Last month, I posted Pasta, Per Favore: Northern California, where I reviewed what are, in my opinion, some of the best, Italian restaurants to visit for yummy pasta, in the Bay Area. I also promised to write a Southern California edition, and here it is. This post will cover restaurants that serve great pasta, from San Luis Obispo to San Diego County.
Etto Pasta Bar
Etto
We will start in Paso Robles at Etto Pasta Bar. While on a wine tasting trip to Paso Robles, I met multiple locals and asked each where to go for great pasta. I heard several different suggestions, but Etto was the one place on everyone's list.
Garlic Bread
Etto Pasta Bar features freshly-made pasta and sauces made with local ingredients. With a menu that changes monthly, based on what is in season and available from local farms and ranches, this is a place you can return to again and again and have a great, but different experience.
Cacio e Pepe
The first pasta I tried was the cacio e pepe, which is a traditional, Roman pasta made with pecorino romano cheese and cracked, black pepper. Sound simple? I thought so until I tried preparations at various restaurants and even tried to make it at home.
With the exception of Etto and SPQR in San Francisco, I have found that this dish falls short almost everywhere. It is too creamy, or too dry, and usually lacking in flavor.
Not at Etto. Here, the rigatoni is cooked perfectly, and the shape of the pasta helps the light sauce cling to it, making every bite flavorful.
Bolognese with Gemelli
Next, I ordered the bolognese, a tomato-based, beef sauce made with celery, carrots and onions. It was served over gemelli pasta with a light sprinkling of cheese and parsley. It was exceptional. I once again found the sauce light, yet very flavorful, and the choice of pasta perfect for the dish.
Bello
Next, we will travel to Newport Beach, to visit Michelin-rated, Bello by Sandro Nardone. With a 2019 opening, Bello is a relatively new restaurant, but chef and owner, Sandro Nardone, is not new to cooking. He has opened other successful restaurants in Southern California and has also cooked at numerous restaurants in Italy, where he was born and trained.
I have eaten at Bello multiple times with about a dozen different people, and neither I, nor they, have ever been disappointed. (Hmmm...this restaurant may make an appearance in my "Greatest Hits" series.) Bello excels in pizza as well as appetizers and entrees and makes a mean negroni, but for the purpose of this post, I will focus on the pasta. Let's jump in.
Norcia
The norcia pasta at Bello, is a wonderful indulgence. It is made with rigatoni noodles, pork sausage, and roasted, porcini and crimini mushrooms. The pasta is topped with parsley.
Did I forget anything? Oh, that's right -- the tartufo nero, or black truffle. The truffle is sliced thinly and portioned liberally, making this dish shine.
Gemelli Rapini E Nduja
One evening that we visited, the chef was debuting this gemelli rapini e nduja pasta, so we decided to give it a try. The gemelli pasta was made with rapini, or broccoli, which was also used to flavor the cream sauce along with nduja, a spicy, spreadable, Italian, pork sausage that disintegrated in the sauce, leaving behind an intense flavor. Finally, the pasta was topped with red dandelion and lemon breadcrumbs.
This was such a creative take and makeover of the ubiquitous, orecchiette pasta with broccoli rabe and salciccia. It incorporated all the same, basic ingredients - pork sausage, broccoli, pasta - but in a unique way, that elevated the dish.
La Nostra Bolognese
Lastly, let me tell you about the bolognese at Bello. For those born and bred in Bologna, Italy, the American version of spaghetti bolognese is non-existent. Bologna's traditional bolognese sauce omits tomatoes, which were fairly new to the Italian kitchen when the dish was created. It also uses tagliolini, a flat, thin pasta, instead of spaghetti.
At Bello, the bolognese is made in the traditional, Bologna-style, with slow-cooked, braised meats, celery, onions, carrots and seasoning. The hand-cut tagliolini is wonderfully saturated in the sauce, and all of that is topped with high-quality, Parmesan cheese. The end result is a superb bowl of pasta bolognese.
Cesarina
House-Made Focaccia
Cesarina restaurant, located in San Diego, describes themselves as a "happy" Italian trattoria, and I couldn't agree more. The happiness is so pervasive that even their website makes you want to dance. Inside, you will find an explosion of color, and outside you will find, two garden patios where you can dine al fresco in the San Diego sunshine.
Cesarina embraces melange, or "mix-and-match" as the Michelin guide describes it when referring to their menu, because the restaurant allows you to customize your pasta by choosing any pasta shape they offer and pairing it with whichever sauce you prefer. The mix-and-match aesthetic also extends to the restaurant's earthenware and decor, and lends to the happiness factor.
Funghi with Paccheri
In creating my own pasta, I started by deciding on a sauce. I selected the funghi, made with a medley of shiitake, cremini and porcini mushrooms, in a cream sauce. I then selected the paccheri noodles because I thought the wide tubes would trap the sauce nicely. The server approved of my selection.
Funghi with Paccheri
The pasta arrived perfectly cooked, piping hot and topped with a Parmigiano crumble and parsley. The pasta sauce was rich and full of earthy, sweet and nutty flavors from the various mushrooms. The dish was so good that I saved some to drop off for my cousin, who lives nearby. She loved it too!
Positanese with Mafalda
For the second pasta, my friend selected the mafalda noodles, also called mafaldine. I love these flat noodles with wavy edges, that always make me giggle. I think that is because, to me, these skinny noodles look the way lasagne sheets would look if they were taking Ozempic.
Positanese with Mafalda
To top the mafalda, my friend chose the positanese sauce, which is made with fresh tomatoes, salsiccia (sausage) and semi-dried, cherry tomatoes. Tossed in with the pasta are cubes of mozzarella and straciatella, and topping the mound of deliciousness is a fresh, basil garnish.
Catania
Farmer's Market Salad
The last restaurant I am reviewing is Catania, located in La Jolla. Catania opened in 2015 and has since been recognized by Michelin for their "decadent pastas," among other things.
I was excited to dine here with my nieces. The three of us were blessed to snag a table near the terrace, with a beautiful ocean view. Though we didn't plan it, we came in time to watch the sunset, which we did while enjoying our salad.
The mixed green, Farmer's Market salad came with pistachios, black pepper, and shaved, pecorino toscano. All of the ingredients were dressed in a Meyer lemon vinaigrette.
Bucatini Alla' Amatriciana
For our first pasta, we chose the bucatini alla' amatriciana. The hollow noodles were bathed in a sauce made of San Marzano tomatoes, guanciale and Calabrian chilis. The slightly spicy pasta was finished with pecorino cheese.
Fusili Alla Portofino
Our second pasta was made with fusili noodles, tossed in a basil, pesto sauce and topped with grated, Parmesan cheese. Though far simpler in composition than the amatriciana, the girls and I agreed that this, was our favorite pasta. The pesto sauce was so flavorful. It was fragrant and alive with bright notes of fresh basil and garlic, and also had a subtle nuttiness and creaminess.
That concludes this review of great, Southern California, Italian restaurants that serve fabulous pasta. If you have any favorites that I missed, let me know, per favore. I am always on the hunt for exceptional pasta.
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