Pittsburgh Italian restaurants are your one stop for comforting, delicious meals that feel like home. For instance, there is nothing like sitting down to a dinner of homemade pasta. The hand-mixed dough formed into myriad shapes and sizes, each variation grabbing the sauce in a specific way, makes it a versatile dish with plenty of possibilities. Head out on an adventure to one of the dreamy Italian restaurants of Pittsburgh to get a taste of how innovative these chefs can be with handmade dough. Whether you opt for cheese-filled, long or short, squares or tubes, spirals or shells, you’re sure to leave saying “Bravo!”
Where to Get Homemade Pasta in Pittsburgh
Sit down in this cozy neighborhood restaurant for a meal that brings Italy to Pittsburgh. Everything at DiAnoia’s is made with freshness and health in mind so not only can you find handmade Gnocchi Sorrentina, but, it comes in a bread bowl that’s baked in-house.
Manicotti, mafaldine, and fusilli, oh my! If there’s a specific pasta type you’re looking for, Fish nor Fowl probably showcases it. Plus, each dish features savory protein additions like wild mushrooms, spicy crab, or pork sogu.
What started as a home for Italian baker Antonio Branduzzi has turned into a Tuscan daydream. Piccolo Forno specializes in authentic, homemade dishes each with different flavor profiles. Try something a little spicy by ordering their Spaghetti with shrimp and crab tossed in a spicy calabrian pepper compound butter. Or, order the Ravioli filled with spinach and drizzled with a lemon and sage compound butter.
Dish is a place to gather at the table with friends and family for flowing conversation and delicious food. Their housemade pasta comes in many different forms — from the always-loved Spaghetti ai Frutti di Mare to long, wide-noodled Pappardelle ai Funghi. The common denominator: you are guaranteed to taste something authentic and wonderful.
Dine in the rustic atmosphere of an Italian wine cellar with live musical entertainment at Girasole. Try authentic Italian dishes like their Linguine Rustiche which has a delicious combo of littleneck clams and baby spinach. Between the menu, the dining room, and the host-owner’s courtly Old World manner, it’s the perfect blend of tradition and modernity.
Gnocchi is the first pasta that Helen Vallozzi made in her basement all the way back in 1955. Over 50 years later, served with sausage ragout and broccoli rabe, it’s still one of the restaurant’s top dishes . But don’t worry, if gnocchi isn’t your thing there are plenty of pasta varieties to choose from.
Dedicated to Zarra’s Southern Italy family heritage, this restaurant may introduce you to a few Italian dishes you’ve never tried before. Dig into pasta recipes passed down from generations like Judy’s Homemade Ricotta Noodles, Linguine di Contosta, and Ravioli di Filomena. Can’t decide what to get? Order Zarra’s Sampler featuring lasagna, eggplant romano, sautéed spinach, meatballs, and sausage.
At Alla Famiglia, you feel at home the second you walk through the door. This restaurant focuses on traditional Italian dishes using cherished techniques and correct ingredients. Their Zucca Melanzana or Pear and Gorgonzola Sacchetti are just two of their handmade pasta dishes.
You probably know Iron Born for their delicious pizzas but they actually make their own pasta as well. Bite into a dish of homemade rigatoni and a meat bolognese sauce. Or, if you’re not a red sauce fan, take a leap with their Orecchiette Pesto Cream. It features their house-made orecchiette with a smooth pesto sauce thanks to the addition of cream.
This crisply modern dining room brings together authentic Italian food and traditional European service in one space. Creativity is essential for Senti, with walls covered in original artwork and a clever menu to match. Among our favorites: a martini from the bar followed by Ravioli di Zucca, which combine butternut squash, ricotta, and brown butter sage sauce.
If you’ve ever been curious about the making of pasta, grab a bite to eat at Forma Pasta to learn the process from start to finish. Take part in a pasta-making class and dine in house afterward or take their uncooked pasta to-go for your own family meal.
This Pittsburgh Italian restaurant forges their processes straight from Naples, importing their other ingredients from the Italian sources as well. With so many different pasta varieties to try, it’s hard to choose between rigatoni, ravioli, gnocchi, tortelloni, cavatelli, and other types. So, we recommend getting a few different dishes for the table and taste-testing them all!
Chef Pino takes his cooking so seriously that he uses his own pasta maker for batches of fresh, vegan pasta. At Pino’s, one of Pittsburgh’s best Italian restaurants, you’ll find dishes anyone can enjoy like a classic Tomato Basil Sauce or Bolognese. But if you’d like to be a little more adventurous you can give their Clam Sauce a try.
Fiore and Michelle Moletz renovated a lovely old bank building on Zelienople’s bustling Main Street. Inside, a pizza oven turns out authentic pizza, while delicious housemate pasta flows uninterrupted from the kitchen. Pick what tempts you: there’s not even a chance you won’t be delighted with what appears on your table.
The open kitchen at Talia lets to see your Ricotta Gnocchi featuring shrimp, lobster, crab, roasted red peppers, and a lobster reduction get made right before your eyes. Watch chefs spin pizza dough, pull pasta dough, and top each creation with a bit of cheese. The restaurant also has gluten-free pasta available for those with allergies.
Crafting ravioli and pasta fresh each and every day, Soul Pasta focuses on catering as well as lunch boxes which are available for pickup and delivery. Choose from pasta trays for large groups or individual boxes that include fresh pasta or ravioli along with your choice of sauce and bread on the side.
Featuring contemporary Italian food and many other dishes, Eleven makes two different types of pasta from scratch. The first is their Ricotta Cavatelli full of cheesy goodness as well as maitake mushrooms, ramps, English peas, Madiera butter, and a ramp crumb. The second is a gemelli pasta featuring shrimp, spinach, zucchini, basil, lemon, Madeira glaze, and roasted garlic crumb. These two types are always on their menu but you’ll find their accompaniments change with the seasons.
Story by Kylie Thomas
Photo courtesy of Fish nor Fowl
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