“Spicy Yet Not Hot” Amore’s Creative Pasta Shop – Beware of Bears?

▲Love pasta but bored of the usual flavors? Pictured here is “XO Sauce Seafood Pasta.” (Photo / Reporter Chen Mingren)

Reported by Chen Ziying / Taipei

Tired of white sauce, red sauce, and green pesto pasta? Then you might want to try “XO Sauce Pasta” or “Sacha Chili Spicy Pasta.” This Italian restaurant in Banqiao District, New Taipei City, shows great dedication in offering a wide variety of pasta flavors, including XO sauce, Thai-style, Southeast Asian, and even a fusion of Chinese and Western elements like the Sacha beef series.

As soon as you approach the entrance of “Amore Kitchen,” you’re greeted by a rich aroma that draws passersby to stop and look around, wondering where the smell is coming from. The owner, who came to pasta-making later in life, flew to Italy out of passion for the dish, learned to cook authentic recipes there, and not only brought those flavors back to Taiwan but also creatively invented a variety of unique pasta dishes.

“All our sauces are handmade by us ourselves. To work here, staff need to have a solid foundation in cooking—frying, sautéing, and boiling are no problem for us.” The staff further explained that, for example, their “green pesto” has a richer taste than what other shops offer because they don’t use canned sauce but instead make it fresh daily with locally sourced basil, carefully controlling the proportions. As for the XO sauce, it’s made with dried shrimp, shallots, and a “secret proprietary blend,” all adjusted to be extra spicy to satisfy spice-loving foodies.

%The so-called “base” is actually quite unique—the ingredients vary by flavor, but the key lies in the cooking method. (Image, Reporter Li Ji, Travel Section)