Years before he co-founded The Pasta House Company, in 1974, Joe Fresta Sr. was the owner of a popular pizzeria on The Hill. That pizzeria, Bastiano’s, was Fresta Sr.’s first foray into the restaurant business and laid the groundwork for what he and his co-founders built with The Pasta House.
Now, those pizzeria roots are coming full-circle: Fresta Sr. and company are relaunching Bastiano’s pizza on The Pasta House’s menus, serving up the historic pies based on their original recipes, all the way down to the homemade sauce of Fresta Sr.’s father. Bastiano’s pizzas began appearing on The Pasta House’s menus on November 4, though regular diners will not notice any difference between the current offerings and the restaurant’s former pies. As Fresta Sr.’s son, Joe Fresta Jr., notes, The Pasta House has always been using the Bastaino’s recipe, but he and his father felt that it was time to embrace their legacy and tell their story.
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“Instead of just calling it St. Louis-style pizza, we wanted to do something a little different and better to let people know where it came from,” says Fresta Jr. “I always say our pizza is the best kept secret in town, and this is why—because we are using these original recipes that originated from this special pizza parlor.”
The Pizza
Like most St. Louis-style pizzas, Bastiano’s is defined by a thin, crispy crust, red sauce, and gooey cheese. If you ask Fresta and Fresta Jr. what makes their pizza stand out from the rest, however, they have a simple answer. “Fresh ingredients,” Fresta Jr. says. “Fresh, quality ingredients are the key. That and the sauce, which was my grandfather’s recipe. We haven’t changed that. My dad says it’s the most valuable ingredient in pizza.”
Fresta Jr. notes that Pasta House has been proudly serving the Bastiano’s recipe since it began offering pizza many years ago but that he and his father felt it was time to pay homage to its roots. He describes the St. Louis-style pies as thin but still crisp and substantial enough to hold up to toppings. The zesty sauce has been a longtime family recipe, and they insist on using gooey St. Louis pizza cheese from Hoffman’s that is similar to Provel, as well as fresh-not-frozen shells made by Vitale’s Bakery on The Hill.
Pizzas will be offered for dine-in or carryout and are available for delivery through third-party delivery options. Fresta Jr. also notes that the restaurant is considering a frozen line, with freezers in restaurants so that guests can grab one to go for future use following dinner.
“We are thinking of a lot of different ways to expand it,” says Fresta Jr.
The Backstory
Before getting into the restaurant business in the mid-1970s, Fresta Sr. was an accomplished carpenter, working alongside other tradespeople on The Hill—including then-tile layer Ed Imo, who once told Fresta Jr. as far back as the 1950s about his plans to one day open a pizzeria.
Fresta Sr.’s father opened Bastiano’s Pizzeria in the early 1960s and went on to sell it to his son, who ran it for several years while also continuing to work his carpentry day job. After teaming up with fellow restaurateurs John Ferrara and Kim Tucci on the Ballwin location of Rich and Charlie’s, he eventually went all-in with the partners on The Pasta House Company in 1974. Since then, Fresta Sr. has helped turn the restaurant into one of the most iconic St. Louis food brands—something he hopes to continue to push forward with the new pizza campaign.
“We want to get the name out there, tell people about it, and spark conversation,” says Fresta Sr.
