Pasta is my favorite thing of all time. I am not joking when I say I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. So many shapes and sizes - all equally delicious in their own right. And the variety of sauces that could accompany pasta makes the possibilities endless. But the sauce that beats all sauces for me, is the mighty meaty bolognese. It's my kryptonite. If it's on the menu, I'm going to order it.
And now, it has become a bit of a challenge to find the very best bolognese I can find. I'm on the constant hunt for a good bolognese, and let me tell you, my standard for a superb one is high.
The immediate area I live in is pretty bleak when it comes to good food options, but recently, a Northern Italian restaurant opened up, specializing in homemade, fresh pastas and sauces from the Modena region. We've been to 2051 Cucina Italiana a handful of times and have tried a variety of dishes -- and this place gives me hope.
There are a few standout dishes from all the rest, but let me tell you, their Tagliatelle Bolognese is pretty stellar. A rich, meaty tomato sauce over thin, flat chewy noodles that are perfectly cooked al dente. The sauce has a concentrated depth to the meat sauce, which tastes rich and comforting, without being too sweet, too tangy or too herbaceous.
Then you follow up this perfect pasta dish with their homemade tiramisu dessert, which is more cream-forward than it is lady-fingers heavy. The cream manages to be light while simultaneously substantial and has a lovely custard flavor to it that perfectly compliments the espresso powder. It's pretty sparse on the ladyfingers, which honestly, I usually love because those babies are soaked in liqueur, but somehow I didn't miss them as much with this specific tiramisu version. This is definitely not a light dessert, but it feels like a decadent match following that hearty bowl of pasta.
2051 Cucina Italiana is my new go-to whenever I'm in need of my comfort food staple: homemade pasta and the mighty bolognese.
Contact info:
2051 Palomar Airport Rd., Ste 175, Carlsbad, CA 92011
@2051CucinaItaliana
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