Foodie Friday: 5 Pastas to Splurge On Before You Die

Here's a fun and totally useless fact you probably didn't know: Monday is National Pasta Day. Whatever that means.  To, er, honor it, we had Eater LA Editor Kat Odell give a list of her top 5 favorite pastas to splurge on in town. Since some of them are not-so-Broke-Girl-friendly (hence, the splurge), she's included an easy and affordable recipe you can whip up at home. Also, don't forget that Dominick's and Little Dom's do $15 suppers on Sunday and Monday (respectively), and that you can sample amazing Italian cuisine without straining your wallet by indulging at happy hours such at this one at Pici in Beverly Hills or this $6 power lunch at Il Forno Trattoria in Santa Monica.

Kat's Top 5 Pasta Dishes in LA

1. Ado -- I am a big fan of the deep red beet tagliolini (Tagliolini Rossi con Ragu di Quaglia in Fonduta di Taleggio), which is served with a lighter quail ragu.

2. Rustic Canyon -- Chef Evan Funke makes awesome seasonal pasta dishes. For a while I was loving his sweet corn agnolotti.  Right now, he's offering up a tried and true classic: cacio e pepe. 

3. Black Market -- If you're going to order but one dish at BM, it's got to be Antonia Lofaso's oxtail ragu. House-made pasta is smothered in an extra-rich, silky-smooth oxtail ragu. It's incredible. 

4. Osteria Mozza -- One of the richest and most filling pasta dishes here is the single raviolo served in a brown butter sauce. It's one large raviolo filled with ricotta and a whole egg so when you cut into it, the yolk slowly oozes out all over your plate.  

5. Locanda Portofino -- I am a sucker for any pasta dish with uni, and I can remember eating here just a week after returning from the Amalfi Coast in Italy. The vibe is authentic Italian, and the (usually) off-the-menu special of pasta with uni, tomatoes, garlic, and basil keeps me coming back. 

Simple Orzo Recipe:  For a quick (and cheap!) dinner, take cooked orzo pasta and toss with olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon, Parmesan, and chopped fresh parsley. Save leftovers for lunch the next day. 

You can also check Kat out on her blog, Cork & Rind.  Photo by Sharon Suh.