Showing love through pasta is the way at new Little Malop Street venue, courtesy of the beloved I Ragazzi team.
For the past two years, I Ragazzi has been bringing a bit of Southern Italy to Pakington Street in Newtown – serving fresh, handmade pasta just how you’d find it on the sun-soaked island of Sicily.
With a menu spanning authentic pizzas,housemade pasta, Italian cocktails and unmissable Tiramisu, Geelong local Julian Barbagallo has earned a serious reputation in dishing up the kind of devotedly rustic Italian food that you can feel doing you good, body and soul.
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I Ragazzi is Newtown’s newest Italian restaurant, devoted to fresh, handmade pasta
Now, just a mere month shy of his Pakington Street restaurant’s two year anniversary, Barbagallo has opened his newest venture, I Ragazzi Pasta e Cucina.
Taking over a small space at 86 Little Malop Street (previously Sabroso Pintxos), I Ragazzi Pasta e Cucina is an intimate Italian pasta bar and Barbagallo’s handmade-pasta passion project.
Making everything in-house, from the pasta itself to the sauces, desserts and more, Barbagallo officially opened the doors to the new restaurant on Wednesday, 21 June, bringing an incredibly special and entirely delicious dinner destination the famed Geelong strip.
“I have always loved the street and loved all the hospo venues that are on the street,” says Barbagallo.
“The opportunity came up really out of nowhere, thought about it for a few weeks and said why not, let’s go for it.”
While the new spot goes just as heavy on the hand-made pastas as the Pakington Street institution, the Little Malop Street venue hones in on both tradition and exciting alternatives with time-honoured Italian methods. Here you can blissfully make your way through a flawless selection of dishes based on fresh handmade pasta rolled from the best possible ingredients.
“We are a small pasta bar, more pastas and antipasti compared to our restaurant on Pakington Street. Bigger wine and cocktail list. We are very excited.”
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To get you started, there are antipasti such as mixed olives; gnocco fritto (fried bread!); melt-in-your-mouth arancini with tomato sugo; a Geelong staple in mussels with tomato sugo, garlic and chilli; garlic king prawns; and our favourite the burrata. Picture it: creamy mozzarella filled with Stracciatella cheese, grilled leeks and salsa verde.
You’ll find true classics like pappardelle duck ragu, and spaghetti marinara (with mussels, pippies, calamari, prawns, chilli and garlic in bianco), alongside the likes of casarecce alla Vodka (spicy vodka tomato sauce), and cavatelli with broccoli pure, salted zucchini and pangrattato.
You’ll also spy a hearty gnocchi sorrentina with pomodoro, basil and mozzarella; the absolute classic in pici cacio e pepe with pecorino and pepper sauce; and a silky pappardelle with king prawns, grilled zucchini, mint and garlic.
Just like nonna’s house, salads also feature, with a fennel, orange, olives and parsley salad; or a tomato, red onion, basil and mint creation.
Of course, don’t leave without trying the lovingly made desserts, including the tiramisu, which has become a favourite at the Pakington Street venue in the couple years gone by. There’s also indulgent cannoli, either with Nutella custard or ricotta and pistachio filling, alongside classics like lemon tart, chocolate cake and affogato, all tried and tested (and loved) formulas from the first venue. Bellissimo!
Have dietaries? For pasta that looks, feels, and tastes like real Italian pasta, minus the gluten, this little gem is the ideal place to go! Barbagallo has curated a completely separate (but no less delicious) gluten-free menu.
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A welcome and sophisticated addition to the neighbourhood, the fresh fit-out leans into what we’ve come to love from the Pakington Street venue, with a whitewashed brick wall, dark timber seating, and classic Italian prints adorning the walls. Similarly, the warm lit interior is cosy and stylish, perfect for a third date or that long-overdue family pasta night, with both bar seating and regular tables available.
It just two years I Ragazzi has cemented itself as one of Geelong’s most reliable fresh-pasta destinations with good old-fashioned Italian hospitality, and now with a second venue, you’re well and truly in for perfect home-style Sicilian fare, nostalgic Italian desserts and a welcoming vibe.
I Ragazzi Pasta e Cucina is located at 86 Little Malop Street. Open Tuesday to Wednesday from 5pm to 10pm and Thursday to Saturday from 12pm to 10pm. Call or text 0406912676 to make a booking (online bookings coming soon).
You can also find the OG I Ragazzi and all its Italian goodness at 361B Pakington Street in Newtown.
