Hidden Gem: Pasta La Vista

The Downtown Summer Solstice Festival hosted a variety of food trucks scattered between market vendors and a large crowd on June 20. The Northern Light had lunch from Pasta La Vista, a local pasta food truck, and spoke with owner Caitlyn Sweeney.

Pasta La Vista serves dishes including Spicy Riggies, Riggie Rosa, Pesto Pasta and Just the Butta. Sweeney said all dishes are made with homemade sauces and fresh rigatoni pasta sourced from Alaska Pasta Company.

While the menu is not vegan, all dishes can be made vegetarian.

The Northern Light ordered Spicy Riggies and Just the Butta. 

Spicy Riggies is the truck’s signature dish and is made with a creamy tomato sauce that has a delicious and spicy kick. The sauce was thick enough to coat every piece of the firm rigatoni in the plentiful bowl. 

According to their menu, Just the Butta is made with Kerrygold Irish butter and Maldon salt with Parmigiano Reggiano over fresh rigatoni. The simple butter sauce was rich and salted to perfection, making it an ideal choice for those who may have allergy concerns or want something simple without a lot of fuss.

Sweeney said Pasta La Vista began in 2022 during Forest Fair in a ten-by-ten foot tent, and after years of curious people expressing their interest, she was able to quit her full-time job and buy a food trailer in May 2025. 

She remembered establishing the food truck was a constant learning process and even took time away from doing the creative and fun aspects of running a business. 

Sweeney said she struggled with everything from getting municipal permits to cook, to learning how to maintain a food trailer that requires gas and water through-lines. “[I] really got an idea for how much two pounds of chicken — 200 pounds of chicken actually takes up in the fridge,” Sweeney said.

Sweeney, who grew up in Girdwood, Alaska, attended college in New York, and often enjoyed a staple meal named Chicken Riggies before flying home to Alaska — which inspired their homemade dish, Spicy Riggies.

It was no question which meal Sweeney wanted to have at their first Girdwood Forest Fair. “The Riggies are this regional dish that I kind of fell in love with it — and obsessed with — and that seemed like a no-brainer for the pop-up to be,” said Sweeney.

Sweeney had one day before the Forest Fair to name her business, she said, “We were all just sitting upstairs at my house in Girdwood, all of my friends and family, and we were like, ‘Well, what do we call it?’”

She remembered one option included “Impastas,” and that staff would dress up in fake mustaches to cook. Sweeney added that she was glad they did not choose that alternative.

Sweeney said a sit-down restaurant has been on her mind, but for now she enjoys the flexibility of a food-truck, and would like to hone the seamlessness of operations before expanding further.

“I think people don't realize, like, we're bringing a kitchen to a place that there is no kitchen, so it's really hard to have a full kitchen operation; and I mean, I have one of the smallest trailers out there,” said Sweeney.

While they are not looking to add any new permanent items to their menu, the creation of their newest item, Riggie Rosa, stemmed from wanting another red sauce dish that’s not quite as spicy. However,  they do enjoy running specials from time to time to keep things fresh.

Sweeney emphasized hospitality and warm service to customers, she stated, “We're using local whenever we can. We're making everything to order, so obviously, I hope the food is great and I hope they love the food, but can taste the quality. Ultimately, I want Riggies [Pasta La Vista] to be a place they are excited to go back to.” 

Potential customers can find future events by following Pasta La Vista on their instagram.