Where to Find an Incredible Plate of Pasta in Every State

At Scopri in Carlton, Melbournen (Naarm), Anthony Scutella’s menu is mostly based on the pastas of Piedmont. His agnolotti del plin – a filled shape loaded with veal, rabbit and pork – has become a signature and Scutella believes diners are drawn to its authenticity. “A lot of people have tried to make an agnolotti like it but I think ours is probably the most genuine representation of that particular pasta.”

Lulu La Delizia’s Joel Valvasori takes his cues from the aromatics and spices of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The Subiaco joint’s sugo served with bread is vegetable- rather than tomato-based (tomatoes are typically a Southern Italian ingredient) and fragrant with cinnamon and rosemary, which were brought to Italy by the seafaring Venetians. Valvasori’s pasta sauces, too, give a nod to the region; his ragù, for example, is basically that spiced sugo with the addition of pork and veal.

Like most restaurant dishes, chefs will mix things up depending on produce. But for aficionados, eating a favourite pasta that’s been on a menu since day one is pure comfort. “We sometimes talk about taking the casarecce off the menu,” says Whiteman. “But then we tell someone and they’re like, ‘Oh no, please do not!’ So I don’t think we will. I love it too much, too.”

Ask any Melburnian where to find a good plate of pasta and a fair percentage will recommend Tipo 00. Head to the compact, always packed trattoria on Little Bourke Street for the inky tagliolini al nero with calamari, bottarga, chilli and salmon roe. If it’s sunny, grab a footpath table and a bottle of wine and make an afternoon of it.

This storied central Melbourne café has been around since the mid-1950s and is most famous for its coffee. But locals know the coffee here plays second fiddle to pasta, which is served on white plates with zero fuss or fanfare. The old-school lasagne is generous and cheesy, as is the classic spinach and ricotta ravioli, and the fact that there’s often a clutch of Italian gentlemen of a certain age propping up the bar only adds to the authenticity.

The laidback, retro vibe of this Adelaide cocktail bar and restaurant brings 1970s energy (there’s even a couple of sunken lounges). It’s a great place to stop in for drinks and snacks but there’s also several tempting pastas, including Port Lincoln vongole served over housemade spaghetti with garlic and chilli, and pappardelle with wild boar.

As with most good Tasmanian restaurants, produce is the centerpiece at Hobart’s Pitzi, a pasta bar created by the team behind tricky-to-get-into Italian favourite Fico. Here, the best place to sit is at the stools near the door so you can chat to the bar staff and get a sense of what’s good to order on the day. A typical seasonal offering might be tubettini with a Genovese pesto made with basil from Valley Fresh Farm in nearby Huonville. But if the menu when you visit features pasta al forno – a tubular shape baked into a rich pasta cake of sorts – order it, pronto.

Pasta is all Perth’s No Mafia offers on their list of mains. You won’t be complaining, though – anything their Italian Bottene pasta machine pushes out is near perfection, especially when paired with rich, Sicilian-inspired sauces. Recent favourites include the casarecce with stracciatella, almonds and sundried tomato pesto and a pappardelle with mushrooms and melt-in-the-mouth duck.

Non-traditional Italian reigns supreme at Adelaide CBD’s Osteria Oggi, a slick piazza-style eatery that’s been making its pasta fresh daily for 10 years. There are other dishes this veteran Italian spot serves up but its pasta offerings are hefty, with more than 10 options on the menu at any one time. The produce is distinctly local – think Goolwa pipis and Port Lincoln squid –  but the pasta itself is authentic as they come, with shapes spanning flower-like campanelle to the Emilia-Romagna emblem, tagliatelle.

“Our famous calamari,” reads the title of one of the dishes on the menu at this beloved waterfront restaurant in Noosa – and it lives up to the hype. Lightly battered and ultra-tender, served with a sweet chilli dipping sauce, the squid is a non-negotiable when dining at this institution, though the humble Fraser Isle crab spaghetti is equally as deserving of the limelight. Tossed in a garlic and lemon sauce, the pasta is studded with cherry tomatoes that burst with just the right amount of warmth and sweetness. You can taste a light saltiness from the locally sourced crab, which is offset nicely with a hint of chilli. In a win for those with dietary requirements, both dairy-free and gluten-free versions are on offer and, crucially, they hold their own against the original.

Come for Monelli’s charming setting, where waves crashing on the shores of Perth’s Burns Beach are the soundtrack for your meal. Return again and again for the pappardelle ai funghi. The dish’s thick-cut pasta is usually paired with slow-cooked meats but this vegetarian version will impress even the most devoted carnivores, with roasted garlic mushrooms taking centre stage, dressed in a rich porcini jus that’s balanced with a fluffy dollop of mascarpone.

A moody gem tucked away in the Sydney CBD’s Angel Place, Ragazzi seats just 38 guests at a time. Its oft-changing menu of hand-crafted pastas spans Italian classics, such as cacio e pepe and butternut pumpkin ravioli, as well as more innovative dishes with an Australian twist, including crowd-pleasing Maremma duck ragu with chewy casarecce and pangrattato, matched with a Spanish white wine. Let the chefs take the lead with their spontaneous set menu – you’ll be served three small plates (including the signature butter-slathered sourdough topped with a Calabrian anchovy), two pastas, a pair of sides and a dessert. The ultimate selling point? Culinary star Nigella Lawson is a big fan of the joint.

Since opening its doors on hip Lonsdale Street in Braddon in 2009, Italian & Sons has cemented itself as the go-to place in the national capital for a bowl of handmade pasta. The pared back restaurant – where a giant looping mural opposite the open kitchen is emblazoned with “pane e vino” (bread and wine) – is also home to the territory’s best wine list, according to Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards. Twirl silky strands of pasta around your fork as you make your way through tonnarelli with Spring Bay mussels and chilli ‘nduja or opt for the decadent pici alla busara, in which saffron, prosecco and a lobster tail take this classic dish to the next level.

Spaghetti has never looked as good as it does when matched with a zesty chilli, lemon and white wine sauce, all crowned with a succulent bug tail. Or perhaps you’d prefer light pillows of ricotta cavatelli paired with pork and fennel sausage and parmesan cream? Led by chef Massimo Mele, Peppina’s exposed brick walls, indoor olive trees and glass roof are a slice of the Mediterranean in the heart of Hobart’s historic Salamanca Place. Housed within The Tasman, a Luxury Collection Hotel, on the waterfront, the elegant restaurant focuses on Tasmanian produce, such as fresh-caught oysters and baked scallops, and crafts pasta onsite every day.