Bencotto Italian Kitchen

Order “pasta a modo tuo” (pasta your way) at this modern bi-level eatery in the heart of Little Italy. Guests are invited to create their desired plate of pasta by choosing a favorite sauce (pink pancetta, arrabiata, pesto and more) and style, from gnocchi verdi (handmade spinach and potato dumplings) to pappardelle, and everything in between. Proteins like chicken or meatballs may be added for a truly custom culinary creation.

The restaurant not only makes oodles of noodles (the largest selection of fresh pastas in San Diego), but offers tasty appetizers, classic desserts and an impressive wine list. Start off with burrata and homemade bread, or artisan salumi with warm gnocco fritto: lightly fried, puffed bread dough. Or savor shared plates like parmesan risotto balls or lightly fried calamari rings and legs with a lemon garlic aioli. Soups include the comforting lobster bisque, while the mixed salad shines with its fresh greens, tomatoes, pickled onions, almonds, cranberries, and lemon vinaigrette.

Guests rave about signature dishes like Tagliatelle al Nero di Seppia (black squid ink fettuccine in spicy shrimp bisque) and Ravioli al Tartufo (ricotta- and porcini-stuffed pockets in truffle cream sauce). The oven-baked lasagna alla Bolognese is also a hearty house favorite.

Not to be missed in the restaurant’s cavatelli pasta with a rich truffle and shiitake mushroom cream sauce that’s tossed in a 60-pound wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. At a display window for all to admire, the cheese wheel pasta is prepared by putting steaming hot, freshly cooked noodles into a hollowed-out wheel of aged cheese, then stirring them while scraping a layer of the cheese to melt evenly throughout the noodles.

Save room for sweet treats such as perfectly prepared pannacotta, tiramisu and cannoli.

Bencotto offers three different dining areas: the friendly long bar downstairs, the cozy patio outside, or the intimate space upstairs. The mezzanine dining area may be reserved for parties of up to 50 persons wishing to hold private meetings or celebrate special occasions.

The venue, at 750 W Fir St. in historic Little Italy (in the Q building between Kettner and India Street), opens at 11:30 a.m. daily. Happy Hour runs 3-5:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Walk-ins are welcome, although making reservations online is highly recommended. Guests are invited to try Bencotto’s gem of a sister restaurant Monello, specializing in Northern Italian street food, located next door. For more information, call (619) 450-4786 or visit lovebencotto.com.