National Pasta Day falls on Saturday, Oct. 17, right in the middle of National Pasta Month, and for Los Angeles locals there are no shortage of restaurants offering dishes that will remind us why this dish is so globally loved.
These Los Angeles county restaurants serve everything from traditional dishes that stay true to recipes from Italy to California-inspired plates and seafood-heavy pastas.
Here are six top pasta spots to try for National Pasta Month.
Owner and chef Michele Galifi displays his Aglio and Olio pasta at Bianca Trattoria on Thursday, October 8, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rob Curtis, Contributing Photographer)
Owner and chef Michele Galifi displays his Aglio and Olio pasta at Bianca Trattoria on Thursday, October 8, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rob Curtis, Contributing Photographer)
Owner and chef Michele Galifi displays his Aglio and Olio pasta at Bianca Trattoria on Thursday, October 8, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rob Curtis, Contributing Photographer)
Owner and chef Michele Galifi adds toasted crumbs to his Aglio and Olio pasta at Bianca Trattoria on Thursday, October 8, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rob Curtis, Contributing Photographer)
Owner and chef Michele Galifi prepares his Aglio and Olio pasta at Bianca Trattoria on Thursday, October 8, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rob Curtis, Contributing Photographer)
Owner and chef Michele Galifi displays his Aglio and Olio pasta at Bianca Trattoria on Thursday, October 8, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rob Curtis, Contributing Photographer)
Owner and chef Michele Galifi displays his Aglio and Olio pasta at Bianca Trattoria on Thursday, October 8, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rob Curtis, Contributing Photographer)
Owner and chef Michele Galifi prepares his Aglio and Olio pasta at Bianca Trattoria on Thursday, October 8, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rob Curtis, Contributing Photographer)
Owner and chef Michele Galifi prepares his Aglio and Olio pasta at Bianca Trattoria on Thursday, October 8, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rob Curtis, Contributing Photographer)
Owner and chef Michele Galifi displays his Aglio and Olio pasta at Bianca Trattoria on Thursday, October 8, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rob Curtis, Contributing Photographer)
Owner and chef Michele Galifi prepares his Aglio and Olio pasta at Bianca Trattoria on Thursday, October 8, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rob Curtis, Contributing Photographer)
Owner and chef Michele Galifi displays his Aglio and Olio pasta at Bianca Trattoria on Thursday, October 8, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rob Curtis, Contributing Photographer)
Owner and chef Michele Galifi prepares his Aglio and Olio pasta at Bianca Trattoria on Thursday, October 8, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rob Curtis, Contributing Photographer)
Owner and chef Michele Galifi displays his Aglio and Olio pasta at Bianca Trattoria on Thursday, October 8, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rob Curtis, Contributing Photographer)
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Owner and chef Michele Galifi displays his Aglio and Olio pasta at Bianca Trattoria on Thursday, October 8, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rob Curtis, Contributing Photographer)
Bianca Sicilian Trattoria
1200 E. 5th St., Los Angeles; biancasiciliantrattoria.com
Helmed by Italian-born chef Michele Galifi, this Arts District gem focuses on the flavors of Sicily led by the chef’s offerings of handmade pasta dishes. His motto is to take traditional dishes and serve them in an elevated style. These include options like the classic Pomodoro Spaghetti with tomato sauce, crispy basil and burrata and the filling Bolognese made with rigatoni, pork, beef ragù and peas and the rustic Gamberi, a green Tagliatelle pasta served with head-on shrimp, pistacchio and chili oil. The star here is one of the pastas that the chef refers to as an icon of Italian cuisine, the Aglio & Olio. This plate is prepared with Mafalde pasta, anchovies, roasted garlic, lemon, parsley and toasted bread crumbs. It’s a dish that is common in any restaurant in Sicily and his version jumps with flavors.
The Doughroom pastas include with dishes like the Pappardelle, a spicy thick pasta. (Photo by Richard Guzman)
The Doughroom pastas include with dishes like the Pappardelle, a spicy thick pasta. (Photo by Richard Guzman)
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The Doughroom pastas include with dishes like the Pappardelle, a spicy thick pasta. (Photo by Richard Guzman)
The Doughroom
3409 Overland Ave., Los Angeles; thedoughroom.com
Located in a tiny corner spot that includes a laundromat and a bar, the Doughroom can be an easy-to-miss spot as you speed along busy Overland Avenue in the Palms neighborhood. But do your taste buds a favor and keep an eye out for this often overlooked restaurant that’s primarily known for delicious pizzas and a wide selection of craft beers. But the pastas are the real sleeper stars on the menu, with dishes like the creative Creste di Gallo made with pink sauce, bacon, pecorino, Calabrian chili and herbs. The Doughroom also offers more familiar dishes like the Spaghetti Pomodoro, a good mix of traditional tomato sauce, basil and chili oil, and the Pappardelle. But the Pappardelle isn’t for the faint of heart, since it offers a nice spicy kick thanks to the Calabrian chilis that lead the flavor profiles in this Bolognese and ricotta plate. Seriously, it’s spicy so you may want to pair it with the restaurant’s insanely tasty Cherry Tomato Bruschetta, a combination of ricotta, red onion, basil and barrel aged balsamico perfect to subdue some of the pasta’s spice.
ALSO SEE: 6 very, very good spots for pasta in Orange County
Ellie’s in Long Beach is headed by chef Jason Witzl who is making handmade pastas at this Southern Italian restaurant. The venture is a tribute to WitzlÃs Grandmother Eleanor. Witzl making the restaurants signature dish, chitarra pomodoro.
Long Beach November 28, 2017. Photo by Brittany Murray, Press Telegram/SCNG
Ellie’s in Long Beach is headed by chef Jason Witzl who is making handmade pastas at this Southern Italian restaurant. The venture is a tribute to WitzlÃs Grandmother Eleanor. Witzl making the restaurants signature dish, chitarra pomodoro.
Long Beach November 28, 2017. Photo by Brittany Murray, Press Telegram/SCNG
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Ellie’s in Long Beach is headed by chef Jason Witzl who is making handmade pastas at this Southern Italian restaurant. The venture is a tribute to WitzlÃs Grandmother Eleanor. Witzl making the restaurants signature dish, chitarra pomodoro.
Long Beach November 28, 2017. Photo by Brittany Murray, Press Telegram/SCNG
Ellie’s
204 Orange Ave., Long Beach; 562-437-4837 or ellieslbc.com
Opened in Long Beach’s Alamitos Beach area in 2017 by chef and owner Jason Witzl, Ellie’s had a lot to live up to when it arrived in the foodie city, since the Whittier native’s culinary resume included gigs at the Michelin-starred Water Grill in downtown L.A. then in Spain where he worked at the triple-Michelin-starred Restaurante Martin Berasategui before returning to the U.S. to work at the James Beard-nominated Manhattan Beach Post. So yeah, expectations were high and he’s lived up to them with pasta offerings inspired by Southern Italian/California cuisine that leans more toward the comfort side of the seasonal menu. The pastas are made in-house and diners can feast on dishes like the Gnocchi, made with shimeji mushrooms, roasted pearl onions and goat cheese, or the Malfadine, a Vodka sauce infused pasta with truffle, burrata and spicy sausage and the house signature dish, the Chitarra Pomodoro. This dish is made with roasted garlic, tomatoes, shallots, burrata and oregano and while it’s a seemingly simple combination of ingredients, at Ellie’s it isn’t a dish that’s made haphazardly, since things like the tomatoes have to be just right at the time.
Funke Beverly Hills
9388 S. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills; funkela.com
When it comes to pasta, Chef Evan Funke’s reputation and skills are unquestionable. The two-time James Beard-nominated chef is behind Los Angeles pasta staples like Felix Trattoria and Mother Wolf, he’s been featured on Food & Wine magazine, travels to Italy to obsessively continue to learn about pasta-making from master chefs and he has been featured on Netflix’s “Chef’s Table: Noodles” series in an episode where the chef’s passion for the craft is almost poetic. So yes, pretty much any pasta made by Funke will likely be the best pasta you’ve ever had. Some of his pastas include his Pappardelle, the light and fluffy Gnocchi di Ricotta and the Rigatoni all’Amatriciana, a tube pasta in tomato with guanciale and pecorino.
ALSO SEE: 6 pasta restaurants to try in the Inland Empire
the Lobster Campanelle alla Vodka at is a popular dish at the Westlake Village location of Osteria La Buca. (Photo by Richard Guzman)
Osteria La Buca
30760 Russell Ranch Rd., Westlake Village, 5210 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, and 14235 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks; osterialabuca.com
With its own small farm in West Los Angeles and ingredients sourced from farmer’s markets, the driving force at this upper-scale yet casual spot is authenticity and simple well-made Italian country food. Pastas at Osteria La Buca are handmade in-house daily and the menu boasts standout dishes like the classic Nero Spaghetti. This traditional black pasta is made with open shell clams, squid, shrimp and chili flakes. People can also keep it traditional with a very filling plate of Rigatoni Bolognese made with pork and beef ragu, pecorino and basil, or go more adventurous with the Bucatini Carbonara enhanced with pancetta, black pepper and a poached egg. Yes, go ahead and let that egg yolk blanket over the pasta before you take a bite. But for a real treat head over to the Westlake Village location, which is the only one that serves the Lobster Campanelle alla Vodka. It’s made with a creamy Vodka sauce with poached lobster, lemon, basil and Parmesan cheese. It’s a thick and very cheesy pasta that’s not too briny with a hint of spice at the end of every bite.
The Daily Catch
927 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena; thedailycatch.com/location/pasadena/
The original location opened in Boston’s Little Italy in 1973 where it was known for serving pasta in a pan. The restaurant expanded to two other locations in Boston and luckily for locals, one spot in Pasadena where diners better come hungry for some hefty dishes. The restaurant leans heavily on seafood pastas with options like the Calamari and Linguine, plus the squid ink black pasta, which is still served in the pan it was sautéed in, and the Frutti Di Mare and Linguine with calamari, mussels, littlenecks, shrimp and scallops in red or white sauce. If you have the appetite for the sea and pasta then the must order plate is the Lobster Fra Diavolo. At $85, it’s basically the sea on a plate surrounded by linguine pasta. It includes clams, mussels, shrimp, calamari and lobster of course. While this is enough for more than one person, there’s an official version for two on the menu for $115.