20 PLACES TO GET GREAT GLUTEN FREE PASTA IN NYC

No more barilla penne from the bag (yes restaurants, appreciate the gesture, but we can tell).

All coming from the original ‘Frank’ Restaurant, Lil Frankie’s and Daddie’s offer the same gluten free pasta substitution, and it obviously goes best with their famous pasta limone. All spaces have an intimate atmosphere but are also great for snagging a larger group res, just don’t forget, they’re all cash only!

Despite their unwillingness to even acknowledge a photo tagging them (the LPB socials team will not even repost a story of mine like they would their normal customers, one day I hope to figure out why) I have to plug a tru and constant. In general, is this the best Italian you can get in NYC? No. Iman you rely on it for a last minute reservation and still actually enjoy your experience more than some places that would charge double? Absolutely. La Pecora Bianca makes their gluten free pasta in house, it’s perfectly al dente, and the shape varies by day/location. This is also a great spot to snag a larger group reservation without the minimum spend rule.

If there is a better gluten free Cacio e Pepe to be had in NYC, please let me know. Roscioli recently began serving their house-made GF spaghetti available for substitution alongside the gluten free penne (actually good penne). You can sit upstairs and order a le carte (I dined solo and highly recommend) or you can do the Roman Feast prefix with an optional wine pairing downstairs.

Although I haven’t had it in a year, if my memory serves me right, the GF vongole is still my favorite gluten free pasta dish in NYC. Don Angie/San Sabino make their own gluten free pasta in house, and it is available for substitution in all non-stuffed pasta dishes!

Imagine a menu with 30+ sauce options, all for gnocchi! Gnoccheria makes their own gluten free gnocchi and even cooks it in its own pot of course (this is standard though, I only eat pasta cooked like this anyways). They also have a famous gnocchi flight, but my favorites here remain the pesto and truffle dishes.

Imagine a menu where you can order every single pasta gluten free (except one stuffed one RIP) and it comes out in the exact same shape that it would for a regular diner?! That’s what happens at Uva Next Door. They can serve orecchiette, tagliatelle, gnocchi, you name it: made in house daily along with the gluten free pizza crust. Besides their fried calamari and other great options, UND has some must-try martinis and they’re only $4 on Mondays!

With 9 (that I know of, they seasonally produce stuffed pastas around holidays as well) gluten free pasta shapes including 2 stuffed ones, this is hard to beat. Nonna Dora’s now has 2 5-course tasting menus available for $78: a classic one and a vegetarian one. Each dish is distinctly flavorful, and other GF options include meatballs, fried calamari, and cheesecake. Nonna herself can even be found making the pasta on weekdays!

Pasta Louise makes gluten free, perfectly al dente rigatoni daily, and it can be used to pair in any pasta dish! As a cheese lover of course I like it best in the mac n cheese. For entrees, they have 8 customizable toppings to pair with 10+ dishes: all are unique and incredible!

Bird Dog brings a spin to the overdone West Village Italian scene by giving it a comfort twist. No pasta dish is what you would see on a typical menu, and they also serve things like fried chicken and wings. They offer a family style tasting and a 3 course pre fixe, and both are great opportunities to try the incredibly flavorful pasta options!

Major Food Group offers the same gluten free rigatoni to substitute at any restaurant in any dish. Obviously, I live and die by the duck at Torrisi. But still, I think it tastes best in the Carbone spicy rigatoni. Should I have to basically auction off my eggs to get a reservation? Yes. Should you need to go that far to eat a certain dish ever? No. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that it is objectively amazing.

Some of the best mac n cheese you can have is hiding in the tiniest Upper East Side venue. As if it was not perfect enough, you can add 6 different toppings to spice it up. My personal favorites are the lobster (summer) and the truffle (winter). Their paella is also a must order, and most dishes are gluten free!

Arthur & Sons is most famous for their spicy rigatoni and martinis, and for being a classic “Sunday sauce” American Italian institution. They have a family style format with ENDLESS sauce options. The pasta itself is amazing and you MUST get the spumoni my way & giant chocolate sundae (great group spot for the sharing aspect especially).

This is a place that will always be buzzy and never go out of style, yet it basically emulates a middle america dive off the highway inside. Their instagram is literally just their chalkboard menu daily, but that won’t stop you from running into a celebrity. The gluten free spaghetti tastes great in all dishes, but I like it best in their fiesolana dish or the truffle special. Remember, no reservations and cash only!

I really didn’t think Hudson Yards would do much as far as notable new restaurants, but Ci Siamo did it. A nearly impossible dinner table made worse by corporate dinners from the nearby landscape, the space is incredible and their gluten free pasta pairs well with EVERY DISH. I love their take of cacio e pepe best aka the pasta alla gricia.

Recently moved across the street for renovations, Osteria 57 is grouped in with Alice and Travelers,Poets, & Friends to have some of the best house-made gluten free pasta in NYC. The only issue: the shapes are unpredictable and inconsistent. No matter what, prepare to be amazed when sitting down at any of these restaurants. I’ve never had a bad pasta, and once, I even was served tortellini!

Gluten free at Rubirosa knocks your socks off in GENERAL with pizza and a dedicated fryer. But their pasta is no exception with a rigatoni and spaghetti option from nearby CT vendor Depumas Pasta. They are famous for their vodka sauce for a reason…GET IT. But also get the cacio e Pepe, and thank me later.

The only reason that Palma is this far down in the article is because I’m sure you’re all sick of hearing it from me. But I mean it, this is the best pasta I’ve had in NYC and I have 20 sample cases to base that off of. Their tagliatelle is delicate and fresh and can be subbed into any pasta dish. Even better: the cacio e pepe ravioli is ALWAYS gluten free. Not only is it incredible, but it literally melts in your mouth.

One of the most hyped up openings of early 2024, Bad Roman rose under Quality Branded as a new Italian concept in the Columbus Circle Mall. It is definitely instagrammable (and meant to be), but it is also very very good. Their house-made gluten free pasta pairs well with every single sauce on the menu. For me, the ‘Il Divorcio’ was a favorite: a sharing format dish with pesto on one side, pomodoro on the other, and stracciatella in the middle to elevate.

One of my favorite pasta dishes of all time is the truffle mushroom ravioli from Senza Gluten By Jemiko. In great news, it is available at both the Hell’s Kitchen restaurant, and Greenwich Village Bakery. It’s creamy, flavorful, and every ingredient down to the cheese is distinguishably fresh!