"The linguine alla marinara, it seems, has been on the menu at Prego for ever. Thankfully. The strands of linguine are a delicate base to a medley of prawns, fish, cockles and mussels – all of which sit in a mouth-watering broth of white wine and garlic. This dish is delightful, especially when served on a sunny day at a shady courtyard table with a crisp chardonnay." — Amanda Linnell, managing editor
"Spacca's maccaroni with prawn and eggplant is simple, beautiful and unexpected. The prawns are perfectly cooked and juicy, the eggplant bound not in the usual stewy tomato but in a light, smokey sauce. It's dusted with breadcrumbs for texture and the maccaroni shapes are large — almost the same size as the prawns — which encourages big messy mouthfuls of the stuff." — Jesse Mulligan, eating out editor
"Handmade pasta tastes better and Pasta & Cuore in Mt Eden Village is my favourite place to eat it. Try a rich tagliatelle bolognese or my favourite, the fresh tagliatelle con avocado with red onion, extra virgin olive oil and grated parmigiano reggiano." — Dan Ahwa, fashion editor
"I'd go back to Orphans Kitchen for its nourishing vegan black garlic pasta, which is tossed through and served with an allium and seaweed broth, asparagus, sugar snaps, pickled baby onions, macadamia cream, and cold-pressed nasturtium juice, then garnished with onion weed and crispy bull kelp. Really hearty and filling, and super yum." — Babiche Martens, photographer
"Everything that Peter Gordon and his team create at The Sugar Club is divine, but do try the spiny crayfish and Marlborough saffron linguine next time you dine there — it comes with just the right amount of pinenuts and aged parmigiano reggiano to offset the subtle and delicate flavours of the crayfish and saffron, and is a real treat for the tastebuds." — Shandelle Battersby, acting digital content producer
"I can't help but order the ravioli every time I visit Coco's Cantina – filled with silverbeet, ricotta and topped with a walnut sauce, it's creamy and satisfying without being overly rich." — Danielle Clausen, editorial assistant
"'Interesting mouth feel' is something I'd be more likely to associate with a good wine or the feeling you might get if you bit into an unpeeled pineapple but it also applies to the buttered maltagliati with duck and porcini ragu, buttercup and pickled black walnuts from Baduzzi. The texture is to-die for: thick al dente pasta, a sexy, silky sauce, crunchy crystallised pumpkin seeds and the soft-to-bite-into-but-sharp-to-taste pickled walnuts. Try it on a cool spring night with a glass of pinot. — Rebecca Barry Hill, writer
