Italian

Al dente, bite-sized nuggets of homemade pasta tossed in scampi salsa, infused with saffron and seafood stock, and crowned with large seared prawns.

Firm to the bite, the spiral pasta's curves are the perfect carrier for that rich oxtail ragu inflected with herbs and a sprinkle of grated pecorino. It's delicious, but also rather pricey at $38++ for a main course portion.

In English, that's haddock fillet wrapped in smoked Pancetta, served with sautéed Brussels sprouts, red onion, and celeriac purée.

In Rachel-speak, that's my favourite off the new winter menu at Basilico. Why? The natural emollient oils in that slab of fish pair just impeccably with its jacket of unctuous, salty bacon, while those touches of pickled red onion, slightly charred cabbage leaves, and sun-dried tomatoes help to temper the richness of the protein.

This luscious pudding with crunchy candied hazelnuts – seriously to-die-for.

Creamless carbonara and tongue-tingling tom yum pasta. $10 each during lunch hours.

This briny pasta dish with dominant notes of olive and tomato reminded me so much of &sons, the sister restaurant of Aura. This, in particular, was good, though I found the set lunch slightly underwhelming in all. Next time I visit, I'll pick from the ala carte menu instead.

Oh my, some of the best gnocchi I've had in Singapore, indeed. Every soft yet firm morsel of potato pasta accentuated with the intense sharpness of sundried tomato purée – absolutely scrumptious when shoveled into the mouth along with bits of savoury minced pork. Plus, you won't find your palate weighed down, thanks to the shavings of fennel that lift the dish with their subtle sweetness and refreshing crunch.

I usually like my gnocchi with a little more spring in its bite, but if you like yours softer than down pillows, these blobs of potato pasta are sure to impress. In fact, they are so tender that they dissipate in the mouth almost involuntarily. They're that magical.

And despite being ensconced in a rich, creamy gorgonzola sauce – terribly winsome for blue cheese lovers like myself, the distinct potato-ey flavour of the handmade gnocchi shines through, complemented harmoniously with the sweet nuttiness of crunchy walnuts.

Have wanted to come here for the longest time, but never managed to wake up in time to catch them... until today.

Best pasta ever? No. But it is solid comfort food that nails a home run in its simplicity.

Fuss-free as it is, it's also well-thought out, especially today's Fish Roe Carbonara, which features saito (wolf herring, or ikan parang) roe – minuscule white orbs whose natural creaminess supplements the carbonara, made the traditional way with just cheese and egg sans cream. Mingling with the al dente ribbons of linguine are slivers of bacon, which hit the tongue with welcome pops of salty, smoky goodness. 👍🏻👍🏻 to @ahbongsitalian.

Carbonara done the classic way – creamless but cheesy, with raw egg yolk to thicken the sauce. Not bad, especially when it's only $10 during lunchtime.

Oozing out between thin, crusty layers of flattened focaccia is a decadent, gooey, melted mess of deliciousness – mozzarella, mascarpone and parmesan enhanced with black winter truffle. The bread-and-cheese combo has never tasted better.

Thanks to @burpple for the invite, and Basilico for having me!

Littered with shavings of truffle and Parmesan, these al dente pockets of pasta are filled with beef mousse – the taste was alright, but I hated the texture of the filling. For a far more enjoyable beef agnolotti, head to 2it&drink at River Valley. That one was truly on point.