The Best Damn Pasta Dishes in NYC, Ranked

Published Apr 7, 2016

Hey you, eating boxed spaghetti and canned sauce for dinner. Um, you know you live in NYC, home to some of the best pasta ever, right? Put down the fork, and grab a friend you can do that Lady and the Tramp thing with, because we’re going on a city-wide pasta crawl.

Noah Fecks / Locanda Verde

11. My Grandmother's Ravioli At Locanda Verde

Warning: This is some serious ravioli. It’s stuffed with beef, veal and pork, topped with a thick, zesty sauce and a sprinkling of cheese. Lovers of light, airy pasta need not apply.

377 Greenwich St. (at N. Moore St.); 212-925-3797 or locandaverdenyc.com

Eater

10. Ceci E Pepe At Momofuku Nishi

Fans of caccio e pepe, a peppery pasta dish swirled around in a wheel of pecorino romano, hear us out. No, David Chang’s version doesn’t contain any actual cheese, but the earthy sauce made from fermented chickpea paste is a tasty revelation.

232 Eighth Ave. (at 21st St.); 646-518-1919 or nishi.momofuku.com

Obese Mindest

9. Pappardelle Alla Fiesolana At Bar Pitti

These slippery, flat homemade noodles arrive drenched in creamy tomato sauce with a sprinkle of parmigiano reggiano and smoked bacon. Swoon…

268 Sixth Ave. (at Bleecker St.); 212-982-3300

LA Travel Magazine

8. Spaghetti With Tomato And Basil At Scarpetta

This homemade pasta topped with tangy tomato sauce and ribbons of basil is possibly the simplest dish on this list, but there’s no lack of flavor here. Each melt-in-your-mouth bite is tastier than the last.

88 Madison Ave. (at 29th St.); 212-691-0555 or scarpettarestaurants.com/new-york

Sometimes I Crave

7. Macaroni And Cheese At Root & Bone

When you look up “comfort food” in the dictionary, you’ll see a picture of this guy. Massive macaroni noodles are topped with white and yellow cheddar and topped with crumbled biscuits.

200 E. Third St. (at Ave. B); 646-682-7076 or rootnbone.com

Shelly in Real Life

6. Orecchiette At Del Posto

It’s hard to go wrong with the handmade pasta at this legendary NYC joint, but we’re partial to the orecchiette with lamb neck sausage, broccoli rabe, ricotta salata and crispy porcini.

85 Tenth Ave. (at 16th St.); 212-497-8090 or delposto.com

Bacon and Bikinis

5. Spaghetti Al Limone At Supper

There’s nothing more satisfying than squeezing a giant hunk of lemon onto your pasta, then topping it with the world’s largest mountain of cheese. Trust us.

156 E. Second St. (at Ave. A); 212-477-7600 or supperrestaurant.com

Sometimes I Crave

4. Spicy Rigatoni Vodka At Carbone

OK, Carbone’s prices aren’t for the faint of heart (we estimate you’ll be paying approximately $3 per bite), but once you taste this stuff, you’ll understand.

181 Thompson St. (at Bleecker St.); 212-254-3000 or carbonenewyork.com

Time Out New York

3. Smoked Uni Bucatini At All'onda

When this dish first hit the menu on chef Chris Jaeckle’s Italian hotspot, it became so popular that he ran out of places to buy the key ingredient: sea urchin. But don’t worry--this creamy pasta with crunch and a kick is now an NYC staple.

22 E. 13th St. (at Fifth Ave.); 212-231-2236 or allondanyc.com

Tex Axelrod / Marea

2. Fusilli With Octopus And Bone Marrow At Marea

Michael White’s tribute to surf and turf isn’t exactly traditional Italian fare, but one bite and you’ll agree--if this chewy, saucy masterpiece is wrong, then we don’t wanna be right.

240 Central Park S. (at W. 59th St.); 212-582-5100 or marea-nyc.com

The Village Voice

1. Sheep's Milk Ricotta Gnudi At The Spotted Pig

These soft, buttery dumplings topped with fried sage leaves are what dreams are made of. This is last meal material, people--but that doesn’t mean you can’t go out and order it rightthissecond.

314 W. 11th St. (at Greenwich St.); 212-620-0393 or thespottedpig.com