It’s comfortable and soothing any time of year, but there’s something about enjoying a bowl of handcrafted pasta during the winter season that resonates with just about everyone. It’s hearty and rustic, full of flavor, and likely reminds you of a terrific trip from your past or memorable meal with friends and family. And if your travels and culinary adventures haven’t taken you back to one of those beloved experiences, rest assured that Las Vegas is as good a place as any outside of Italy to eat this delicious dish. You’ll likely create some new amazing memories!
Henderson’s Italian institution the Pasta Shop (702.451.1893) has to lead off this list as one of the most beloved destinations for the many variations of this dish for more than 30 years. Some of these family recipes hold true to their origins, like “Frank’s Favorite” meat sauce over rigatoni and the double wide-cut fettucine with alfredo sauce. Others experiment with fun and creative flavors, including brown butter cheese ravioli with fresh basil, and spinach pappardelle with shrimp and feta. Don’t worry, there are no bad choices at the Pasta Shop.
At the brand-new Harlo Steakhouse & Bar (702.333.0402) at Downtown Summerlin, chef Gina Marinelli—whose incredible, authentic pasta dishes have been sampled and savored at her nearby La Strega restaurant—is letting prime beef shine in the spotlight, naturally. But she’s decorating the menu with other signatures like truffle ricotta raviolini with maitake mushrooms, spicy puttanesca rigatoni, and gemelli with cauliflower and gorgonzola.
The downtown pasta hot spot is still Esther’s Kitchen (702.570.7864), the seasonally driven Italian eatery where new and different ingredients guide the way. These days, you’ll want to indulge in hand-rolled tagliatelle in lamb shank ragu, ricotta gnudi with roasted beets and pistachio pesto, and tortellini with broccoli, pork sugo, truffles and pecorino cheese.
Similarly, Locale Italian Kitchen (702.330.0404), a neighborhood favorite in the southwest valley, makes its own fresh gnocchi, cavatelli, orecchiette and pappardelle daily, and also serves up everybody’s favorites like spaghetti and meatballs and spicy shrimp fra diavolo.
There are plentiful pasta palaces on the Las Vegas Strip, but one Italian restaurant that doesn’t get the credit it deserves is Buddy V’s Ristorante (702.607.2355), the first restaurant concept from TV’s “Cake Boss” Buddy Valastro. This expansive dining room located at The Venetian dishes up some of the best bucatini carbonara, rigatoni alla vodka and linguine and clams available anywhere in the city.
At the magnificent and sprawling Eataly Las Vegas (702.730.7010) at Park MGM, there are at least two venues where different pasta dishes are ready and waiting. Sample staples like bucatini alla amatriciana and spaghetti cacio e pepe at the casual La Pizza & La Pasta, or visit La Pasta Fresca Market & Kitchen in the bustling La Cucina del Mercato marketplace, where you can watch pasta makers roll and cut different varieties right in front of your eyes before pairing them with regional-specific sauces and ingredients and a glass of wine. It’s a multitude of experiences in one setting, but most importantly, the pasta is delicious.
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