Pasta

Totti’s - Bondi

My wife discovered Totti’s when we were hunting for a good place to eat around Bondi. We went for the first time less than a fortnight ago, and I’ve been haunted by their delicious Rigatoni (see below) ever since!

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Located on Bondi Rd (up the hill from Icebergs) Totti’s is a Merivale location that is just perfect for a summer Italian meal. It’s tucked beside / next to The Royal Bondi pub - but once you walk in you’ll forget about the pub part nearly instantly.

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Menu (as of December 2019);

Antipasti selections

Clockwise from top; Wood-fired bread ($11.00), Prosciutto ($16.50), Olives ($8.00), and Salami ($8.50).

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When we first visited Totti’s we were in a rush and foolishly decided to skip the antipasti menu options. After seeing how great all the options were on neighbouring tables - we very quickly knew what we wanted to try. All the options were great and of high quality.

TIP: If you are ordering pasta, save half or a third of the wood-fired bread for dipping in remaining pasta sauce(s). This is a pro Italian tip.

From another angle, to give you an idea how high the bread rises from being freshly made in the oven.

From another angle, to give you an idea how high the bread rises from being freshly made in the oven.

Rigatoni ($28.50)

Rigatoni, milk-braised pork & chilli

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Here is what my mind is calling ‘perfection pasta’'. It’s hard to describe how happy I am eating this dish. It’s rich, delicious, and just what I want. The delicious pork is merged with the right amount of cheese and chilli to create a dish that blew my mind when I first had it - and was just as amazing the second time.

This time we had spare bread to dip in the sauce - a must.

Bucatini vongole (with extra chilli, $29.50)

with chilli and garlic

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My wife’s choice is an outstanding seafood pasta. She always orders extra chilli for pasta - and they get it exactly how she likes it. I only got to sample a few bites before it disappeared - but suffice it to say it’s a hit.

Baked Eggplant ($11.50)

Baked eggplant, chilli & pangrattato

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This is a side that we ordered on a whim, and has become a much needed order. The freshly baked eggplant has a very tangy and spicy chilli coating.

PROS:

  • One of the best pasta dishes I’ve had in Sydney

  • Have yet to try anything on their menu that hasn’t been delicious

  • Great waitstaff / Highchairs for babies!

CONS:

  • Parking on Bondi Road might be difficult

  • A bit too expensive to come more frequently

  • You may feel sad finishing your meal / dish

OVERALL:

We loved Totti’s so much we had to get a second visit in before the end of the year. I can forsee this being a place we visit at least a couple of times a year.

DETAILS:

Address: 283 Bondi Rd, Bondi NSW 2026

Phone: (02) 9114 7371

Site: Totti’s (Menu)

Instagram: @tottis.syd

MAP:

 
Totti's Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccolini

I made this pasta last night and it was so good that I immediately had to share the recipe. My wife sent me a link and bought all the ingredients to make it - like a personalised Hello Fresh kit. It’s fairly quick and simple to make and yields a large amount of pasta.

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Ingredients:

  • .Orecchiette pasta, 500g

  • 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (1 for cooking sausage, 4 for sauce)

  • Italian sausages, removed from casings, 500g

  • 5-10 garlic cloves, minced (or approx 2 tbsps worth)

  • 1 cup chicken broth

  • 1 bunch of broccolini (approx 2-3 cups worth), cut into small pieces

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon chili flakes

  • 3 tablespoons (60g) unsalted butter

  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Method:

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orecchiette pasta and cook according to package instructions (approx 10 minutes).

  2. Meanwhile, in a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium high heat. Crumble the sausage into pan and cook, breaking apart with a spoon (or kitchen scissors), until lightly browned, 5-6 minutes.

  3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic; cook for 1 minute more.

  4. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil, chicken broth, broccoli, salt and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pan to release any meat that might be stuck, until the broccoli is tender-crisp (approx 3-4 minutes).

  5. Stir in the butter until melted and simmer for a few minutes to reduce and concentrate the sauce. (Note: it will seem like a lot of oil & butter, but there is a large volume of pasta).

  6. Drain the pasta well and add to pan. Stir through sausage and broccoli mixture, along with half of the cheese, to blend. Taste and adjust seasoning. (Note: you may need to adjust salt to taste).

  7. Transfer to a serving platter or individual bowls and pass the remaining grated cheese at the table.

Cooking the sausage

Cooking the sausage

finished result (needed to add more chilli flakes!)

finished result (needed to add more chilli flakes!)