Pasta lovers know there’s no such thing as too much pasta. Whether a craving calls for spaghetti, gnocchi, cacio e pepe, or a little bit of everything in between, the quest for the perfect plate of pasta is a never-ending journey.
Pasta lovers know there’s no such thing as too much pasta. Whether a craving calls for spaghetti, gnocchi, cacio e pepe, or a little bit of everything in between, the quest for the perfect plate of pasta is a never-ending journey.
Luckily, the D.C. area is filled with plenty of options for getting that pasta fix, from cozy neighborhood eateries to traditional osterias. Recent arrivals include Petworth pasta pad San Matteo, Roman-styled Aventino in Bethesda, and old-school red sauce joint Carbonara in Ballston just this week. And Osteria Morini adds another D.C. pasta parlor to its plate on Tuesday, March 26 with the opening of Cucina Morini in Mt. Vernon Triangle.
Below, find the top Italian restaurants for pasta in D.C., and get all sorts of culinary inspiration for that upcoming date night or family outing. And for D.C.’s essential pizza places, go here.
I’m Eddie Cano
This mod favorite in Chevy Chase has affordable, reliable pastas split into categories for traditional Italian and Italian-American. The selection includes classics such as Sunday lasagna, chicken Milanese, and cacio pepe. Order online for pickup, or on DoorDash for weekday lunch or daily dinner deliveries.
5014 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
Tartufo Italian Restaurant
Upper Northwest residents in the know keep coming back to this underrated neighborhood gem that resembles a small rustic restaurant in Italy. Try the tagliatelle with homemade veal ragu, spaghetti flanked with fresh clams, and spot-on carbonara.
4910 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20016
Sfoglina (Multiple locations)
Longtime D.C. chef Fabio Trabbochi’s casual pasta house with a mozzarella bar is named for the Italian masters who make fresh pasta. Top sellers include carbonara, potato gnocchi with porcini crema, and garganelli with clams and chiles. During the pandemic, Anthony Fauci got a to-go pasta fix at the Van Ness original several times a week. There’s also outposts in Rosslyn and downtown. Order online for takeout and delivery. For something fancier, consider its Michelin-starred sibling Fiola.
4445 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
Little Coco's
Petworth’s treasured pasta parlor serves standouts like spicy rigatoni with marinara and Calabrian chiles, squid ink tagliatelle, an elbow-noodle riff on cacio e pepe, and goat cheese ravioli. Marylanders can now enjoy the same orders at its newer Gaithersburg sibling Charley Prime Foods.
3907 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20011
Capa Tosta
Columbia Heights’s Italian replacement to Napoli has quickly become a neighborhood favorite. Some of its most popular dishes are the orecchiette tossed with broccoli rabe and spicy sausage, pillowy ricotta gnocchi topped with fresh burrata, lobster and crab ravioli, and squid ink pasta.
2737 Sherman Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001
Morgana
Covered in all sorts of wild artwork and showy statues, executive chef Domenico Apollaro’s eccentric Italian newcomer brought an edge to Adams Morgan’s quiet Columbia Road last year. Warm up to a plate of pappardelle with pecorino Romano with spicy Calabrian ‘nduja and homemade focaccia. A lively bar situated under the mezzanine sends out a long list of Italian wines, bubbly bellinis, espresso martinis, and French 75s.
1826 Columbia Rd NW, Washington, DC 20009
Lupo Verde
A homey, exposed brick interior and natural light flooding in from multiple windows deliver a top-notch ambiance at this 14th Street eatery. Here, nosh on Southern Italian dishes such as tonnarelli cacio e pepe, ravioli alla zucca, and gnocchi al gorgonzola. For dessert, top off the pasta-filled meal with classic tiramisu or vanilla bean panna cotta.
1401 T St NW, Washington, DC 20009
The Red Hen
The mezzi rigatoni with fennel sausage and pecorino from this Bloomingdale standby is one of D.C.’s most iconic dishes — as well as a date-night favorite of the President and First Lady. Crispy arancini cacio e pepe with herb aioli hits the spot, as will chef Mike Friedman’s squid ink linguini loaded with calamari. Friedman recently expanded to Maryland with the opening of Roman-styled Aventino and AP Pizza Shop in Bethesda.
1822 1st St NW, Washington, DC 20001
Via Ghibellina
Seeking Tuscan fare? Head to Ivy City, where Via Ghibellina serves a selection of dishes that call to mind the rich culinary heritage of Tuscany. From the tagliatelle al ragú to the cavatelli di ricotta con melanzana, there’s a pasta dish that’s sure to satisfy. On Lobster Wednesdays, indulge in fresh grilled lobster with a choice of salad, risotto, or linguine. The weekend brunch menu — boasting items like spaghetti alla carbonara and a smoked salmon frittata — is not to be missed either.
2000 Fenwick St NE, Washington, DC 20002
Floriana
This white-tableclothed standby in Dupont has refined pastas like pappardelle with ragu, burrata ravioli with mushrooms and spinach, lamb gnocchi, and a tortelloni with tenderloin. Floriana has a fan in the White House, too: Vice President Kamala Harris famously swung by right before Inauguration in 2021.
1602 17th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
Masseria a Casa
This warm and rustic Michelin-starred Italian gem offers prix fixe tasting menus, with several dishes drawing inspiration from chef Nicholas Stefanelli’s Italian background in Puglia. Opt for an eight-course chef’s tasting menu ($236) or six-course “La Cucina” menu ($178). The constantly evolving menu loops in unique pasta shapes like maccheroni and lorghittas.
1340 4th St NE, Washington, DC 20002
Flavio Restaurant DC
Georgetown’s bustling destination for Italian cuisine counts its lobster diavolo as its most popular dish, built with the chef’s choice of pasta, shrimp, scallops, mushrooms, and spicy tomato cream sauce. The light and airy gnocchi, made with ricotta instead of potato, is also not to miss. Flavio will soon expand across the city with a second location in Cathedral Heights.
1073 31st St NW, Washington, DC 20007
il Canale
While this Georgetown establishment is well-known for its pizza Napolitana, don’t miss out on the many pasta dishes that pay gastronomic homage to the owner’s Sicilian heritage. For seafood enthusiasts, the scialatielli allo scoglio — which features fresh pasta mixed with mussels, shrimp, clams, cherry tomatoes, white wine, and garlic — is a must-try. Other noteworthy dishes include the gnocchi and spaghetti pomodoro. Downstairs neighbor Filomena, around for over 30 years, is the ultimate celebratory spot for hearty Italian dishes in an ornate setting.
1065 31st St NW, Washington, DC 20007
RPM Italian
Despite being a chain, Chicago-born RPM consistently sends out superior pastas, with excellent service to match, at its glitzy location in Mt. Vernon Triangle. The best-selling Mama DePandi’s bucatini pomodoro relies on a family recipe from RPM’s co-founder Giuliana Rancic. The D.C. hotspot is also known for its cacio e pepe, short rib bolognese, and celebrity clientele like BTS and Drake.
650 K St NW, Washington, DC 20001
Centrolina
James Beard-nominated chef Amy Brandwein is well known for her regional Italian fare made with mid-Atlantic ingredients. Brandwein keeps her rotating menu fresh by putting seasonal spins on traditional Italian plates. Dine indoors or out or order online for takeout, or via Caviar and Tock for delivery. Stock up on pantry items from the attached market while you are at it.
974 Palmer Alley NW, Washington, DC 20001
Modena
At Ashok Bajaj’s mod downtown Italian restaurant, executive chef Benjamin Lambert makes pastas in-house daily in a fun variety of flavors (think roasted carrot cavatelli with date-braised lamb ragu). The bucatini cacio e pepe is one highlight off its lunchtime menu.
1100 New York Avenue NW, Corner of H and, 12th St NW, Washington, DC 20005
L'Ardente
Eater DC’s 2022 Restaurant of the Year makes all its pastas in-house. Along with that famous 40-layer lasagna, dinnertime highlights include a veal ragu pappardelle with a surprise kick from jalapenos and the campanelle nere — a squid-ink pasta with a luscious lobster-studded sauce. Pumpkin-shaped zucca in a sausage ragu shows up at both lunch and dinner.
200 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001
Ristorante TOSCA
Around since 2001, downtown’s iconic trattoria unveiled a fresh new look for its 20th anniversary. Executive chef Fortunato Nicotra, who earned Michelin stars at two restaurants in Sicily before the age of 30, long led the kitchen at NYC’s award-winning Felidia before landing at Tosca. The old-school restaurant specializes in Northern Italian cuisine and homemade pastas, including its top-selling agnolotti del plin.
1112 F St NW, Washington, DC 20004
Thompson Italian
Shortly after opening in Falls Church in 2019, this mom-and-pop pasta shop from chefs Gabe and Katherine Thompson won positive reviews for its spicy meatballs and olive oil cake. The couple, who rose through the ranks of the NYC restaurant scene before moving to be close to family in Northern Virginia, recently opened a second location in Old Town Alexandria. Order takeout here. Rotating pasta picks showcase smoked duck ragu and broccoli rabe pesto.
124 N Washington St, Falls Church, VA 22046
Lavagna
With its charming red brick facade and wood-paneled bar, this Barracks Row restaurant has the feel of a quaint neighborhood spot in a small Italian town. Lavagna sources many ingredients from local and regional farmers to bring its contemporary Italian menu to life. All pastas are homemade, including favorites like the pappardelle lamb, risotto shrimp, and spaghetti bolognese.
539 8th St SE, Washington, DC 20003
Caruso's Grocery
Matt Adler’s decidedly unmodern tribute to classic red sauce joints delivers dishes heavy on nostalgia, quality ingredients, and technique, all served in a red banquette, vintage photo-laden dining room. Adler’s kitchen makes its own gnocchi, fettuccine, ravioli, and bucatini topped with a spicy Neapolitan ragu. His personal favorite pasta is penne alla vodka with peas and prosciutto. A sophomore location recently debuted in Maryland’s Pike & Rose complex.
914 14th St SE, Washington, DC 20003
Osteria Morini
Navy Yard’s waterfront pasta pioneer Osteria Morini is still going strong, ten years in. Standout Southern Italian orders include rigatoni with wild mushroom ragu, butternut squash ravioli with brown butter sage, and squid ink pasta studded with shrimp — all priced at $15 during its popular Morini Mondays deal. NYC-based Altamarea Group expands its pasta presence in the city this spring, transforming its Mt. Vernon Triangle sibling spots into one upscale Italian eatery called Cucina MORINI with help from Osteria Morini alum Matt Adler.