Update 5:
The Prince of Venice
Thanks to the link to an article in the LA Times from @Aesthete, we heard about a new venue for lunchtime Pasta, The Prince of Venice food truck. Hearing “food truck,” I was expecting the worst, but reading the article gave me hope. Initially I thought The Prince of Venice was referring to Venice Beach, California, but it turns out this mobile eatery is the brainchild of Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia, the grandson of the last King of Italy(!). He would’ve been a Prince if the monarchy continued I suppose. 
He then hired Chef Mirko Paderno (Officine Brera) to create the recipes, and The Prince of Venice food truck was born.
Bucatini Cacio e Pepe:
Featuring Handmade Bucatini, the Pasta is cooked perfectly al dente. For a food truck, this is impressive. However, the actual Cacio e Pepe Sauce left much to be desired. It was mainly liquidy, milky, creamy. But it lacked enough depth. While visually it looked like it had a lot of Black Pepper, after mixing it up, there was only a taste of the Pepper, barely there; it turned one note after a few bites. 
Tartufo (Fresh Black Truffle, House Made Truffle Butter, Light Cream Sauce, Chives):
The Tartufo is a Handmade Maccheroni Pasta, which looked more like a fat Rigatoni. It was sufficiently al dente as well, which was nice. Good chew and heft. However, after that, the flavors were disappointing: Taking a whiff, you could smell a faint hint of Black Truffle, but taking a bite, you tasted nothing. 
All you could taste was Cream & Butter and Pasta. For $20 (+ tax & tip), and their claim that this was Black Truffle as the centerpiece, it was non-existent in flavor.
Maccheroni alla Bolognese (100% Beef Ground Bolognese Sauce, Parmesan):
The Pasta texture turned out great again here, with a good texture and bite. Thankfully, we finally found one of their Pastas that was a hit: The Bolognese Sauce was delicious! It had a deep, meaty flavor, nicely salted, and satisfying. The Bolognese wasn’t as nuanced as a few others we’ve tried in the past (e.g., Cento or Pasta Sisters), but it was pretty good and the best thing we had on the menu here.
It was also $14 (+ tax & tip) for a portion that was smaller than Pasta Sisters (which runs $8.75 (+ tax & tip)), and you have no dining space (it’s a food truck, so you stand).
Overall an interesting concept that I suppose could be good if it was near your office building, but so far, it feels lacking, with 2 of their recommended signature Pastas falling short in terms of flavor, and with high prices for a food truck.
The Prince of Venice
Schedule & Locations Change Daily:
http://www.princeofvenicefoodtruck.com/
Cento Pasta Bar (Revisit)
It was time for another visit to Chef Avner Lavi’s Cento Pasta Bar.
Spaghetti Bolognese:
Today’s Bolognese looked totally different from the previous (amazing) Bolognese we had months ago. This one was watery and seemed to be all Beef. It was still quite tasty, but not as good as the Bolognese we had last time (which looked like it was more long-stewed and tasted of different types of meat (Beef & Pork?)). The Spaghetti was cooked perfectly, al dente, with a great bite.
Squash Risotto:
Chef Avner had a new Squash Risotto on the menu, featuring a gorgeous hue of gold-orange, the Risotto was spot-on. Nice toothsome chew, although this leaned more on the sweet side (from the Squash) and the Homemade Whipped Cream(!). It worked, but it felt like a borderline dessert. 
Spaghetti, Beets, Goat Cheese, Poppy Seeds, Chives:
And they brought back the most visually stunning Pasta we had last year: Their Spaghetti & Beets Pasta! Just like before, there’s an earthiness from the Beets, but it doesn’t overwhelm the Pasta. The Goat Cheese is a milder variety, and mixed with the Poppy Seeds and Chives and the whole thing works. Delicious!
Wed - Sat
11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Cento Pasta Bar (at Mignon)
128 E. 6th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90014
Tel: (213) 489-0131
https://www.instagram.com/centopastabar/
Pasta Sisters (Revisit)
Hearing about the Mortadella Sandwich from all the FTC’ers, I knew we had to order this. 
Mortadella Sandwich (Pistachio & Pecorino Cream Cheese):
Served on Housemade Bread, they source their Mortadella from a brand in Italy - Due Torri - and it’s served thinly sliced. It is as others have said, a fantastic Mortadella Sandwich. The super thin sliced Mortadella gives it a nice mouthfeel, and the Pistachio & Pecorino Cream Cheese is funky and salty and just right. Definitely a nice surprise.
We didn’t find it as crave-worthy as Gjusta or Wax Paper’s Italian, but it was quite good.
Bolognese Tagliatelle:
It had been a while, so I wanted to see how Pasta Sisters’ Bolognese was. First, their Housemade Tagliatelle Pasta is made without Semolina (as some FTC’ers in our other thread were discussing), so as a result, while their Pastas are Handmade fresh, they aren’t going to be as al dente, with a noticeable bite & chew as a dry Pasta / one made with Semolina.
In light of that, Pasta Sisters’ Tagliatelle was still cooked just right (for a fresh Pasta), having a slight toothsome quality, and their Bolognese Sauce was still as delicious as ever! 
There’s a real humble, “home cooked” quality about it. It’s satisfying, perfectly seasoned, and just a great classic Bolognese taste.
It was definitely much better than the one we had at The Prince of Venice and Cento, and the portion was much larger than either of those places. All for $8.75 (+ tax & tip). Amazing!
Pasta Sisters
3343 West Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90019
Tel: (323) 870-5271
Rose Cafe
The iconic Rose Cafe, has been serving Venice since 1979. Its menu has changed over the years, and one wouldn’t think of Venice’s Rose Cafe as a Pasta destination if it wasn’t for Chef Jason Neroni (Superba) having taken over Rose Cafe last year. With a remodeling and a revamping of the menu, Venice’s Rose Cafe now serves Chef Neroni’s famous Pastas for Lunch and Dinner. It was time for a visit.
As we were walking to our table, we passed by Rose Cafe’s Bakery section and their plain Croissant caught my eye. Having done a Croissant Journey, I’m always hopeful of finding another great Croissant in Southern California, so we had to order one.
Croissant:
This was a disaster! Dry, crumbly, slightly stale Croissant with no perceptible buttery taste. 
Definitely avoid.
Clearly, Chef Neroni can’t do everything in the kitchen and their Croissant is the result.
Crispy Brussels Sprouts (Dashi Broth, Poached Egg, Scallions):
I read a few recommendations for this, and I’d have to thank all the FTC’ers who recommended it. While the Brussels Sprouts looked overcooked, they were actually pretty solid, fragrant and with a nice Dashi flavor coming through. The Poached Egg added a nice creaminess to the dish.
Curry Fries:
Their Curry Fries were French Fries with a Curry Seasoning. There were serviceable, with a slight crunch on the Fries, but they were way too salty.
Market Lettuces and Cucumbers (Green Goddess, Sesame, Furikake):
Delicious! Fresh Farmers Market Lettuces, and their Green Goddess Dressing was herbaceous but not overpowering. The Sesame and Furikake seasoning on top added some nice nutty spice notes to each bite.
Smoked Bucatini Carbonara (Bacon, Egg Yolk, Parmesan, Cream, Black Pepper):
Our server said this was the most popular and famous Pasta at Rose. Taking the first bite and we could tell why:
It’s smoky, bacony, creamy and cheesy with each bite. The Housemade Bucatini is a perfect al dente here as well, a great bite and chew, and it’s slightly thicker than a standard Spaghetti. It’s hearty and definitely fills you up. One of my friends loved this Pasta the most, and I can see why.
However, it’s also $25 (+ tax & tip), which puts it in the upper echelon price point for Lunchtime Pastas we tried on this journey, the second most expensive after Angelini Osteria.
Spaghetti Cacio E Pepe (Miso, Pecorino Toscano, Cracked Black Pepper):
And then we get Chef Neroni’s version of Cacio e Pepe: The Housemade Spaghetti is fantastic, and it’s cooked just right as well, with a nice bite, but still being supple.
But it’s the addition of Miso (just a touch) to the Pecorino and Black Pepper that makes this version of Cacio e Pepe sing! There’s a real deliciousness to each bite, and a good peppery kick as well. One of the best Cacio e Pepe we’ve had recently. (And far better than the one from The Prince of Venice.)
This was my favorite Pasta we had at Rose Cafe.
Rose Cafe has that beachy, Venice, relaxed vibe. It draws the Venice crowd, and at the same time, it’s serving some serious Pasta, at a level you’d see at a proper, quality Italian restaurant. The price point makes regular visits a bit prohibitive for some, with Pastas for Lunch ranging from $20 - $28 (+ tax & tip), but they are excellent and more nuanced than some of the other places we’ve tried so far.
Rose Cafe
220 Rose Ave.
Venice, CA 90291
Tel: (310) 399-0711