion is ridiculously large. I can't imagine a single person managing to finish the entire thing. I usually split it in half with my boyfriend, and we still have leftovers! The bread is a hit or miss - I've gone here a few times and the bread has been cold and hard, but all the other times, it's warm, soft, flavorful, and served with a nice mixture of oil, pepper, basil, and garlic. The service is adequate. Not particularly friendly, but efficient, unless they're ridiculously busy. read more

After scouring Yelp for where to go for dinner our one night in Amherst, we eventually settled on Pasta E Basta. I loved the options to build your own pasta. I got the gemelli with vodka tomato cream sauce, bacon and mushrooms. I was trying to keep it cheap, and it was still entirely satisfying. The portion was so huge, I stuffed myself and still had enough to stuff myself again the next night with the leftovers. But my favorite part of the entire meal was the bread, which was soft with a nice kind of chewy (?) outer texture and came served with a plate of olive oil full of shallots, basil, peppers, and spices for dipping. I added some grated parmesan from the table and gobbled up the whole basket (then got a second basket to go with dinner, since it was complimentary). We also had Harpoon UFO Hefeweizens which were on draft, and that was neat. The service was prompt and friendly, and we sat along a 2nd story window that faced out over Main St, with all manner of brightly colored, tropical potted plants lining the window sill. It was really charming. So, no complaints here. read more

The Crazy Alfredo is UH-mazing. It sucks that I'm about to quit eating pork because I won't be able to have it any more but I love this place. I usually spend about 20.00 on my meal taxes and non-alc drink included. The bread here is delicioso but I've tried to cut down on carbs-- the pasta is more than enough. I highly recommend this place to anyone in Amherst. I think its one of the town jewels and I'm going to gravely miss it when I graduate in May. read more

I love pasta. Cannot stress this enough. So when I found this place, which literally translates to 'Pasta is Enough', I agreed whole-heartedly. The building is very unique, and they offer you the option of eating on the 2nd and 3rd floor in a traditional, waited-on dining experience, or the first floor where you order at a counter and can eat a little more cafeteria-style. PeB is place that my boyfriend and I would probably go to more if we didn't have the sense to watch our wallets and waist-lines. But I find it rather addictive. They will give you their homemade bread is toasted with some garlic and herbs and served with an olive oil, garlic, red chilis dip to start that is good. Having warm fresh bread is always a plus. Their appetizers are also very good- the arancini is some of the best I've ever had. One of my favorite things about PeB is that the customize your own dish option for the pastas. Some places that allow for customization will just throw all your stuff together at the end and it will taste bland. Here, they clearly make it all with love and focus so that everything is evenly cooked and tasty. My favorite combo to make is the porcini mushroom ravioli in a tomato vodka sauce, and I add extra mushrooms and artichokes. Might sound strange, but dang is it good. I haven't had anything here I didn't like. I am unsure if they make any of their pastas, but they always taste good! I can't really think of any bad things. Once the marinara around my arancini was cold, but it is so good I didn't even say anything. Overall, I really like pasta e basta. I'm torn between 4 and 5 stars because I really find it as a comfort food place for me and love it... but for a pasta place that doesn't make some pastas? I would love it if there were some fresh ones. Please correct me if I'm wrong! read more

Fantastic service and wonderful food. We were very impressed. We'd been all over looking for great Italian, including little Italy in Boston and were thrilled to finally find it here! There may be issues with handicapped accessibility. I didn't check but if you or a guest cannot climb stairs, call ahead. read more

Pick up or sit down Quick yummy Italian and Cash stays in pocket. read more

There's an upstairs and a downstairs to this place. Upstairs is the full restaurant. I've been to both parts and the food is similar. Although, sometimes it's a hit or miss. I've had the spinach and cheese calzone, the linguine with mussels, and the chicken carbonara. I must say, they have really good carbonara. I've had all 3 of these dishes numerous times. Pasta E Basta is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Amherst. Their bread is so good. read more

Soggy pasta, they got our order wrong also. I often get flashbacks from when my fathers boss got us food from there. Glad he quit that job.

Amazing food! Feels just like the North End. Prices are amazing and I will definitely return! read more

Pasta E Basta - Italian Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

This was the most bland, terrible Italian food I've experienced at a restaurant. Their marinara sauce tasted like nothing more than tomatoes in juice. The gnocchi was over cooked and mushy. The service was mediocre - food arrived in timely manner, but waitress did not refill drinks or inquire to see if we were enjoying the food. The entire experience was a great disappointment. I will not be eating here, again... and recommend you choose a different restaurant when looking for good Italian food in Amherst. read more

Only the 2nd floor was open & I was on crutches so they opened the first floor just for us & the wonderful waitress ran up & down the stairs for us... Not to mention, the food was AMAZING!!!!! ... Started with bread that comes with a garlic dipping sauce that we couldn't get enough of... Then had Chicken Tortellini Soup... YUMMY!!! Main course... I created from the choose your own menu where you get to choose your own pasta, sauce, & meat!!! Needless to say everything was so awesomely delicious that I had no room left for dessert!!!! I can not wait to go back!!! read more

Pasta E Basta - This Chicken Tortellini Soup was AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS!!!! - Italian Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

Just to be clear up front - I've only been here twice both times in the downstairs part. That being said, I haven't been particularly impressed with the pasta dishes I've gotten. The "carbonara" isn't really carbonara (but in all fairness, the menu lists it as bacon and cream, which real carbonara isn't - and this is common at many pasta places). Too much garlic, and I really like a lot of garlic so that's saying something. I also got a make-your-own with pesto cream which was better but still average at best. My wife's pesto gnocchi was just completely covered in chopped basil which sort of resembled a pesto. It was almost inedible. Other dishes people have gotten with me have been OK to good according to them. So, maybe I'm picky and comparing it to some of the really good pasta places I've encountered in my lifetime. I wonder if it's just that the cooks downstairs are just throwing things together while the cooks upstairs are more seasoned (pun intended)? I mean, a lot of people like this this place - of course, it's really the only game in town. I'll probably keep going back when I get coupons to see if I can find something I like. read more

Disappointing. I have been here previously and the food has always been decent - big portions at a fair price. This time, I ordered the Chicken Broccoli Alfredo and my waitress got my order wrong. Twice. First, she brought out a Chicken Parmesan and then Spaghetti Shrimp and Broccoli. I was so hungry at that point, I accepted the second dish and thanked her. The taste was below decent. I could have made the same thing at home. There was no wow-factor. The server was friendly and apologetic but it obviously irritated me when I got the wrong dish sent to me two times. My waitress gave me a check for the Spaghetti Shrimp and Broccoli, which was more expensive than what I had originally ordered. I came for dinner with my professor and class so I reluctantly paid for my bill. One note, all of the previous times that I've been here, I sat and ate on the bottom level of the restaurant. Customers order and pay for food at the counter and sit at tables of their choosing. This time, I ate at the top level and the service was terrible. The experience, however, was fair. If I came back here, I would choose to sit at the bottom level. Overall, Lobster Ravioli is pretty good ... 2.5 stars out of 5. read more

I love the food here!!! The service is awesome and the wait isn't too long. You can get it to-go in their downstairs area, or if you're feeling a bit fancier you can head upstairs and get waited on. Cute decorations too. I'd definitely recommend the scampi! read more

Wonderful pasta carbonara! The bread with olive oil is amazing, too! Very efficient and friendly service and a pleasant atmosphere.

Went here once. Had the Crazy Alfredo. It was so greasy, there were pools of oil that had separated from the sauce.

Perhaps it is true what is said of Sunday night dining: "BEWARE!" Eating out for some families is still a rare occurrence rather than the norm, and we are such a family. After juggling busy schedules to find time for us to be together to celebrate 2 special events in our family, we decided to try Pasta e Basta for the first time, as it is next to one of our favorite Amherst dining spots, Crazy Noodles, and we are of some Italian heritage. The smells once inside were inviting and suggestive of a proper meal. Sadly, that would not be the case. Starting off with trekking up 2 flights of stairs to the upper dining space, we were seated at a table graced with poor quality silverware, bent up and so thin and cheap feeling. Should have taken that as a hint of what was to follow. My martini either splashed out on its way up 2 flights of stairs or was made scant to begin with in order to be easier to carry up , but it was down from the rim so far it looked like the server had helped herself to it (though I am not suggesting that). The salads that came out were basically just some iceberg lettuce with a few other vegetables, cheap and flavorless. To this point only the bread was pleasing. When the meals came, each of us had issues with our dish. The Veal Marsala was flavorless and the texture felt like a cheap cut of meat. The sauce was too strong of mushroom flavor so an already flavorless and tough cut of meat was fully overpowered. The Penne Romacampo just tasted wrong altogether with the salmon. To me it was inedible as such so I ate only some of the pasta and veg. The Chicken Piccata, I think, was the worst. The breaded coating, supposed to be crispy, was totally soggy and encasing a ridiculously rubbery piece of chicken that tasted as if it had been cooked once, then steam or microwave heated again. Horrible! We had room for dessert having had such poorly prepared meals so we ordered a few cannoli...what could go wrong with a simple cannoli in an Italian restaurant? PLENTY! Not only was the filling just whipped cream, rather than a proper cannoli filling consisting of mascarpone or ricotta cheeses, it was filled only on the ends and was completely hollow through the middle! Again, cheaply done, not only on the ingredients, but also on the preparation. Not only will we never dine at Pasta e Basta again, we will surely give our unsavory opinion to anyone else who asks about our experience. With all the dining choices in Amherst, people can surely do better. read more