No-one has ever complained about there being too much pasta on offer. The search for the ideal plate of pasta is an ongoing journey. That’s regardless of whether a desire requires, lasagne, cacio e pepe, gnocchi or a little bit of anything else in between. Fortunately, there are several places in the Washington, D.C., area to satisfy your craving for pasta. These range from little neighborhood restaurants to classic osterias.
See the best pasta restaurants in Italy in Washington, D.C., below, and get tons of culinary ideas for your next date or family outing.
I’m Eddie Cano
This Chevy Chase modern favorite features reasonably priced and consistently good pastas divided between Italian-American and traditional Italian. Local favorites include Sunday lasagna, chicken Milanese, and cacio e pepe. Order online for delivery for lunch or dinner, or use DoorDash for online pickup.
Tartufo Italian Restaurant
Upper Northwest locals in the know regularly visit this underappreciated neighborhood treasure. It looks like a modest rustic Italian eatery and has the same charm. Enjoy the spaghetti with fresh clams or the tagliatelle with homemade veal ragu. They also make a perfect carbonara.
Sfoglina
The name of this casual pasta restaurant owned by longstanding D.C. restaurateur Fabio Trabbochi refers to the Italian artisans who make fresh pasta. A mozzarella bar is available with toppings including tomatoes, beef bresaola, and burrata to go along with buffalo mozzerella, fior di latte, and burrata. Pasta dishes include garganelli with clams and chiles, carbonara, and potato gnocchi with porcini crema. Anthony Fauci frequented the Van Ness original during the epidemic several times a week to satisfy his craving for spaghetti to go. Also, there are outlets in downtown and Rosslyn. Place a delivery and takeout order online.
LiLLiES Restaurant & Bar
LiLLiES, situated across the street from the National Zoo, is a great place to refuel on pasta after a long walk through the gorgeous Woodley Park area. Since 2011, lunch and dinner have been served five days a week at this family-run restaurant. Brunch and dinner are both available on the weekends. Enjoy one of the many exceptional pasta dishes, including the lobster ravioli and vegetable lasagna. Be sure to take a table on the roomy terrace during the warmer months.
Capa Tosta
The popular restaurant Columbia Heights launched over two years ago and rapidly gained a reputation among the locals. The orecchiette with broccoli rabe and spicy sausage, the pillowy ricotta gnocchi with fresh burrata, and the squid ink pasta are some of its most well-known dishes. The culinary parents of owner Angelo Ciotola came out of retirement all the way from Naples just to recreate their dishes here.
Lupo Verde
This 14th Street restaurant has a top-notch atmosphere thanks to its cozy interior of exposed brick and the natural light that pours in via its many windows. Prepare to eat Southern Italian cuisine like gnocchi al gorgonzola, ravioli alla zucca, and tonnarelli cacio e pepe. Finish the pasta-heavy meal with vanilla bean panna cotta or traditional tiramisu for dessert.
Quattro Osteria
You will find Shaw’s fashionable newcomer past a pair of 18th-century double doors. Pasta specialties include rich lobster linguine, beef short ribs, pig collar, and beef ragu over pappardelle, black truffle-topped gnocchi, and duck ravioli. Three-course ($65) and five-course ($85) meals are also available in addition to the a la carte menu.
The Red Hen
One of D.C.’s most well-known dishes is the rigatoni and fennel sausage with pecorino out of this Bloomingdale institution. A seasonal new spaghetti verde dish from chef Mike Friedman coupled with toasted pine nuts, silky broccoli cremosa, oregano, lemon, spinach, oregano, and garlicky breadcrumbs also impresses. You can also never go wrong with the crispy arancini cacio e pepe with herb aioli.
Via Ghibellina
Want some Tuscan food? Visit Via Ghibellina in Ivy City for a selection of delicacies that are reminiscent of the rich culinary history of Tuscany. Every pasta dish, from the tagliatelle al ragù to the cavatelli di ricotta con melanzana, is sure to please. On Wednesdays, enjoy grilled fresh lobster with your choice of linguine, risotto, or salad. Not to be missed is the weekend brunch menu. You can expect dishes like spaghetti carbonara or smoked salmon frittata.
Floriana
Classic pasta dishes including pappardelle with ragu, lamb gnocchi, burrata ravioli with mushrooms and spinach and a tortelloni with tenderloin are served at this Dupont neighborhood bistro. Vice President Kamala Harris made a noteworthy visit to this Washington restaurant just before the 2021 inauguration just to try the pasta.
Masseria a Casa
Only six-course tasting menus are available at this cozy and unpretentious Michelin-starred Italian gem. Dishes here are inspired by the chef Nicholas Stefanelli’s Italian heritage in Puglia. With its delivery service, Masseria also enables patrons to take it all home and serves prix fixe menus for two for $105 each. As the menu is frequently updated expect something new and delicious every visit this Washington pasta destination.
Flavio Restaurant DC
The most well-known dish at Georgetown’s bustling Italian restaurant is the lobster diavolo. It’s made with the chef’s choice of pasta, scallops, shrimp, scallops, mushrooms, and a fiery tomato cream sauce. Another dish not to be missed is the ricotta-based gnocchi. By opening a second shop in Cathedral Heights, Flavio intends to grow throughout the city.
il Canale
The pizza Napolitana at this Georgetown restaurant is its main draw. However don’t overlook the other pasta dishes that honor the owner’s Sicilian roots. Scialatielli allo scoglio, a dish that combines fresh pasta with seafood, cherry tomatoes, white wine, and garlic, is a must-try. The gnocchi and spaghetti pomodoro are other dishes worth mentioning. Filomena, located downstairs, has been serving hearty Italian cuisine in an elaborate setting for almost 30 years.
