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A bowl of pale yellow spaghetti pasta with a fork in it.
Emmer & Rye’s cacio e pepe.
Emmer & Rye/Facebook

11 Must-Try Pasta Destinations in Austin

From cacio e pepe to pappardelle

by Erin Russell Updated
3 comments / new
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Emmer & Rye’s cacio e pepe.
| Emmer & Rye/Facebook
by Erin Russell Updated
3 comments / new

Craving carbs? For those looking for the best when it comes to flour and water concoctions, Austin has several restaurants making top-notch pasta dishes — from those that would make a nonna proud to those making creative use of Texas ingredients.

Here is Eater’s map to Austin’s best bets for pasta, from Emmer & Rye’s craveable cacio e pepe to Il Brutto’s excellent ragu. This list explores excellent pasta beyond just Italian restaurants, including the rotating pasta offerings of Birdie’s or the seasonal delights of Foreign & Domestic.

To fulfill other pasta needs, check out Eater’s picks for the city’s best Italian restaurants.

As with all businesses right now, be sure to call ahead to make sure each restaurant is still open or if there are updates on current offerings and service models, as things are changing constantly. Be sure to wear a mask, tip well, and, if you’re ordering delivery, try to order directly from the restaurants themselves.

Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission. The latest CDC guidance is here; find a COVID-19 vaccination site here.

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Siena Ristorante Toscana

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Dedicated to Tuscan cuisine, Sienna offers Italian fare in an idyllic romantic setting so beautiful, it doesn't feel like Texas. Cold nights call for dishes like the pappardelle al cinghiale, a hand-cut ribbon pasta with a Chianti-braised wild boar sauce. To-go orders can be placed online. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

6203 N Capital of Texas Hwy, Austin, TX 78731
(512) 349-7667
(512) 349-7667
A plate of wide pasta in a meat sauce.
Papappardelle at Siena.
Siena Ristorante Toscana

Foreign & Domestic

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This chef-owned restaurant in North Loop often has a couple of pastas on the menu that make creative use of seasonal ingredients, from tomato leaf casarecce to pasta with goat heart bolognese on the nose-to-tail tasting menu. To-go orders can be placed online. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

306 E 53rd St, Austin, TX 78751
(512) 459-1010
(512) 459-1010

Also featured in:

Asti Trattoria

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The neighborhood restaurant in Hyde Park dishes out plenty of pasta, from smoked salmon linguine to rigatoni amatriciana. To-go orders can be placed online. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

408 E 43rd St, Austin, TX 78751
(512) 451-1218
(512) 451-1218
A plate of round, long noodles with greens and a white sauce.
Paglia e fieno at Asti.
Asti/Facebook

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L'Oca d'Oro

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The Mueller restaurant makes creative use of its handmade pastas, with dishes like campanelle paired with octopus and bone marrow and casarecce with sausage and mushrooms. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

1900 Simond Ave, Austin, TX 78723
(737) 212-1876
(737) 212-1876
A plate of round, long pasta with spices.
Pasta con le sarde at L’Oca.
L’Oca d’Oro/Facebook

Also featured in:

Cipollina

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This charming Clarksville gem makes its own pasta every day, and even has gluten-free options. The spinach gnocchi alfredo is richly divine. Takeout orders can be placed online. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

1213 W Lynn St, Austin, TX 78703
(512) 477-5211
(512) 477-5211
A pile of spaghetti and meatballs in red sauce.
Spaghetti and meatballs from Cipollina.
Cipollina/Facebook

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Birdie's

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This east side restaurant usually has two pasta offerings on its ever-rotating menu, which could be anything from malfaldine with chanterelles to orecchiette with sausage and fennel. Whatever they are, they’re cooked and sauced to perfection. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

2944 E 12th St Unit A, Austin, TX 78702

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Emmer & Rye

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Rainey Street restaurant Emmer & Rye mills grains in-house and focuses on whole-animal butchery, so it makes sense that the pasta is also taken very seriously. While the menu often changes, be sure to the mainstay pasta: cacio e pepe. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

51 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 366-5530
(512) 366-5530

Also featured in:

Red Ash

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The downtown Italian restaurant offers up flavorful house-made pastas. The pappardelle is paired with wild boar bolognese and the cappelletti comes with spinach and ricotta. To-go orders can be placed online. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

303 Colorado St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 379-2906
(512) 379-2906
A plate of pasta with cheese and spices.
Pappardelle at Red Ash.
Red Ash/Facebook

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Il Brutto

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This East Sixth Italian restaurant has excellent pasta dishes, from the chewy tonnarelli cacio e pepe to the decadent pappardelle with lamb ragu. Plus, the open-air patio is a great spot for people-watching when it’s nice out. To-go orders can be placed online. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

1601 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 580-8779
(512) 580-8779
A shallow bowl of long pasta with a cream sauce.
Cacio e pepe from Il Brutto.
Il Brutto

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Vespaio and Enoteca Vespaio

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After a day of shopping on South Congress, duck into either of these Italian establishments for classic handmade pastas. To-go orders can be placed online. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

1610 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 441-6100
(512) 441-6100

Artipasta

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This pasta truck owned by an Italian family from Mantova serves a variety of pastas like lasagne, four-cheese macaroni, and spaghetti alla carbonara. To-go orders can be placed online or over the phone, plus third-party deliveries are available. There are outdoor dining areas.

7800 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78745
(512) 228-7489
(512) 228-7489

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Siena Ristorante Toscana

6203 N Capital of Texas Hwy, Austin, TX 78731

Dedicated to Tuscan cuisine, Sienna offers Italian fare in an idyllic romantic setting so beautiful, it doesn't feel like Texas. Cold nights call for dishes like the pappardelle al cinghiale, a hand-cut ribbon pasta with a Chianti-braised wild boar sauce. To-go orders can be placed online. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

6203 N Capital of Texas Hwy, Austin, TX 78731
(512) 349-7667
(512) 349-7667
A plate of wide pasta in a meat sauce.
Papappardelle at Siena.
Siena Ristorante Toscana

Foreign & Domestic

306 E 53rd St, Austin, TX 78751

This chef-owned restaurant in North Loop often has a couple of pastas on the menu that make creative use of seasonal ingredients, from tomato leaf casarecce to pasta with goat heart bolognese on the nose-to-tail tasting menu. To-go orders can be placed online. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

306 E 53rd St, Austin, TX 78751
(512) 459-1010
(512) 459-1010

Asti Trattoria

408 E 43rd St, Austin, TX 78751

The neighborhood restaurant in Hyde Park dishes out plenty of pasta, from smoked salmon linguine to rigatoni amatriciana. To-go orders can be placed online. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

408 E 43rd St, Austin, TX 78751
(512) 451-1218
(512) 451-1218
A plate of round, long noodles with greens and a white sauce.
Paglia e fieno at Asti.
Asti/Facebook

L'Oca d'Oro

1900 Simond Ave, Austin, TX 78723

The Mueller restaurant makes creative use of its handmade pastas, with dishes like campanelle paired with octopus and bone marrow and casarecce with sausage and mushrooms. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

1900 Simond Ave, Austin, TX 78723
(737) 212-1876
(737) 212-1876
A plate of round, long pasta with spices.
Pasta con le sarde at L’Oca.
L’Oca d’Oro/Facebook

Cipollina

1213 W Lynn St, Austin, TX 78703

This charming Clarksville gem makes its own pasta every day, and even has gluten-free options. The spinach gnocchi alfredo is richly divine. Takeout orders can be placed online. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

1213 W Lynn St, Austin, TX 78703
(512) 477-5211
(512) 477-5211
A pile of spaghetti and meatballs in red sauce.
Spaghetti and meatballs from Cipollina.
Cipollina/Facebook

Birdie's

2944 E 12th St Unit A, Austin, TX 78702

This east side restaurant usually has two pasta offerings on its ever-rotating menu, which could be anything from malfaldine with chanterelles to orecchiette with sausage and fennel. Whatever they are, they’re cooked and sauced to perfection. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

2944 E 12th St Unit A, Austin, TX 78702

Emmer & Rye

51 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701

Rainey Street restaurant Emmer & Rye mills grains in-house and focuses on whole-animal butchery, so it makes sense that the pasta is also taken very seriously. While the menu often changes, be sure to the mainstay pasta: cacio e pepe. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

51 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 366-5530
(512) 366-5530

Red Ash

303 Colorado St, Austin, TX 78701

The downtown Italian restaurant offers up flavorful house-made pastas. The pappardelle is paired with wild boar bolognese and the cappelletti comes with spinach and ricotta. To-go orders can be placed online. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

303 Colorado St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 379-2906
(512) 379-2906
A plate of pasta with cheese and spices.
Pappardelle at Red Ash.
Red Ash/Facebook

Il Brutto

1601 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702

This East Sixth Italian restaurant has excellent pasta dishes, from the chewy tonnarelli cacio e pepe to the decadent pappardelle with lamb ragu. Plus, the open-air patio is a great spot for people-watching when it’s nice out. To-go orders can be placed online. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

1601 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 580-8779
(512) 580-8779
A shallow bowl of long pasta with a cream sauce.
Cacio e pepe from Il Brutto.
Il Brutto

Vespaio and Enoteca Vespaio

1610 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704

After a day of shopping on South Congress, duck into either of these Italian establishments for classic handmade pastas. To-go orders can be placed online. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

1610 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 441-6100
(512) 441-6100

Artipasta

7800 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78745

This pasta truck owned by an Italian family from Mantova serves a variety of pastas like lasagne, four-cheese macaroni, and spaghetti alla carbonara. To-go orders can be placed online or over the phone, plus third-party deliveries are available. There are outdoor dining areas.

7800 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78745
(512) 228-7489
(512) 228-7489

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