The Italian restaurants serving hand-made pasta, gnocchi and more for under $30

Midweek dinner is sorted: these Italian trattorias serve quality, often handmade pasta for less than $30. From oversized portions of cacio e pepe with $3 glasses of house red, to heaping bowls of takeaway gnocchi made by a nonna-in-residence, these are Good Food’s pick of Sydney’s best pasta specials.

Betto Deli & Cucina, Newtown

Thursday: $3 glass of wine with any pasta

Milanese owner-chef Andrea Bettini makes all of his pasta from scratch, and if you visit his Newtown trattoria on a Thursday, you can try it with a glass of house red for the very 2007 price of $3 a glass. Pasta dishes start at $28 for ruote with whipped lemon ricotta and zucchini, and the portion sizes are similarly old-school in their generosity.

612-622 King Street, Erskineville, bettodeli.com.au

Pasta Rosa, Pyrmont

Wednesday: Free glass of wine with any pasta

Ben and Emily Calabro opened their casual Italian trattoria in a charming terrace house in February last year. With head chef Andrea Gandolfi, they’re serving classic house-made pastas, starting at $24 for a bowl of linguine lemone with fermented chilli. The weekly special includes your choice of house red, white or rosé. Walk-ins are welcome.

182 Harris Street, Pyrmont, pastarosa.com.au

I Gladiatory, North Strathfield and Freshwater

Win $300 to finish 2.8kg of rigatoni carbonara in under 20 minutes (or pay $50 if you fail)

Sure, it’s not your typical pasta special, but if you beat the timer, you could be in for $300 and a career as a competitive eater. It was a similar challenge that led Australia’s no.1 competitive eater James Webb to realise his potential, and he holds the current record at I Gladiatory: Eight minutes and eight seconds. But don’t let the gimmick fool you, owners Giacomo Orlandi and chef Matteo Dominici take their pasta seriously – it’s made in-house every day, “no shortcuts,” says Orlandi.

3/5 George Street, North Strathfield, igladiatori.com.au

A.P Bread and Wine, Darlinghurst

Wednesday: Pasta and a glass of wine for $40

All Purpose Bakery, co-founded by a group of mates including chef Mat Lindsay from Chippendale’s Ester, and baker Dougal Muffet, have taken over Sydney with their range of sourdough bread and pastries. At their wine bar, they take their heritage flour one step further by transforming it into pasta. Visit on Wednesday to try their leftover-bread casarecce with a glass of chilled red.

32 Burton Street, Darlinghurst, apbakery.com.au

Fonzies Food Truck, Ramsgate and Strathfield South

Thursday to Sunday: Bowls of pasta from $17

Fonzies doesn’t have a pasta special − low prices are standard. The food truck launched in 2023, using Calabrian family recipes for pasta sauces and home-made gnocchi. It quickly developed a strong local following, and has since expanded to two permanent locations, each open until 11pm Thursday to Sunday. It’s a short menu with a choose-your-own-adventure format: your choice of pasta (rigatoni, penne, gnocchi), sauce (pesto, parma rosa, Napoletana, bolognese), and cheese (parmesan or burrata).

68 Ramsgate Road, Ramsgate and 606 Liverpool Road, Strathfield South, instagram.com/fonziesfoodtruck

Torino Pizza, Enmore

Re-opening special: $20 flat price for takeaway pasta

Torino Pizza has been a staple on Enmore Road since 1978, but its reputation deteriorated over time. Enter Beej Dover: a local restaurateur who took over and introduced a new menu in March. He says he’s aiming for a “cool, casual” dining experience (“We have fun while we’re working ... on some nights you might walk past and catch me blasting out to ’90s hip hop”) while serving freshly made tagliatelle bosciola, rigatoni all’amatriciana or gnocchi with lamb ragu (all of which are on special for $20 during the month of May).

155 Enmore Road, Enmore, instagram.com/torinopizzaenmore

Ciao Bella, Bondi

Thursday: Pasta and a glass of wine for $25

There are plenty of pasta nights to choose from in Bondi, but the one at Ciao Bella is particularly popular. Book ahead for a table on the footpath, arrive at 5pm for a $12 Tommy’s marg during happy hour, and choose from dishes including gnocchi alla Sorrento and rigatoni alla vodka to pair with a glass of chilled red for $25.

38 Wairoa Avenue, North Bondi, ciaobellabondi.com.au

Alba, Newtown

Monday: All-you-can-eat pasta for $45 per person
Daily: Free tasting menu for first-time visitors

This Sicilian staple has developed a loyal midweek following for its Monday all-you-can-eat special. The restaurant, run by Giorgia Ragusa and chef Mattia Cordella, makes all its pasta from scratch.

“We produce every pasta format ourselves using bronze dies (trafile al bronzo) on an Italian pasta machine, with a carefully selected blend of flours chosen specifically for each shape,” says Ragusa.

“The sauces are then developed to complement each format, always rooted in the culinary traditions of Southern Italy, the way a nonna would have made them.”

Still not sure? Take advantage of their complimentary tasting experience for first-time visitors, which serves some of their bestselling dishes for free.

304-308 King Street, Newtown, albarestaurant.com.au

Cibo Italian, Drummoyne

Two pastas for $45

Cibo Italian is a fuss-free takeaway shop that opened in July. It doesn’t look like the kind of place where a nonna would be in the kitchen, but Nonna Orietta is serving hand-shaped gnocchi, frying meatballs and rolling out sheets of fresh lasagne throughout the week. The two-for-one special (which works out to $22.50 per person) includes seven pasta dishes, from the home-made pork and beef lasagne to the spaghetti gamberi with garlic prawns.

202 Lyons Road, Drummoyne, instagram.com/ciboitaliansyd

Buon Appetit, Camden

Wednesday and Thursday: Pasta for $20, or pasta and wine for $30

Mother-son duo Rosa and Benjamin Vitagliano began to serve home-style Italian cuisine out of a food truck in 2022, and within 18 months, it became so popular they announced plans to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Camden. The family friendly 300-seater has a huge outdoor terrace, serves Italian spritzes and beers, and offers two weeknight specials, both of which include their signature house-made gnocchi Sorrentina.

40 Elizabeth Street, Camden, buonappetit.com.au

Pizza at Yours by Emiliano, Fairlight

Wednesday: Gnocchi with your choice of sauce for $21
Daily: Choose your own pasta for $25

Many restaurants claim to recreate the experience of a traditional Italian trattoria, but this one really nails it. It’s an unassuming restaurant in Fairlight selling Birra Nazionale, a few simple Italian wines, and a selection of gnocchi, spaghetti and penne with your choice of sauce for just $25 − any night of the week.

140 Sydney Road, Fairlight, pizzaatyours.com.au