Best Thing I Ate This Week: Cappellacci at Giusti

I used to be a firm believer that nothing could beat a warm bowl of noodles on a teeth-chattering day. But this fall has had me craving a comforting plate of pasta far more often than I’d like to admit. From pesto to pomodoro, gnocchi to campanelle, I’ve been on the constant hunt to satisfy my weekly pasta fix.

So when Giusti opened its doors this past October in the old Bar Susu space, there was only one thing on my mind. 

The new Mount Pleasant restaurant draws on Italy’s vast regional traditions, with chef Mark Perrier helming the kitchen and a powerhouse team behind the room, including Carla Giusti, hospitality veteran Cam Watt (The Keefer Bar, Acre, June) and Miguel Quezada (formerly of Savio Volpe, Oddfish and Elio Volpe). 

Wanting to try a bit of everything, our party of four opted for the Pasta Tra Amici (or “Pasta Amongst Friends”), a chef-curated selection of seasonal, handmade pasta dishes served family-style ($75 per person).

The whipped ricotta and beet sott’olio bruschetta ($15) was an early standout—creamy sheep ricotta against crispy, charcoal-grilled sourdough, topped with tangy preserved beets. The borlotti bean and black kale ($23) was comforting, to say the least, with the smokiness of the farro verde complementing the savoury grilled pancetta. Nor can I forget the mellow sweetness of the charred leek and cipollini onion ($19) that melted in my mouth.

As for the pasta I was craving earlier? We got to try three handmade dishes to fulfill any pasta fanatic’s dream: a light and pillowy ricotta gnocchi ($29) with golden chanterelles and salty sausage; a hearty tagliolini ($31) with ragu and bone marrow; and—the clear winner—a golden, pumpkin-filled cappellacci ($27). 

These delicate hat-shaped pasta are filled with roasted pumpkin, coated in a brown butter and lemon sauce and garnished with crushed amaretti cookies and fried sage—looks like summer, but tastes like fall. The pumpkin filling is nutty, smooth and subtly sweet, paired perfectly with a rich, zesty sauce. Each bite was like a warm hug and pocket of sunshine. 

And despite the predictable chorus of “I’m so full” around the table, we had no trouble scraping the plate clean, soaking up the remaining sauce with thick chunks of sourdough. Hats off to the chef (pun fully earned). 

We ended the meal with a refreshing lemon sorbetto ($6) and indulgent tiramisu ($12), but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t still thinking about the cappellacci. Rest assured, I’m not leaving my noodle days behind me (I am still a noodle loyalist at heart). Yet if you spot me at Giusti this season, you already know what I’m ordering.

209 East 6th Ave.
giustivancouver.com