Stephen Schiermann | The Minaret
No iconic Italian dish creates a feeling of such warmth or home-made goodness as the classic lasagna. The universal recipe is deceptively simple: one layer of wide-noodle pasta; one layer of ricotta cheese; another layer of pasta; one layer of meat; and repeat to desired height, finishing with a red tomato-based sauce and perhaps a final layer of cheese for good measure. As it goes with so many classics, however, there are a million and one variations of this archetypal dish. Some throw in chicken as opposed to beef, or perhaps add a little seafood blend with an alfredo sauce instead. For those on a low-carb diet, there are even no-pasta lasagnas, which lean more towards a casserole.
With so many varieties, the question stands: Who in South Tampa produces the best conventional lasagna? No frills, no seafood, no specialties. Just simple, delicious, quintessential lasagna. Bella’s, Vino E Pasta, and Osteria Natalina go head-to-head in five categories to determine a winner. Taken into account were the following aspects: sauce, cheese, meat, noodles, and overall value. Rated on a five-star system, here’s how the contestants stood.
BELLA’S ITALIAN CAFE
Sauce: ****
Cheese: ***
Meat: ( No Stars)
Noodles: **
Value: ***
Price for Dinner Portion: $ 15.50
Bella’s had an interesting version. Their Lasagna Napoletana is a completely cheese-filled lasagna, stuffed to overflowing with ricotta, mozzarella, fontina, and parmesan cheeses. If one desires the classic lasagna flavor, then one must order it with the bolognese meat sauce instead of the tomato basil sauce. So, there are no meat layers in their pasta. The bolognese sauce was very good, but was heavy on the beef and light on the tomato paste. The layers of noodles were lost in all the cheese. Taken individually, the pieces of the dish were delicious, but together, they each tried to outshine the other in a way that made the overall flavor sub-par.
VINO E PASTA
Sauce: ****
Cheese: (No Stars)
Meat: ****
Noodles: *****
Value: *** ½
Price for Lunch Portion: $9.95
Where Bella’s went overboard with the cheese filling, Vino E Pasta dropped it altogether. Their take on lasagna included several layers each of noodles and beef, but no cheese. The sauce was a little on the pink side, so it had some cream sauce mixed in, which made up – mostly – for the lack of cheese. But where was the ricotta, the parmesan? The server offered to sprinkle some fresh parmesan on the top, but this did not account for it missing between the layers. The meat had a wonderful flavor and quality, being tender and full of spices, and it allowed the pasta itself to really shine through. Ultimately, though, the cheese was noticeably absent.
OSTERIA NATALINA
Sauce: *****
Cheese: ***
Meat: *****
Noodles: **
Value: *****
Price for Dinner Portion: $14.00
This dish promised to be the winner from first sight. It was all there, the total package: ricotta and parmesan cheeses, ground beef, and a lovely red tomato and basil sauce encompassing the stack of well-proportioned layers. And it was a promise kept. The sauce was the least acidic of all the contenders and the fresh basil contributed a wonderful flavor. The beef was seasoned to the point of being near sausage and was quite tasty. Melting out from every other layer was the cheese, adding a light, creamy texture to the meat. The sole drawback was the actual pasta. It had been baked just a bit past its prime and therefore had a hard time standing up to the voluminous fillings. If they had been more chewy, the lasagna would be perfect. But it certainly would not be a tragedy to give it another try soon.
[ FINAL TALLY ]
Bella’s Italian Cafe – Total: 12 Stars
Vino E Pasta – Total: 16 ½ Stars
Osteria Natalina – Total: 20 Stars
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