It comes in endless varieties of shapes and sizes, from strips to tubes to shells to bow ties.

And it is coming, increasingly, with a multitude of toppings, from the traditional salsa di pomodoro to pesto to cream sauce. Pasta, a staple among Italians, some Asians and college students everywhere, has come a long way since Marco Polo, returning from his Chinese adventures, first introduced the noodle to his fellow Venetians at the end of the 13th century.

Nowadays, pasta -- and spaghetti in particular -- is as common on global dinner tables as a gondola is in Venice, with Bermuda being no exception. If anything, in fact, the Island has more Italian restaurants among its services than any other kind, most of them offering a wide range of the stuff, including -- and who would have believed it ten years ago? -- pasta with frog's legs! In its continuing survey of the good, the bad and the mediocre in Bermudian restaurant food, Taste took a look recently at a few select pasta servers, which it canvassed incognito, and with the help of a few spies. The following, consequently, represents a round-up of those labours, and the impressions formed: PORTOFINO One of the most popular -- if not the most popular -- pasta places on the Island, Portofino consistently pleases the noodle connoisseur with its friendly service, its tremen linguini amatriciana and linguini carbonara , on its take-out menu alone) and the outright quality of its product (fresh, tasty and relatively moderately priced).

On a recent excursion, moreover, raves were extended to a few of Portofino's dishes in particular -- namely the penne alla checca ( al dente tubes in a simple saute of fresh tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and basil) and the very health-conscious linguini al pesto (long, thin pasta in a sauce of basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil and cheese). Also cited by more than one of the diners, who praised the "personality'' of the waiters at the restaurant, was the eponymous fettucine Portofino : long, flat noodles, chicken breast, sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms in cream and tomato sauce.

Highlights of the Portofino experience: fabulous pasta; friendly, personable service; lively and attractive atmosphere. Drawback: lengthy waits for sit-down meals.

TUSCANY As it is in most other areas, Tuscany is Portofino's closest pasta competitor, and it's an indication of how well both restaurants perform that the owners of each were presented recently with Preview magazine's Extra Mile Award for their contributions to the tourist trade.

At Tuscany, which is cozily nestled off Bermuda House Lane, the selection of pastas may not be as varied as Portofino's, and the ambiance more subdued, but the output is always quite good, particularly its penne in a simple tomato-based sauce and anything involving ravioli . At Tuscany, you don't usually have to wait 45 minutes for a table, particularly if you have reservations.

Highlights: good, authentic pasta dishes; elegant environment. Drawback: limited selection.

LITTLE VENICE "Excellent'' was the word used by one Taste recruit to describe the food -- particularly the blackened pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and Italian sausage -- at Little Venice, the unofficial grande dame of Bermuda's Italian restaurants.

On the subject of service, however, the restaurant drew mixed reviews, with one diner praising the attentiveness of the Little Venice staff, another one giving its waiters the thumbs-down. Despite a major expansion of its dining space in 1994, moreover, some Little Venice diners also protested the generally "cramped'' nature of the restaurant's seating area. One in particular was not impressed with her positioning near the kitchen -- and nearby swinging door.

Highlights: "fabulous'' Italian cuisine, particularly pasta; none of the line-ups of nearby Portofino. Drawbacks: cramped seating arrangements; comparatively high prices.

MONTE CARLO Although Monte Carlo's pasta dishes, described as fresh and tasty and attractively presented, were generally well-received, the restaurant inspired unfavourable comments overall from the stable of Taste recruits, who complained alternately of "no selection,'' "expensive'' prices and "waiters (who) are rude.'' Indeed, a Taste staffer himself was forced to wait at least half an hour one night for a reserved table at Monte Carlo, receiving no apology or explanation and only cursory acknowledgment in the process.

Highlight: good food; pleasant dining room. Drawback: less than considerate service; high prices.

CAFE LIDO Lauded for its breathtaking South Shore location and the consistency of its food quality, Cafe Lido won raves recently from one Taste tester who chowed down on gnocchi with spinach and cheese, a dish she described as, among other things, "creamy and extremely tasty''.

"The presentation was fabulous,'' the diner said of her dinner. "I was very impressed.'' All good things do have a price, however, and the tester was eventually brought down to earth by the ultimate cost of the meal -- $105 for two, wine not included. Other minuses at CL? The kitchen staff's reported unwillingness to accommodate special requests or variations to the menu.

Highlights: pasta dishes that are pleasing to both the palate and the eye; beautiful location. Drawbacks: high prices; staff rigidity.

LA TRATTORIA The "Trat,'' as this Italian restaurant in Washington Lane is commonly called, is a homier, more casual eatery than those that are listed above, known primarily for its relatively lower prices and reliable "Italian-American'' menu. Particularly delicious, one Taste recruit said after a meal there, was the linguini con frutta di mare , a seafood-laden dish that included heaps of mussels, shrimp and clams in a zesty tomato sauce. On the other hand, the testers also relayed, La Trattoria scored less well when it came to take-out orders, which were described as "reasonable, but not what you'd expect if you actually ate in the restaurant.'' Highlights: good, basic pasta; low prices; "friendly'' staff. Drawback: "okay'' take-out service.

PASTA BASTA "You can't beat it for speed,'' one of Taste's recruits said of this upstart fast-food pasta outlet in Hamilton's "back of town.'' And indeed you can't, with the average wait at Pasta Basta being no more than five to ten minutes.

As an added bonus, the pasta that is served there is not at all "fast-foodish,'' ranging as it does from basic spaghetti and meatballs to fusilli with seafood to a daily weight-watcher's special. Lately, too, the proprietors have started putting more exotic ingredients like frog's legs onto the menu, a welcome if not always successful move.

Highlights: good pasta for the money; fast, friendly service. Drawback: some dishes more successful.

PASTA PASTA Like its sister restaurant in Hamilton, this outlet on York Street in St.

George's serves good pasta on the quick, with only slight variations to the menu. And also like Pasta Basta, Pasta Pasta is open fairly late, frequently serving as a welcome sight to hungry post-cinema diners who saunter out of the New Somers Playhouse.

Highlights and drawbacks: same as Pasta Basta.

USING HIS NOODLE -- Chef Deepak Chaterjee of Pasta Basta in Hamilton whips up some six or seven different pasta dishes a day in his kitchen at the Elliott Street restaurant.