Tucked between Diavola and the Geyserville Gun Club, Pastasciutta is the latest venture from restaurateurs Dino Bugica and his wife, Sonja. While it’s Dino’s mustachioed face locals recognize, the charming bottega is very much Sonja’s creation.
Opened in late November, the Geyserville shop offers a carefully curated selection of handmade pasta, Italian meats, fresh focaccia and roasted chicken, with shelves stocked with sauces, pickles, pastes, international liqueurs, dried pasta and wines from near and far.
The space is packed to the rafters — you might need provisions while shopping for provisions.
The hot case beckons with gargantuan meatballs in tomato ragù, roasted winter vegetables and racks of Tuscan ribs, while several cold cases feature fresh pasta, imported meats and cheeses, and tidy stacks of tiramisu. Made-to-order cannolis are a particular draw, though the fresh anchovies may be an acquired taste for some.
“I haven’t spoken this much Italian in a long time,” Dino Bugica remarked, noting the older Italian men who come for their niche cuts of headcheese and salumi. Authenticity isn’t lacking here.
Sonja, who hails from the Ligurian coast of Italy, has infused the menu with flavors that reflect her roots: pickled puntarelle (chicory shoots), rosemary-topped focaccia, cheese-and-herb ravioli, green pesto lasagna and a slow-simmered tomato sauce.
“I wanted to bring a piece of Italy here,” she said, pointing to the breaded cotoletta used in her sandwiches. After years of teaching pasta-making, the shop finally gives her a place to showcase her culinary skills.
For the holidays, Pastasciutta offers a $96 panettone from Bay Area baker Roy Shvartzapel — the same one Ruth Reichl once called “the fruitcake of your holiday dreams.” The website calls the obsessively perfected Italian holiday bread his personal Mt. Everest of baking.
Naturally, I had to pick it up, admire it and then gently set it back down. I spent 20 minutes trying to justify the purchase, even enlisting Sonja and Dino in my internal debate. “You’ll be a holiday party hero if you bring this,” Dino suggested.
Ultimately, I left without the cake (though I did pick up ravioli, meatballs and tiramisu). Still, I refuse to enter 2026 without knowing if a fruitcake can really be that good. Perhaps Santa will leave one in my stocking.
Open noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. 21023 Geyserville Ave., Geyserville, Instagram.com/pastasciutta707