Cover White ragù rigatoni at Alta Café (Photo: @alta_cafe/Instagram)
White ragù rigatoni at Alta Café (Photo: @alta_cafe/Instagram)
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Introducing our favourite spots for the best plates of pasta in the area
From rigatoni to ravioli, linguine to lasagna, and tagliatelle to tortellini, who could turn down a perfectly good plate of pasta? With so many pasta shape options, sauce choices, and add-on possibilities, there is a pasta dish out there for everyone including both classics and modern iterations.
Read more: 8 places to get your pizza fix in the Klang Valley
While it may be easy to satiate your cravings for pasta at home, there is nothing like a well-made and expertly crafted plate of pasta made at your favourite restaurant. The Klang Valley boasts an incredible array of Italian eateries that will do the trick when your boxed pasta just won’t–here are our top picks.
1. Back Alley Pasta
Known for its intimate setting and plates of pasta that marry Asian flavours with the Italian favourite. Its menu sees a constant rotation of specials that have gained Back Alley Pasta its loyal following and earned it a spot on Tatler Dining’s Top 20 Restaurants list in 2022.
The pasta-focused eatery recently unveiled its upsized space, which includes a bigger indoor dining area and its dessert bar, finally opening its doors to walk-ins. With an upgrade in space comes an upgrade in menu offerings too, including dishes like black pepper-crusted pappardelle with Angus flank steak and bacon.
2. Alta Cafe
Another quaint eatery worth adding to your pasta bucket list, Alta Cafe is set within a row of shop lots on Bangsar's quiet Jalan Bangkung. Though widely loved for its Alta Burger, its pasta options are also worthy of the limelight.
It may only have a handful of pasta options, but each one is worth adding to your list of orders. We especially love the white ragù rigatoni on its current menu, but make sure to look out for its weekly specials too.
3. Base Pasta Bar & Bistro
Helmed by Jay, formerly of Back Alley Pasta, Base Pasta Bar & Bistro offers sinfully savoury plates including some of the most inventive pasta dishes in the Klang Valley.
Find Kurobuta pork chops dressed in yuzu kosho tartare plated on a bed of peppercorn crusted egg parpadelle, baked potato gnocchi with miso béchamel and sous vide beef brisket, pork collar with bucatini and fermented lemon butter, and squid ink tagliolini paired with grilled shoyu patin.
Base Pasta Bar & Bistro
B-1-13A, Aurora Place Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur
4. Osteria Gamberoni
Nestled in the bustling heart of Kuala Lumpur’s city centre is Osteria Gamberoni on Jalan Yap Ah Shak. Its pasta menu includes both fresh and dry options, though its fresh options are a no-brainer, as they are made daily and cooked to al dente perfection.
You’ll also find some underrated and lesser known pasta shapes here such as the rhombus-shaped maltagliati and long, yet squiggly mafaldine or reginette. Our dining writer counts its fresh reginette with slow-cooked lamb ragù, ravioli tartufo e asparagi, and pappardelle with porcini mushrooms among her favourite plates in town.
Osteria Gamberoni
17, Jalan Yap Ah Shak, Chow Kit, 50300 Kuala Lumpur
5. Nero Nero
Borrowing influence by the rich culinary heritage of Southern Italy, Nero Nero delivers true Italian fare crafted with produce imported from Italy.
Its pasta menu showcases the best of handmade noodles, from ravioli stuffed with eggplant and sheep’s milk ricotta to squid ink fettuccine cooked with prawns and calamari before being finished in marinara sauce.
6. Bottega
Come for the cold cut platters, stay for the pastas. A crowd favourite for its cold cut platters, pizzas, and pastas, Bottega is a not-so-hidden gem for heart and soulful Italian cuisine. Its Kuala Lumpur location is set in an old house that doubles as a deli shop on a quieter side of Jalan Ceylon, while its Petaling Jaya counterpart is located in the Taman Megah neighbourhood.
No meal at Bottega is complete without a pasta or two and we can’t recommend its carbonara enough. Silky smooth with a tinge of salt from the guanciale, the carbonara here is a frontrunner for the title of best carbonara in the city.
7. Luce Osteria Contemporanea
Just under the lights of the KL tower in the historic Old Malaya building is Luce Osteria Contemporanea. The current menu is the brainchild of Chef Paolo Cola of fellow city centre Italian eatery Zenzero and details a long list of Italian dishes.
Though mostly known for its formidable selection of pizzas with over 50 choices in total, Luce Osteria Contemporanea also offers a range of heartwarming pasta dishes. Favourites include the seafood-centric tagliolini marinara and the classic spaghetti al pesto di basilico.
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8. Natalina Italian Kitchen
Also in Kuala Lumpur’s city centre is Natalina Italian Kitchen, popular for its reliable pastas and dishes from its Josper grill. Its space provides for the perfect date night setting, especially if you are a fan of hearty Italian food.
Its pasta offerings are extensive, with shapes and sauces for everyone on the menu. Get the ravioli al nero de seppia if you’re a fan of seafood or the gnocchi al tartufo if you’re in for a meatless meal. Otherwise, its best-selling rigatoni alla Norcina is a safe bet.
9. Aposto
Helmed by chef Chu Wei Sin, Aposto is Taman Tun Dr. Ismail’s modern Italian eatery that prides itself on its handmade pasta. Its name is derived from the Italian saying “tutto posto”, which means everything is good, so that’s your cue to get a taste of each section of the menu.
Pasta-wise, we are fans of its inventive white corn and gorgonzola ravioli and mushroom agnolotti. Seafood fans can opt for the lobster linguine served with a creamy bisque sauce.
10. Fellini Ristorante & Caffe
Over on Jalan Gasing is Fellini Ristorante & Caffe, a humble and no-frills restaurant providing true-to-cuisine Italian fare. This old-school joint is perfect for date nights, casual dinners out, and catch ups with your favourite foodies, complete with live music during dinnertime.
The pasta lineup consists of classic iterations of the dish that just hit the spot. Its bacon aglio olio, pesto linguine, and arrabiata are worth ordering.
11. Table & Apron
Though not an Italian restaurant, Table & Apron serves up some of the finest plates of pasta in the area. While you might venture there for its highly sought-after buckwheat fried chicken or its ulam herbed rice with smoked mackerel, its pasta should not go unnoticed.
Its menus may change with the seasons, but its in-house pasta is always a good idea, especially its current casarecce with duck confit and zucchini.
