The Resy Guide to Italian Pasta in Philadelphia
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If there’s one thing Philly does right, pasta is definitely up there. Our city’s Italian roots have delivered us a strong culture around Italian food – from historic red-sauce joints to chef-driven BYOBs and white-tablecloth experiences. Most of the best operations fall somewhere in the middle, but whatever level of dining you’re into, we really have some incredible options. You could legitimately order pasta for dinner every night for months around here, never go to the same place twice, and never be disappointed. Here are our favorite destinations for Italian pasta in Philadelphia.
Le Virtù East Passyunk
Home of the famous single-strand Maccheroni alla Mugnaia with lamb ragu, Le Virtù focuses on the cuisine of Italy’s Abruzzo region. Recently, former Russet chef-owner Andrew Wood took over the kitchen, elevating the food at this long-running South Philly institution. The housemade pastas are hearty and deeply flavored, with ingredients like pancetta, chickpeas, spicy calamari ragu, braised short rib, sausage, and plenty of pecorino.
Emilia Fishtown-East Kensington
Greg Vernick, one of Philadelphia’s most celebrated chefs, opened Emilia in Fishtown to showcase the Italian dishes he and chef de cuisine Meredith Medoway love most. The interior is warm and welcoming, with minimalist design, plenty of Italian wine, and spritzes made for lingering. You can’t go wrong in the pasta department, but the tortellini en brodo and chicken ragu bianco are not to be missed. Good luck saving room for the incredible rabbit cacciatore, shellfish stew, or nightly steak special afterwards.
A Mano Fairmount
A Mano has all the makings of a neighborhood restaurant: convenient location surrounded by a residential area, BYOB policy, and great food. What separates it from just any local haunt is that it’s owned by one of Philly’s top chefs, Townsend Wentz. Try the housemade lemony ricotta cavatelli with broccoli rabe and the rigatoni Bolognese, or just go with whatever’s in season. That might land you a plate of gnocchi with peaches and mushroom confit in the summer, or gnocchi with eggplant, tomato sauce, and feta in the winter.
Tulip Pasta & Wine Bar Fishtown
Tulip is one of the best pasta places to open in recent memory in Philly. Chef Alex Beninato, who also created pasta company Philly Milled using local grains, partnered with a local vineyard on this charming 36-seater in Fishtown. Get any of the pastas, from purple sweet potato gnocchi to half moon–shaped creste di gallo with short rib, Cooper Sharp, cornbread, and crispy onions. More than half of the pastas on the menu can be made gluten-free, and a couple can be made vegan.
Zeppoli Collingswood
Chef Joey Baldino’s 35-seat Sicilian BYOB in South Jersey has long been one of the region’s most solid Italian destinations. The lemon tagliatelle is a total classic, bright with citrus and salty with prosciutto. You won’t go wrong with spaghetti and clams either, or the spinach and ricotta gnocchi that’s a nod to Baldino’s former boss and godfather of modern Italian food in Philly, Marc Vetri. Also check out Baldino’s new spin on Bomb Bomb in South Philly, and his classic Palizzi Social Club, too.
Ralph’s Italian Restaurant Philadelphia
Some call it the oldest restaurant in the country; others just call it the best Italian restaurant in Philly. This red sauce icon knows what it’s doing and never changes a thing. Here, you might get your pasta underneath lemony, garlicky shrimp scampi or alongside some veal parm in marinara. Prefer just pasta? There are plenty of options within the house specialties, like cheese cavatelli with gorgonzola or penne alla vodka with pancetta.
Osteria Philadelphia Fairmount
Marc Vetri launched this now-acclaimed Italian restaurant on North Broad, and today it’s owned and helmed by protégé Jeff Michaud. Osteria has a few unique seating areas and can accommodate a lot of guests, yet still feels busy for good reason. Pasta-wise, think uncommon shapes and ingredient combinations that make this a unique dining experience: postage stamp–shaped ravioli with trumpet mushrooms, rigatoni with chicken liver and cipollini onion, or fusilli with lamb and tomato sauce.
Cicala at the Divine Lorraine Fairmount
With deep connections and frequent travels to their ancestral homeland, Joe and Angela Cicala make some of Philly’s most authentic Italian cuisine. Their primi menu offers pasta rooted in tradition with seasonal ingredients. Winter dishes might include pumpkin tortelli with brown butter, sage, and toasted hazelnuts; meat lovers will enjoy the pappardelle with wild boar ragu.
Giuseppe & Sons Center City
This subterranean den of Italian American food offers a fun vibe and splurge-worthy pastas. Expect lobster spaghetti and truffle tagliatelle, but the regular pasta menu of tried-and-true classics is an attainable luxury. Think Sunday gravy with spaghetti topped with tomato sauce, meatballs, and sausage, or a rigatoni alla vodka.
Mia Ragazza Manayunk
In a neighborhood full of restaurants, Mia Ragazza stands out for its freshly made pasta dishes. Check out the rolled lasagna with beef, pork, veal, and garlicky ricotta, classic bucatini carbonara, and rigatoni alla vodka. The team behind the Goat’s Beard restaurants also operates this spot.
Cry Baby Pasta Queen Village
As the name suggests, pasta is what they do at this friendly Queen Village carb specialist. Simple, homey spaghetti with tomato sauce or pesto is always available, but you may want to try seasonal choices like lobster linguine in fennel butter and Pernod sauce or porcini campanelle. All pastas here can be made with gluten-free fusilli or bucatini.
Little Nonna’s Midtown Village
Little Nonna’s is the cutest among Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran’s collection of restaurants, small and dimly lit with a secret garden outside. On your plate: monster beef, veal, and pork meatball over spaghetti, squid ink pasta with shrimp, or pan-seared gnocchi with pancetta and maitakes.
Irwin’s South Philadelphia
Michael Vincent Ferreri has been wowing Philly with Sicilian food for a while. At Irwin’s, his rooftop experience atop a former high school serves a tight list of pastas, including hand-rolled gnocchi sardi with eggplant, spaghetti with clams, and twisty trofie with mushrooms. The pasta is made in-house and served perfectly al dente; specials are worth trying when available.
