GEORGE TOWN, April 5 — When it comes to comfort food, pasta is probably one of the favourites for many especially if the pasta is home-made and the ingredients fresh and wholesome.

For the longest time, The Mugshot Café along Chulia Street was best known for its simple, no fuss bagels, coffee and creamy homemade yoghurt but now it has pasta for those craving something a little more substantial.

The tagliatelle pasta at The Mugshot Café is handmade fresh by cafe co-owner Jesse Tan
The tagliatelle pasta at The Mugshot Café is handmade fresh by cafe co-owner Jesse Tan

In another of the café’s collaborations with budding food entrepreneurs, the pasta menu is done with Michelle Wong and café owners Jesse Tan and N.Tristan.

Jesse Tan of The Mugshot Café kneading and making the tagliatelle pasta for their pasta menu available in the evenings
Jesse Tan of The Mugshot Café kneading and making the tagliatelle pasta for their pasta menu available in the evenings

Tan will make the tagliatelle pasta — which are thick, smooth strands of pasta — from scratch while Wong, 24, is in charge of cooking up the four different pasta dishes on offer.

The egg pasta at The Mugshot Café is handmade
The egg pasta at The Mugshot Café is handmade

First on the menu is the Aglio Olio with prawns. Aglio Olio is the simplest of pastas made with only garlic and oil so the dish offered here is a surprise with generous amounts of garlic that provides a great base for the fresh shrimps while the addition of red pepper flakes gives it extra oomph.

Marinating the shrimps for the Aglio Olio pasta
Marinating the shrimps for the Aglio Olio pasta

The whole dish is further enhanced by some home-made sun-dried cherry tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, mint leaves and garnished with black pepper and chopped parsley.

If you prefer something creamier, they have the carbonara with beef bacon which is a medley of white button mushrooms, cream and herbs generously cooked with Parmesan cheese. An egg is the final ingredient added to the rich mix before it is garnished with Parmesan cheese, black pepper and chopped parsley.

Marinara and shrimps in the making at The Mugshot Café
Marinara and shrimps in the making at The Mugshot Café

Another shrimp-based pasta to try is the Marinara with prawns that is full of sweet and sour tomato goodness with just the slightest dash of cream and sweet basil leaves.

Finally, for those not keen on beef bacon or shrimps, they have the Puttanesca pasta which is an interesting mix of anchovy fillets, black olives, chickpeas and tomato puree which is then given a dash of spice with some red pepper flakes.

The pastas are cooked fresh as and when a customer orders so be prepared for a short wait but be assured that it is worth it.

The Mugshot Café
302 Chulia Street, George Town, Penang
Open daily 8am – 12 midnight; pastas available 4pm – 10.30pm
www.facebook.com/pages/The-Mugshot-Cafe/217836308341636

Michelle Wong uses her own recipes to cook the pastas
Michelle Wong uses her own recipes to cook the pastas