All About the Pasta at Belotti
I realize that I have not yet reviewed and written a blog post about Belotti Ristorante, but it is on my list of Oakland restaurant recommendations on my website. The restaurant is named after chef and co-owner Michele Belotti. I was introduced to the Italian restaurant by my BFF during the summer of 2017 when we were there for weekend brunch. We happened to be dining when NBA basketball player Zaza Pachulia and his family walked in. That was a pretty cool experience in itself, but what was not cool was that I happened to be on one of my yoyo diets and was avoiding carbohydrates. It was a huge mistake. Although I enjoyed my egg and vegetable scramble, crispy bacon, and fresh fruit, I was salivating at the pasta that my friends were enjoying.
Pasta is the reason you go to Belotti because they are all handmade and Chef Belotti has mad skills. There’s an authenticity and a simplicity in the pasta dishes that takes me back to Italy.
The spaghetti is simple and uncomplicated. There’s no meat in this spaghetti, but it is best that way. The sauce is made with imported San Marzano D.O.P. tomato sauce, basil, extra virgin olive oil, and topped with a dollop of Italian burrata. It reminds me of eating a perfect Margherita pizza where adding any additional toppings or ingredients might negatively affect the dish.
The tagliatelle is the long narrow pasta. At Belotti, the delicate tagliatelle is married to a well developed wild boar sugo. The pasta dish is balanced with pecorino and black pepper.
The tagliolini burro e acciughe translates to tagliolini pasta with butter and anchovies. The pasta is very thin and is matched with rich brown butter and anchovies. The natural saltiness of the anchovies comes through in every bite.
There are thirteen pasta dishes on the current menu and I would like to try them all eventually including the Tortelli Di Polenta which is prepared with rabbit which I normally don’t eat.
Athough there are not a lot of dessert options, Belotti does offer traditional Italian desserts and prepares them well. The raspberry panna cotta has a good texture with the right amount of creaminess. I enjoy the combination of tart and sweet and the overall lightness of this dessert is a good way to end a meal.
The tiramisu at Belotti comes in a perfect cupful. It’s not easy to find a good tiramisu, but Belotti can consistently turn up an irresistible one.
Belotti is located on College Avenue in the Rockridge district. I would recommend making a reservation as the restaurant is small and the wait can be quite long. They also have a bottega on Piedmont Avenue which is the pasta shop to get food to go.