Toronto's 25 best bowls of pasta

25. ARDO’s Torchietti With Sicilian Meat Ragu

A Sicilian ragu of beef, chicken and veal simmered in red wine coats every nook and cranny of the twisty torchietti, which are topped with a generous dose of ragusano cheese. $17. 243 King St. E., 647-347-8930.

24. Campo’s Spaghetti Bolognese

A deeply flavoured sauce of beef chuck, pork shoulder, caramelized onions and roasted carrots is slow-cooked for 36 hours and tossed with house-made spaghetti. $25. 244 Jane St., 647-346-2267.

23. Raca Café‘s Ricotta Gnocchi

Plump gnocchi and pork meatballs bask in chef Ivana Raca’s punchy tomato sauce, which gets a jolt from preserved chilies and teardrop-shaped pickled Peruvian peppers. $25. 1704 Queen St. W., 416-901-9951.

22. Angolino’s Campanelle With Wild Boar

These ruffled whole-wheat twists are perfect for picking up the fragrant San Marzano tomato with braised hunks of juniper-and-fennel-scented wild boar. $19. 1595 Dupont St., 647-748-2426.

21. Montecito’s Orecchiette With Broccoli

The steaming orecchiette are dressed in a vibrant broccoli coating, spiked with chili peppers and balanced by daubs of creamy ricotta. $17. 299 Adelaide St. W., 416-599-0299.

20. Ascari Enoteca’s Trofie con Coniglio

Twists of pasta, tender morsels of braised rabbit, flecks of bright green Castelvetrano olives and a touch of lavender jus make for an unexpectedly lovely combination. $22. 1111 Queen St. E., 416-792-4157.

19. Gusto 101’s Mafalde ai Funghi

Chunks of meaty porcini, portobello and oyster mushrooms give this dish a rich, earthy flavour; a creamy, truffle-infused sauce adds an extra level of umami good­ness. $18.50. 101 Port­land St., 416-504-9669.

18. Gio Rana’s Really Really Nice Restaurant’s Butternut Squash Crespelle

The Italian crêpes at this east-end institution, also known as The Nose, are akin to cannelloni, stuffed with a killer combo of mascarpone and butternut squash in a sage butter sauce. $11.95. 1220 Queen St. E., 416-469-5225.

17. 7 Numbers’ Orecchiette With Ricotta Dura

Mama Rosa Marinuzzi dresses her pleasingly dense orecchiette simply, in her trademark tomato sauce, and finishes the dish with a grating of salty cured ricotta. $12.75. 516 Eglinton Ave. W., 416-322-5183.

16. Woodlot’s Cauliflower-Stuffed Agnolotti

Bundles of sourdough pasta containing a velvety cauliflower purée are smothered in a sauce subtly spiked with crab broth and finished with fresh dill. $27. 293 Palmerston Ave., 647-342-6307.

15. Jamie’s Italian’s Prawn Linguine

A tangle of linguine tops these sweet, garlicky prawns that have been tossed in a saffron-infused tomato broth kicked up with chilies. $21. Yorkdale Mall, 3401 Dufferin St., 416-238-7450.

14. Terroni’s Garganelli Geppetto

This menu stalwart mixes short tubes of pasta with savoury house-made sausage and gooey fontina, and dandelion greens to cut through the richness. $18. Multiple locations.

13. Buca Yorkville’s Calamarata Alla Carbonara di Mare

Rings of pasta form the base for this elegant seafood twist on carbonara, in which a sauce of cured egg yolk and pecorino gains a subtle briny tang from sea urchin bottarga and white fish roe. $28. 53 Scollard St., 416-962-2822.

12. Ufficio’s Lobster Tortelli

Bits of Nova Scotia lobster peek out from between heavenly orbs of braised-leek-and-ricotta-filled tortelli, bathed in an indulgent butter sauce and dusted with paprika bread crumbs. $29. 1214 Dundas St. W., 416-535-8888.

11. Antler’s Ricotta Cavatelli With Wild Boar Ragu

Chewy house-made ricotta cavatelli are immersed in a tomato-basil ragu flecked with fall-apart chunks of braised wild boar and shards of parmesan. $28. 1454 Dundas St. W., 647-345-8300.

10. Fabbrica’s Pork Shank Fettuccine

Coiled strands of fettuccine pair with fantastically savoury moist pulled pork shank, dotted with crispy crackling, which is offset by sharp pickled onion and fried sage. $23. 49 Karl Fraser Rd., 416-391-0307.

9. F’Amelia’s Rabbit Pappardelle

Strands of fresh pappardelle conjure autumn in Northern Italy when tossed with thyme-and-rosemary braised rabbit, honey mushrooms and torn black kale. $24. 12 Amelia St., 416-323-0666.

8. The 47’s Gorgonzola and Radicchio Gnocchi

The Bloordale pub (formerly the French-Italian Ortolan) honours its roots with pillowy gnocchi and ribbons of bitter radicchio in a sumptuous gorgonzola sauce. $12. 1211 Bloor St. W., 647-348-4500.

7. Local Kitchen’s Ziti Pomodoro

These tender tubes of pasta, drenched in a superlative tomato sauce with basil and a hint of peperoncino bite, have been a menu staple since the Roncy restaurant opened in 2009. $15. 1710 Queen St. W., 416-534-6700.

6. Campagnolo’s Spaghetti All’Amatriciana

This Little Italy spot specializes in house-made noodles cloaked in garlicky San Marzano tomato sauce, with crispy bits of guanciale and zingy pecorino. $19. 832 Dundas St. W., 416-364-4785.

5. Buca’s Spaghetti al Nero di Maiale

The addition of pig’s blood to the pasta dough gives this other-worldly combo—pungent ’nduja sausage, luxe smoked burrata, sofrito and bitter rapini—its striking dusky hue. $24. 604 King St. W., 416-865-1600.

4. Enoteca Sociale’s Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

This mecca for wonderfully prepared Roman fare turns a bare-bones combination of black pepper, sheep’s milk cheese and extra al dente noodles into a revelation. $12. 1288 Dundas St. W., 416-534-1200.

3. Mattachioni’s Lasagna Bolognese

Not your typical lasagna, this made-to-order version loosely layers emerald sheets of spinach pasta with luscious béchamel, then the whole outfit is smothered in an addictive pork ragu. $19. 1617 Dupont St., 416-519-1010.

2. Piano Piano’s Ravioli con Bolognese

Ricotta-and-parmesan-filled pouches studded with black pepper perch on a comforting pork-and-beef ragu at chef Victor Barry’s follow-up to Splendido. $24. 88 Harbord St., 416-929-7788.

1. Superpoint’s Reginette With Braised Beef Cheek

At Trinity Bellwoods’ newest pizza-and-pasta hangout, house-extruded ruffled reginette noodles and phenomenal five-hour-braised beef cheeks tangle in a tomato-based sauce with a whack of parmesan. $16. 184 Ossington Ave., 416-519-6996.