By Leigh O’Connor.
"Spaghetti can be eaten most successfully if you inhale it like a vacuum cleaner.” – Sophia Loren.
Like unrinsed spaghetti noodles, great friends stick together! Who will you celebrate National Spaghetti Day with on Wednesday, January 4?
Usually made from semolina flour, spaghetti has been a worldwide favourite for all ages and loved by millions. The word spaghetti is plural for the Italian word spaghetto, which is a diminutive of spago – meaning ‘thin string’ or ‘twine’.
Did you know spaghetti originally was much longer than today’s version? It was around 50 cm long until the latter half of the 20th Century, when shorter lengths increased in popularity; these days it is most commonly available in 25 cm to 30 cm lengths, making it much easier to fit in the pot!
Here are five restaurants to get your spaghetti fix tomorrow:
Eats, beats and booze are on the menu at plant-based restaurant Bootleg Italian on Oxford Street in Paddington. Exuding casual elegance with moody lighting, painted brick walls and brass fixtures, settle into one of the plush velvet chairs with a cocktail and chill out; perhaps join the gang out back at the bar, or take to the courtyard for a spritz in the sun.
Perfectly cooked al dente pasta is made fresh inhouse daily – twirl your fork around spaghetti with pesto, ricotta and toasted pine nuts – finishing with a decadent dolci of traditional tiramisu, or salted dark chocolate tart with an olive oil crust.
The evolution of modern European cuisine is on the menu at Caleb Restaurant & Bar on Railway Road in Subiaco. Reborn from The Corner Italian with a new modern ambience, this brainchild of Chef Caleb Azuka boasts a simple warm décor in a beautiful heritage building, open kitchen and sky-view rooftop bar for nightlife romance.
Stop in for dinner tomorrow and appease ravenous hunger with ragu Australiana – 8-hour slow-braised kangaroo and Wagyu beef, handmade spaghetti pasta, gorgonzola béchamel, basil pesto and micro herbs, washed down with a glass of Risborough Shiraz from Gingin WA.
Founded in the flavours of rich Italian culture, Cucina 81 on South Street in Schofields takes love, passion and a good plate of pasta to new heights. Expect an elevated dining experience at this restaurant nestled in the CSI Sport & Recreation Club, where a carefully curated menu will quickly earn its place as your new favourite dinner destination.
Say ciao to starters of seared scallops, topped with pancetta crisps, drizzled with truffle oil; before fresh handmade spaghetti, in a rich beef Bolognese and Napolitana sauce and Parmesan, or devour a slice of Sorrento pizza with baby octopus, prawn, calamari and mozzarella on a tomato base.
Expect the best housemade pasta and pizza true to Italian heritage at Il Caminetto on Pascoe Vale in Moonee Ponds. One of the first wood-fired pizzerias in Melbourne, Il Caminetto exudes a warm and welcoming vibe ideal for enjoying a meal and vino with family and friends.
Visit tomorrow and find traditional Italian fare, as well as vegan and gluten-free options meaning most dietary requirements are covered; say buon appetito to square spaghetti with Moreton Bay bugs, fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic and chilli.
For authentic Italian run by Canberra stalwart Carlo Tosolini, look no further than Molto Italian at the Kingston Foreshore. This seaside trattoria boasts modern interiors of high ceilings, dark wooden table settings and an open kitchen and bar, alongside a wood-fired pizza oven.
Best enjoyed with family and friends, Molto’s menu reads like a romance where hand-cut pasta and extensive stuzzichini choices beckon to be shared - delve into the likes of spaghetti cacio e pepe served at the table, or pappardelle with slow-cooked lamb ragu.
For more pasta-bilities to get an Italian fix, click here.
