Review: Basil Thyme (Fresh Pasta) - PART 2

Food Truck Name: Basil Thyme
twitter handle: @BasilThymeDC
website: http://basilthyme.com/
(I have to say that the website is much better now with a nice simple mission statement and twitter feed.  The location tab works nicely via google maps.  I still think the menu font size is too small, but there have been some changes to both menu items and descriptions, both for the better.  Definitely an upgrade from before, but there are kinks to work out.) 

cost: (cash only)
menu items:
From Scratch Pastas of the day - $9
  Maria's Manicotti
  Baked Ziti
Lasagna - $9
  Linda - Like Mama's w/ seasoned beef
  Guissepe - Vegetarian w/ Summer Squash/Zucchini
  Pasquale Italian Meats- salami, Pancetta, pepperoni and Proscuitto
Combo special - $10 (any pasta/entree w/ side salad, dessert & drink)
Dessert - $3
chocolate dipped cannoli w/ house-made ricotta

wait time: impressive turn around time even if there is a line, less than a few minutes from order to receiving your food ("but at what cost?" I wonder, see final verdict)

I returned to Basil Thyme once again to see if this truck, which I had high hopes for, remedied the problems that I had encountered in my previous visit.   I sadly have to report that the results are uneven again.  This time I went with the Baked Ziti that came with a nice side salad (see above picture).  Basil Thyme has changed containers from the sleek plastic to a cheaper styrofoam, but other than environmental impact, this doesn't really change anything.  The salad like the last time was very good with the improvement of pitting the olives.  However, the handmade ziti, which should be the star of the dish was undone by the execution.  The point of fresh pasta is that the inclusion of eggs and water, which dry pasta lacks, makes it more tender.  One could even argue that baking the fresh pasta defeats the whole purpose of using fresh pasta in the first place by masking that texture.  It's a subtle texture feel that completely gets lost in the dried marinara sauce.  The marinara came off more chunky than saucy, and though it had a nice subtle heat to it and not too tangy finish, it strangely lacked any garlic taste.  The fresh basil and shaved pecorino were nice touches, but could not save a dish that desperately needed a splash of olive oil or some creamy ricotta.  Still, there was a good amount and the whole thing was very filling.

Final Verdict: I still believe the combo special (which strangely was not available because Basil Thyme had ran out of cannolis) is the best choice from this truck.  I think a balance between time and quality has not been reached yet.  The shorter wait time from pre-baking than boiling the fresh pasta to order is something I hope that Basil Thyme figures out.  There's a great idea here, but the execution seems lacking.  Maybe, in the future, I'll just wait until they do a simple cooked to order fresh pasta dish in some nice creamy sauce before I come back again.