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17 Fresh Pastas to Try Right Now in Los Angeles

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hasmapimage.jpgThe pasta rollers are running in restaurants across town, and not just at the Italian places. Despite the general aversion to carbs in Los Angeles, people are flocking to fresh pasta because of one simple reason: it's delicious. Paired with seasonal ingredients, chefs across town are finding inspiration in flour, water, and egg (or sometimes, not even eggs). Here now, 17 fresh pastas, all made in house, to try right now in Los Angeles.

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The macaroni di busa is a signature item that involves noodles carefully wrapped around thin sticks to make a unique, Sardinian pasta tossed with a meaty ragu. The texture is unlike any pasta you've had before, like what mac & cheese aspires to be in its wildest dreams.

Scarpetta

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There are plenty of fantastic pastas at Scarpetta, and the spaghetti is no exception, but go beyond that famous dish and try the tagliatelle with sausage sugo, the flavors of which gently coat each delicate noodle.

Drago Centro

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The crab and fettucine, loaded with fresh tomatoes and a little kick from red pepper chiles, gets rounded out with a squeeze of lemon at this stately Downtown restaurant. A dish that's hearty enough for lunch, but not too heavy to bog one down for the rest of the work day.

The Factory Kitchen

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The mandilli di seta is the one that everyone talks about, which is a hankerchief pasta coated in an almond basil pesto. The texture is luxurious, making it a great pasta course at this Arts District eatery.

Scopa Italian Roots

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Antonia Lofasa's hit Venice restaurant has a tight menu of fresh pastas, including the pappardelle with pork shank and arugula, that goes quite well with the house Negroni, prepared by barman Pablo Moix. [Photo]

Chef Michael Voltaggio tries to stretch the boundaries at his Melrose restaurant, and this octopus dish made with ink shells, young fennel and pimenton is a standout dish.

Valentino

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This storied Italian restaurant in Santa Monica has a great maltagliati, essentially small sheets of fresh pasta tossed with a walnut pesto.

Superba Snack Bar

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The wakame (seaweed) tagliatelle (formerly thin, almost angel-hair like spaghetti) with dungeness crab, uni, and miso butter is one of the most addictive pastas on earth, and hopefully something that'll never come off the menu at this stylish pastaria in Venice.

RivaBella

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The pistachio pappardelle, with wide sheets of fresh pasta, come tossed with lamb and peach ragu at this expansive Italian restaurant on the Sunset Strip.

The Tasting Kitchen

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The tagliarini with spicy serrano chilies and meaty shrimp is one of the most deceptively simple pastas in the city, but the right balance of spice with umami from the shrimp takes this one over the top.

Tagliarini with shrimp and chiles at The Tasting Kitchen

Salt Air

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The house-made linguini with the pistachio pesto is pure comfort in a bowl, covered with a dusting of parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper. Simple and delicious.

The fileja calabresi, almost like long twisted sheets made into tubes, comes tossed in a spicy sausage ragu, mustard greens for a bitter counterpoint, and of course, spicy calabrian chiles for that hit of heat.[Photo]

Comme Ça

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The English pea ravioli is just about the most seasonal thing to get right now, even if this is a French restaurant. Served with roasted carrot and rounded out with spiced Greek yogurt, the sunflower seeds just add a bit of extra crunch.

Bourbon Steak

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More English peas on the way, but this time in the form of a morel mushroom sauce laced into plush dumplings of agnolotti. Asparagus adds some textural crush to the dish while meyer lemon brightens up the rich flavors a bit at this Glendale steakhouse by Michael Mina.

Spago Beverly Hills

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This ravioli is made with pistachio dough and gets filled with Humboldt Fog goat cheese. Then comes a sprinkling of yet some more English peas (very much in season right now), for an elegant part of the tasting menu. The agnolotti filled with mascarpone and laced with English peas is another a la carte pasta worth ordering.

Faith & Flower

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The oxtail agnolotti at this new Downtown eatery gets a little surprise with every third bite or so: a nob of bone marrow. Don't fear though, a tangerine salsa tempers the richness a bit.

Crossroads

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The tortelloni here is all plant-based, which means no egg in the pasta. The texture is slightly different, but still quite satisfying for diners looking for a delicious vegan pasta. Filled with almond cheese and laced with oven-dried tomatoes, it's rich and addictive.

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Bucato

The macaroni di busa is a signature item that involves noodles carefully wrapped around thin sticks to make a unique, Sardinian pasta tossed with a meaty ragu. The texture is unlike any pasta you've had before, like what mac & cheese aspires to be in its wildest dreams.

Scarpetta

There are plenty of fantastic pastas at Scarpetta, and the spaghetti is no exception, but go beyond that famous dish and try the tagliatelle with sausage sugo, the flavors of which gently coat each delicate noodle.

Drago Centro

The crab and fettucine, loaded with fresh tomatoes and a little kick from red pepper chiles, gets rounded out with a squeeze of lemon at this stately Downtown restaurant. A dish that's hearty enough for lunch, but not too heavy to bog one down for the rest of the work day.

The Factory Kitchen

The mandilli di seta is the one that everyone talks about, which is a hankerchief pasta coated in an almond basil pesto. The texture is luxurious, making it a great pasta course at this Arts District eatery.

Scopa Italian Roots

Antonia Lofasa's hit Venice restaurant has a tight menu of fresh pastas, including the pappardelle with pork shank and arugula, that goes quite well with the house Negroni, prepared by barman Pablo Moix. [Photo]

ink.

Chef Michael Voltaggio tries to stretch the boundaries at his Melrose restaurant, and this octopus dish made with ink shells, young fennel and pimenton is a standout dish.

Valentino

This storied Italian restaurant in Santa Monica has a great maltagliati, essentially small sheets of fresh pasta tossed with a walnut pesto.

Superba Snack Bar

The wakame (seaweed) tagliatelle (formerly thin, almost angel-hair like spaghetti) with dungeness crab, uni, and miso butter is one of the most addictive pastas on earth, and hopefully something that'll never come off the menu at this stylish pastaria in Venice.

RivaBella

The pistachio pappardelle, with wide sheets of fresh pasta, come tossed with lamb and peach ragu at this expansive Italian restaurant on the Sunset Strip.

The Tasting Kitchen

The tagliarini with spicy serrano chilies and meaty shrimp is one of the most deceptively simple pastas in the city, but the right balance of spice with umami from the shrimp takes this one over the top.

Tagliarini with shrimp and chiles at The Tasting Kitchen

Salt Air

The house-made linguini with the pistachio pesto is pure comfort in a bowl, covered with a dusting of parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper. Simple and delicious.

Sotto

The fileja calabresi, almost like long twisted sheets made into tubes, comes tossed in a spicy sausage ragu, mustard greens for a bitter counterpoint, and of course, spicy calabrian chiles for that hit of heat.[Photo]

Comme Ça

The English pea ravioli is just about the most seasonal thing to get right now, even if this is a French restaurant. Served with roasted carrot and rounded out with spiced Greek yogurt, the sunflower seeds just add a bit of extra crunch.

Bourbon Steak

More English peas on the way, but this time in the form of a morel mushroom sauce laced into plush dumplings of agnolotti. Asparagus adds some textural crush to the dish while meyer lemon brightens up the rich flavors a bit at this Glendale steakhouse by Michael Mina.

Spago Beverly Hills

This ravioli is made with pistachio dough and gets filled with Humboldt Fog goat cheese. Then comes a sprinkling of yet some more English peas (very much in season right now), for an elegant part of the tasting menu. The agnolotti filled with mascarpone and laced with English peas is another a la carte pasta worth ordering.

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Faith & Flower

The oxtail agnolotti at this new Downtown eatery gets a little surprise with every third bite or so: a nob of bone marrow. Don't fear though, a tangerine salsa tempers the richness a bit.

Crossroads

The tortelloni here is all plant-based, which means no egg in the pasta. The texture is slightly different, but still quite satisfying for diners looking for a delicious vegan pasta. Filled with almond cheese and laced with oven-dried tomatoes, it's rich and addictive.

Related Maps