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3601 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, 303-997-8775, pizzeriabasta.com
While most diners flock to Boulder’s Pizzeria Basta for the hand-tossed, wood-fired pies, we visit for the sublime lasagna. This isn’t just any old wedge of noodles and cheese; no, chef-owner Kelly Whitaker has taken this dish and elevated it to an art form. What arrives at the table looks like traditional lasagna, but the taste is so light and fresh you’ll wonder how he actually pulled it off. The answer is this: top-notch ingredients and craft. As with the rest of the menu, Whitaker works hard to source local products—in this case, flour and eggs (for the house-made pasta), milk (for the house-made ricotta), basil, and Colorado-grown San Marzano tomatoes (for the house-made sauce). If it all seems too simple to be a restaurant-worthy dish, well, wait until you taste it. We promise you’ll never look at lasagna the same way again.
