El nombre del restaurante lo dice todo. “Pasta Connection” is definitely set to satisfy your innermost pasta desires. While it’s not the only thing they serve at this Italian/ Argentinean food joint, pasta is their best asset. “Pasta Connection” is the definite pasta galore. Lo mejor de todo is the fact that the pasta they make at this place is 100% fresh and homemade. Sure, there are a gazillion Italian food restaurants in the SoCal area, but very few of them step their game up and deliver high quality dishes at affordable prices without compromising taste and original flavor. The food you’ll find at “Pasta Connection” is the perfect combination of Italian dining, Argentinean flavors, and a bit of an American flair.
Location, location, location
While “Pasta Connection” has two restaurants- one in Costa Mesa, and one in Orange, the most convenient and popular happens to be the one in Orange. They serve the same food, the service is the same, and both places look alike; but what makes this “Pasta Connection” more appealing it’s definitely its location.
Everyone knows that traffic is always bad and gas prices are out of control, so sometimes driving out of your local area to grab something to eat can be a bit of a hassle. Now, you can make an evening out of your dining out experience.
When visiting “Pasta Connection” in Orange, you can make the best out of your visit to el condado de la naranja and definitely stick around the area and stroll through Downtown Disney, which is awfully close- you can catch a movie or just walk around.
Authentically authentic
Unlike other faux Italian food restaurants, “Pasta Connection” is as real as real can get. Not only is it cozy and extremely welcoming, but you feel as if you’re surrounded by family, not only is the staff friendly, but the clientele as well.
Taking a look at the menu can be slightly overwhelming since there is so much to choose from and everything sounds exquisite- you might need to ask your server for some recommendations, you can never go wrong with that.
Starters
My partner in crime and I find it difficult to learn our lesson when dining out. Although we should take it easy on the appetizers to save space for the main dish, we usually go crazy.
We were welcomed by a basket with freshly baked bread and a side of chimichurri, which I dare say it’s one of the best in the O.C., it is definitely memorable.
While the bread and chimichurri would have been enough until we got our food, we decided to order the “Calamari Fritti” and an order of “Empanadas”.
The “Calamari Fritti” was good and fresh but a bit on the greasy side- kudos on the marinara sauce though, you might want to order some extra sauce- está como para chuparse los dedos.
The “empanadas” are a good choice for an appetizer, while they’re pretty basic: ground beef, onion, egg and many condiments, they are tasty y además tienen muy buena sazón.
What to eat?
Siempre sucede lo mismo- a look at the menu and I go crazy trying to figure out what to eat. But it’s always good to keep in mind: when in doubt, ask your server for recommendations.
Even though it was only two of us eating that night, we were so caught up with choices we ended up ordering three dishes- after all, leftovers make for good lunch the following day. We ordered the “Taglierini Con Salsiccia”, the “Lasagna Di Carne” and the “Pampa Steak”.
Since everything is home-made and 100% fresh, the lasagna takes about 20 minutes to prepare, so meanwhile we received the “Taglierini Con Salsiccia” and the “Pampa Steak”.
Both dishes looked and smelled really good so for a while we just enjoyed the aroma and contemplated what we were about to eat. We started with the “Taglierini Con Salsiccia”- which is pretty much noodle-like pasta with Italian style sausage, green peppers, onions, and mushrooms, all sautéed in olive oil and served with a topping of their delicious marinara sauce. Now, I’m not a huge fan of mushrooms, but the combination in this plate made them actually delectable.
The pasta was followed by the “Pampa Steak”, which is prime Argentinean beef served with salad and spaghetti with marinara sauce. The salad was fresh and crisp and although we didn’t really eat much of the spaghetti for obvious reasons, we had a chance to try it and it was pretty decent. The steak on the other hand te dejará con el ojo cuadrado. I pretty much stick to the chicken dishes and stay as far as possible from red meat, but the “Pampa Steak” definitely changed my mind about steak. It will sure convert many vegetarians- it’s juicy and oh so tender.
When the lasagna finally arrived we were beyond full; however, after getting a whiff of the lasagna encontramos un huequito más en el estómago and we went ahead and tried the dish.
Even with a full tank and about to explode, the “Lasagna Di Carne” turned out to be a great choice, it is undoubtedly some of the best lasagna- it’s one of those dishes that even if you can’t eat anymore, it’s so good you just can’t stop eating. Of course we weren’t able to finish it. On a side note- el recalentado de la lasagna estuvo buenísimo. Sometimes when you reheat restaurant pasta it gets mushy and it looses all its flavor- not the one from “Pasta Connection”.
More?!
"Pasta Connection” also has a wide selection of wine and a few desserts. Unfortunately we didn’t get to try any dessert- eating more would have been simply blasphemous. But if you must, keep an eye out on their “Flan” and their “Tiramisu”.
Pasta Connection2145 W Chapman Ave
Orange, CA 92868
714.541.0053
