For the Love of Pasta

When it comes to national “food holidays,’ there are many we let slide by with a chuckle because they pay homage to so many random items and dishes such as chocolate-covered cherries (Jan. 3); baked scallops (March 12); candied orange peels (May 4); Welsh rarebit (Sept. 3); chicken cacciatore (Oct. 15) and so on.

But when it comes to National Pasta Day (Oct. 17), we go full carbs ahead each year in a face-stuffing celebration that requires an extra hour at the gym the next day.

If you’re looking for deliciously noteworthy recommendations, consider our top four picks:

Cardellino, Mission Hills

The spicy rigatoni conceived by chef/owner Brad Wise never disappoints. The pasta is tossed in a smooth vodka-tomato sauce harboring bits of Calabrian chilies. On a scale of 1 to 10, the heat level hovers around 5. Other honorable mentions go to the restaurant’s spaghetti with little neck clams and crispy garlic as well as the black truffle and pea ravioli using house-made sheet pasta.

Monzu Fresh Pasta, East Village

Sauces and numerous cuts of pasta are made in-house at this chic-casual restaurant run by a family from Naples. Some of the pasta shapes you’ll find here are obscure by American standards, such as spaghetti-like tonnarelli, giant fusilli, and ruffled mafalde. Yet our favorite is the flat ribbon-shaped pappardelle noodles complemented by meaty, foolproof Bolognese sauce. Scads of freshly grated Parmesan seal the deal.

Monello, Little Italy

Pasta options abound in Little Italy. But we’re pretty smitten with the Milanese flair in the dishes at Monello, which allow you to mix and match from a choice of house-made pasta cuts and sauces. Among our favorite pairings: the orecchiette (little ears) pasta with “4 pepper sauce” featuring Fresno and jalapeno chilies; and the spinach-ricotta filled tortellini draped in Monello’s signature marinara-cream sauce hiding a touch of bacon.

Cori Pastificio Trattoria, North Park

Chef-owner Accursio Lota is a Sicilian native who won the world championship of the 2017 Academia Barilla Contest. He swooned the judges with a thick cut of spaghetti dressed in seafood carbonara sauce. Here at his charming North Park restaurant, he slings the winning dish as well as other marvelous creations that include bucatini with local sea urchin, and cavatelli with pork-lamb ragu and almonds.