Pasta Express and Catering

Long ago in Joplin, MO I used to eat off the Smitty’s employee menu at Pasta Express in the now defunct supermarket on 32^nd Street. I always loved it but thought Pasta Express was a thing of the past. When I lived in Springfield a couple of years ago, I rediscovered it (at the Battlefield location further East) and was pleased to find that everything still tasted great. Today I tried this location for the first time, and it certainly did not disappoint. For one thing, I love the clean and comfortable large dining room paired with very basic quick service. It’s like the least pretentious possible set up and the food is of WELL above average quality. Meals come with a small yet fresh salad and a drink for a couple of bucks more, and my husband’s spinach and artichokes ravioli was great as was my comfort food of choice, chicken parmigiana. Both were really swimming in sauce, but that wasn’t a bad thing, as I’d rather have too much sauce than not enough. The meals were served with small dinner rolls as well. To me this is like Johnny Carino’s and Panera had a baby together, but the outcome was a much more likable and affordable offspring. Big fan.

Never again. Meatballs tasted terrible! They were inedible. Alfredo sauce was thin and runny. Poured like water. Manicotti filling was gummy and cold in the middle. Meat sauce was bitter tasting, like the dried oregano was really old. Ugh.

Quick service. Antipasto salad was great. Pizza was good. We were expecting the thin crust they used to have so we were disappointed, but the new crust was good too.