Best Pasta in Houston: 9 Spots Where It's Made In-House
Date Published
Houston has serious handmade pasta. Nine restaurants across the city make their noodles from scratch, mostly concentrated along the Westheimer and Kirby corridors in Montrose, Upper Kirby, and River Oaks. All nine were confirmed open as of October 2026 via their own websites, OpenTable listings, or active review activity. Each entry leads with the specific dish to order — because a kitchen that makes eight pastas in-house usually has one it is most confident in, and ordering the wrong one wastes the trip.
The quick list
- Giacomo's Cibo e Vino (River Oaks / Westheimer): In-house egg pasta since opening. Order the Tagliatelle alla Bolognese.
- Davanti Ristorante (River Oaks): Bronze-die fresh pasta made daily by chef Roberto Crescini. Order the tagliatelle with shredded lamb.
- Da Marco (Montrose): House-made pasta at the core of a long-standing Italian menu. Order the pappardelle with wild boar.
- Amalfi Ristorante (Galleria/Uptown): All pasta made in-house; one of the longest pasta menus on this list. Order the Bucatini Cacio Pepe e Pancetta.
- Coppa Osteria (Rice Village): A dedicated Dough Room makes pasta and pizza dough daily. Order the linguine alle scampi.
- Zanti Cucina Italiana (River Oaks Shopping Center): Handmade pasta crafted daily alongside wood-fired pizza. Ask for the freshest pasta of the day.
- Milton's (Rice Village): Retro American trattoria with a 100-layer lasagna in limited daily supply. Ask immediately when you sit down.
- Rosie Cannonball (Montrose): Modern European kitchen with pasta, wood-fired pizza, and natural wines. Order the Cavatelli alla Bolognese.
- House of Louie (Montrose): Opened September 2026 from James Beard Award winner Justin Yu. Order the handmade pici.
How we chose
Each restaurant on this list makes pasta in-house and was confirmed currently open as of October 2026. We focused on the specific dish rather than the full menu — a restaurant can make great handmade pasta and still have one preparation that defines the kitchen. We left out restaurants where in-house pasta status was unclear or where no current hours appeared on an official source. For a broader view of Houston's Italian dining scene, see our Houston Italian restaurants guide.
The picks
Giacomo's Cibo e Vino — River Oaks / Westheimer
3215 Westheimer Rd · In-house pasta: Yes
Giacomo's labels its entire pasta section as fresh egg pasta made in-house, and the menu shows the range: Tagliatelle alla Bolognese with slow-cooked local pastured beef and pork, Tortelli di Bietola (half-moon ravioli filled with Swiss chard, ricotta, and goat cheese in sage butter), Pappardelle ai Funghi e Gorgonzola (wide noodles in cream sauce with gorgonzola and cremini mushrooms), and Linguine Giacomo with shrimp and sun-dried tomato pesto. Seven pastas in total, all made on-site.
Order this: Tagliatelle alla Bolognese. The sauce uses locally sourced meat — a detail that actually appears on the menu — and the fresh tagliatelle is cut wide enough to hold it.
The restaurant sits in the Upper Kirby stretch of Westheimer. Reservations recommended for dinner; check the current schedule on OpenTable.
Davanti Ristorante — River Oaks
2900 Weslayan St, Suite A · In-house pasta: Yes
Chef Roberto Crescini built Davanti specifically around fresh pasta made daily using a bronze die — an older extrusion method that leaves noodles with a rough, sauce-gripping surface rather than the smooth finish from a Teflon die. The restaurant's website describes it as fresh pasta made daily, with the kitchen's approach centering on long-fermented pinsa and bronze-die technique. The tagliatelle with shredded lamb is the dish reviewers cite most often.
Order this: Tagliatelle with shredded lamb. The rough-cut bronze-die pasta holds the braised meat better than a smooth commercial noodle.
Hours are typically Monday through Saturday 11am to 9pm and Sunday noon to 9pm; check the official site before going. More nearby in our River Oaks restaurant guide.
Da Marco — Montrose
1520 Westheimer Rd · In-house pasta: Yes
Da Marco has been making its case as one of Houston's most serious Italian restaurants for more than two decades, and house-made pasta is the foundation. The menu changes seasonally: pappardelle with wild boar and Pecorino Toscano, butternut squash cappellacci, sweet corn ravioli with lobster. The specific preparations rotate, but hand-rolled pasta is always present. Ask the server what the house-made pasta of the day is if the menu has shifted since your last visit.
Order this: Pappardelle with wild boar and Pecorino Toscano when it is on the menu. Da Marco is closed Mondays.
More from our Montrose dining guide.
Amalfi Ristorante — Galleria / Uptown
6100 Westheimer Rd · In-house pasta: Yes (all pasta)
Amalfi's menu marks pasta dishes as homemade, and the dinner list includes more than a dozen options: Bucatini Cacio Pepe e Pancetta, Ravioli al Pistacchio con Taleggio e Tartufo (pistachio pasta stuffed with taleggio and finished with wild boar ragù), Pasta Chitarra allo Scoglio (mixed seafood in a chitarra-cut noodle), Spaghetti Colatura e Vongole, Spaghetti alla Nerano con Polpo Arrostito, and more.
Order this: Bucatini Cacio Pepe e Pancetta at dinner. The bucatini holds the sauce better than spaghetti, and the pancetta shifts it savory without overwhelming the pepper.
Open Tuesday through Saturday 11am to 10pm. See our Galleria and Uptown restaurant guide for more nearby options.
Coppa Osteria — Rice Village
5210 Morningside Dr · In-house pasta: Yes
Coppa Osteria has a dedicated Dough Room where pasta and pizza dough are made daily before service. The format is a relaxed Italian osteria in a 5,000-square-foot space in Rice Village, with pasta, Neapolitan pizza from a wood-burning oven, meat and cheese boards, and a street-side pizza window. Pasta includes linguine alle scampi and bolognese, both staples on the regular menu.
Order this: Linguine alle scampi. Ask for a seat near the open kitchen if you want to see the Dough Room in action.
Open for lunch and dinner Monday through Friday, brunch and dinner Saturday and Sunday. See our Rice Village restaurant guide.
Zanti Cucina Italiana — River Oaks Shopping Center
1958 W Gray St, Suite 101 · In-house pasta: Yes
Zanti started in The Woodlands before opening its Houston location in the River Oaks Shopping Center. The kitchen makes pasta daily alongside wood-fired pizzas from a brick oven. The River Oaks location is the brand's showcase restaurant, with an outdoor patio, bar and lounge, and an open kitchen that lets you watch the prep. Reviews from mid-2026 confirm the restaurant is operating.
Order this: Ask the server what fresh pasta was made that day. Zanti's long-cut pastas — tagliatelle and similar — are typically where the house-made program is most visible.
More context in our River Oaks area guide.
Milton's — Rice Village
5117 Kelvin Dr · In-house pasta: Yes
Milton's opened in September 2024 as a retro 1970s American trattoria from restaurateur Benjy Levit, and it has one item no other Houston pasta list tends to feature: a 100-layer lasagna, prepared in limited quantities each day, with the filling changing every week. You cannot call ahead to reserve a portion. The rest of the pasta menu stands on its own — ricotta gnocchi with cacio e pepe, rigatoni bolognese, agnolotti stuffed with mortadella and prosciutto — but the lasagna is the reason to go.
Order this: Ask immediately when you sit down whether the 100-layer lasagna is still available that evening. If it is gone, ricotta gnocchi with cacio e pepe is the second choice. Milton's serves dinner Wednesday through Saturday.
Rosie Cannonball — Montrose
1620 Westheimer Rd · In-house pasta: Yes
Rosie Cannonball is a modern European restaurant in Montrose with a focused menu of pasta and wood-fired pizza alongside a natural wine program. One small house touch: every dinner begins with a complimentary half-glass of lambrusco poured tableside from a jeroboam. The pasta menu runs cavatelli alla bolognese, rapini linguine, gnocchi al polpo, and pasta alla norma.
Order this: Cavatelli alla Bolognese. The ridged shape of cavatelli holds sauce more effectively than a smooth noodle, and the bolognese is the kitchen's most cited preparation.
Open Tuesday through Sunday. Closed Mondays.
House of Louie — Montrose
1931 Fairview St · In-house pasta: Yes
House of Louie is the newest restaurant on this list, opened in late September 2026 by James Beard Award-winning chef Justin Yu (Squable, Theodore Rex) and cocktail pioneer Bobby Heugel. The kitchen draws from French and Italian cooking in a modern American context. The standout pasta is handmade pici — thick, rope-like Tuscan noodles — served in a French sauce supreme built on chicken stock. It is a cross-cultural preparation that does not read as fusion, just as something considered.
Order this: Handmade pici. The Houston Chronicle called it the dish that defines the restaurant. Open daily 4:30pm to 10:30pm; reservations recommended.
The detail worth knowing
Bronze-die pasta is made by pressing dough through a die cast in bronze rather than Teflon. The difference is surface texture: Teflon produces a smooth, slick noodle; bronze leaves the pasta rough. Rough pasta holds butter sauces, ragùs, and oil-based preparations the way a smooth noodle cannot. Davanti Ristorante specifically highlights the technique on its website. If you are choosing between similar-sounding pastas at any of these restaurants, ask which ones were made with a bronze die.
Save this: two pasta crawl routes
Montrose / Westheimer corridor
- Start at Da Marco (1520 Westheimer) for house-made pappardelle.
- Walk east a few minutes to Rosie Cannonball (1620 Westheimer) for the cavatelli and a glass of natural wine.
- Continue to Giacomo's (3215 Westheimer) for tagliatelle bolognese — or save that for a second night. All three are on Westheimer within two miles.
Rice Village double
- Start at Coppa Osteria (5210 Morningside) for linguine alle scampi.
- Walk two blocks to Milton's (5117 Kelvin) and ask immediately about the 100-layer lasagna.
Use a rideshare for both routes if you are pairing pasta with wine.
More Italian food in Houston
For the full picture, start with our Houston Italian restaurants guide. For a pasta dinner that works as a date night, see date night restaurants in Houston. More on the broader dining scene in our Houston restaurants guide.
Last verified: October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find the best handmade pasta in Houston?
The best handmade pasta in Houston is at restaurants including Giacomo's Cibo e Vino (3215 Westheimer Rd), Davanti Ristorante (2900 Weslayan St), Da Marco (1520 Westheimer Rd), Coppa Osteria (5210 Morningside Dr, Rice Village), and House of Louie (1931 Fairview St, Montrose). Each makes pasta in-house daily.
Does Da Marco in Houston make pasta in-house?
Yes. Da Marco at 1520 Westheimer Rd in Montrose makes its pasta in-house with seasonal preparations including pappardelle with wild boar and Pecorino Toscano, butternut squash cappellacci, and sweet corn ravioli with lobster. The menu changes seasonally; ask the server what is freshest.
What is the 100-layer lasagna at Milton's Houston?
Milton's at 5117 Kelvin Dr in Rice Village prepares a 100-layer lasagna in limited quantities each day, with the filling changing every week. It cannot be reserved in advance — ask your server immediately when seated whether it is still available.
Is House of Louie good for pasta?
House of Louie at 1931 Fairview St in Montrose opened in late September 2026 and is known for handmade pici — thick, rope-like Tuscan noodles in a French sauce supreme. The Houston Chronicle named it the restaurant's defining dish. Open daily 4:30pm to 10:30pm.
What is bronze-die pasta and which Houston restaurants use it?
Bronze-die pasta is extruded through a bronze die that leaves the surface rough, which helps it hold sauces better than pasta made with Teflon dies. Davanti Ristorante (2900 Weslayan St, River Oaks) specifically highlights bronze-die technique and makes fresh pasta this way daily.
Which Houston pasta restaurants serve lunch?
Davanti Ristorante (11am–9pm Mon–Sat; noon–9pm Sun), Amalfi Ristorante (Tuesday through Saturday), and Coppa Osteria (Monday through Friday) all serve lunch. Milton's, House of Louie, and Giacomo's Cibo e Vino are dinner only. Always check the restaurant's official site for current hours before going.