This might make for the ultimate bucket list. How many of these pasta dishes have you tried?
Whether your taste is spaghetti, tagliatelle or soft pillows of gnocchi, everyone has their go-to pasta dish. With an abundance of Italian restaurants scattered around Sydney, we’ve done the hard yards and sussed out the top must-try pasta dishes. Read on to find out where to get the best pasta in Sydney. Buon appetito!
Alberto’s Lounge’s Tonnarelli with Sorrentino cherry tomato, basil and stracciatella
This was one of the first pasta dishes that come to mind when we wrote this guide which is a good indication of its impact. Beautiful al dente Tonnarelli is tossed through a rich and juicy sauce made of Sorrentino cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. The best part however is the stracciatella which sits atop the pasta, just waiting for you to pop open and stir through for the ultimate creaminess.
17-19 Alberta St, Sydney NSW 2000
Grana’s Capelli with broccoli, lemon, chilli and pangrattato
Grana is a newer affair to the Sydney CBD located inside the renovated Hinchcliff House building. Italian fare is on the menu and their Capelli pasta with broccoli, lemon, chilli and pangrattato has already become a winner in our eyes. The pasta is served al dente in a beautiful nest on the plate and you’ll slowly start to taste charred broccoli sprinkles, zesty lime and a subtle hit of chilli. The crunchy pangrattato takes this dish to another level as well as the anchovies hidden throughout.
5-7 Young St Ground Floor, Sydney NSW 2000
IMaccheroni’s Cappelletti Reggiani in bone broth
Located in Woollahra, this eatery has become the local’s go-to for traditional Italian fare. Their Cappelletti Reggiani is not often on the menu but when it is, we suggest you order it (it’s even worth the trip to Wollahra to get it). This dish is extremely traditional and you must have a licence to make it in a country other than Italy – we are not joking. Each Cappelletti is made by hand and cooked in a delicate bone broth which makes the perfect soup – it tastes like a hug from nonna.
3 Jersey Rd, Woollahra NSW 2025
10 William Street’s Paccheri with cuttlefish, chilli and green garlic
10 William Street is an Italian institution serving up an array of comforting classics and contemporary dishes. With many winning meals on the menu, you’ll be hard-pressed to choose just one! With an ever-changing menu of hand-made pasta dishes, you can’t go wrong with anything on this menu. But at the time of publishing, we can’t go past the paccheri with cuttlefish, chilli and green garlic.
10 William Street, 10 William Street, Paddington, NSW
A Tavola’s Lamb Ragu With Pappardelle
Lamb ragu with pappardelle is a dish you’ll find on many good Italian restaurant menus. Whilst plenty of Sydney eateries do the dish well, A Tavola takes the humble classic to new heights. Complex, flavoursome and rich, it’s a dish that should be on every pasta lover’s bucket list.
A Tavola, Darlinghurst and Bondi
Barbetta’s Ravioli with ricotta, silverbeet and butter & sage sauce
This Paddington café and food store only came onto the pasta scene fairly recently, but they’ve been causing a stir amongst locals. You’ll find the full list of classics on the menu, from hearty lasagna to spaghetti and ravioli. A stand-out on the menu is the silverbeet and ricotta ravioli. Served with lashings of burnt butter sage sauce, all you need is a glass of vino!
Barbetta, 2 Elizabeth Street Paddington NSW
Chester White Cured Diner’s Truffle Cacio e Pepe
You might already be familiar with the Insta-famous parmesan wheel pasta, Chester White Cured Diner drawing this dish directly into the limelight. Sure, you can go for the cured meats selection or lamb shoulder, but the real star of the show is the Truffle Cacio e Pepe ($23). It’s a simple but effective formula – spaghetti, salt and pepper, parsley and black truffles, served out of a Sardinian truffled pecorino cheese wheel.
Chester White Cured Diner, 3 Orwell Street Potts Point NSW
Flour Eggs Water’s Gnocchi with pumpkin, scamorza, cavolo nero and poppy seeds
We eat with our eyes and when a plate of this hand-cut gnocchi arrives at the table, you’ll hear often collective ‘wow’s leaving the diner’s lips. With outposts in Surry Hills and the Tramsheds, Flour Eggs Water’s signature gnocchi comes loaded with pumpkin, scamorza, cavolo nero and poppy seeds.
Flour Eggs Water, Surry Hills and the Tramsheds
Olio Kensington Street’s Tagliolini
This contemporary Sicilian restaurant situated in the heart of Kensington Street knows good pasta. Chef Lino Sauro has brought to the table many of his family’s prized recipes directly from Sicily, satisfying diners since the restaurant’s doors first opened in 2017. For seafood lovers, opt for the tagliolini (a.k.a. handcrafted angel hair pasta with fresh Tasmanian sea urchin sauce and bottarga.
Olio Kensington Street, Level 2, The Old Rum Store, 2-10 Kensington Street, Chippendale
Pasta Emilia’s Duck Tortelli
Lovers of handmade pasta have flocked to Pasta Emilia since it first opened its doors back in 2012. For a decadent experience, be sure to order the duck tortellini. It might be rich, but it’s worth every. single. calorie.
Pasta Emilia, Cnr Riley and Reservoir Streets, Surry Hills NSW
Ragazzi’s Cavatelli with pork and fennel sausage
If there’s one thing Ragazzi does best, it’s pasta. Crafted by Chef Scott McComas-Williams, this everchanging menu celebrates traditional pasta shapes and sauces, infused with a fresh twist. Make sure to order the cavatelli with pork and fennel sausage, made from incredible Tathra free-range saddleback pigs, and briny, sweet little Goolwa poppies.
Ragazzi Wine & Pasta, Shop 3 2-12 Angel Place, Sydney CBD
Think we missed one of the best pasta dishes in Sydney? Email us at newsletter@eatdrinkplay.com so we can consider it!