5 places in Singapore to slurp fresh pasta and two where you can make your own

Cicheti has been serving solid Italian-inspired creations and good vibes for close to ten years. Besides its beloved Neopolitan-style pizzas, the restaurant also serves up scrumptious handmade pasta dishes. The Paccheri ($28), a short tubular pasta served with pulled beef cheeks stewed for hours in sofrito, is a familiar and comforting dish that's sure to please while more adventurous diners can try its version of linguine vongole ($29). The classic clam pasta dish is turned on its head with huge Hobinosugai clams and a jalapeño, anchovies and onion purée. Pair with Cicheti's selection of Italian wines, running the gamut of classics from Tuscany and Piedmont to rare finds like Freisa and Fiano. 

Enter this rustic little space along the stretch of restaurants at KēSa House and be greeted by a lively open kitchen whipping up all manner of fresh handmade pasta. The menu is kept simple and highlights a rotation of traditional recipes like the lagane ($28), a wide pasta that's served with chickpeas, chilli and garlic. Another rare find is the hearty pappardelle tossed with rabbit ragu, pine nuts and olives. If that's too adventurous for you, then stick to the tortelli ($26) stuffed with smooth pumpkin puree peppered with Italian amaretti biscuits for more sweetness.

Along Tembeling Road, a quiet residential stretch just off Joo Chiat, lies pasta restaurant Forma. Some of the names behind this joint might sound familiar to you. For one, The Cicheti Group (also behind handmade pasta restaurant Cicheti) and local pasta artisan Yumhwa Lee of Ben Fatto. There are seven pasta dishes on the menu, and none of them are conventional carbonara or bolognese dishes. Try the Tortellini in Brodo ($34) – pork-filled trotellini parcels in a light chicken broth that you'd be hard-pressed to find elsewhere in Singapore. Also give the Struncatura Ammollicata ($32) a try. This is known as a poor man's dish back in the coastal city of Reggio Calabria, as the long rye pasta was made from the discard from wheat mills. 

Read our review on Forma here.

Located at the former digs of Pepperoni Pizzeria in Binjai Park, this Italian-inspired restaurant specialises in fresh handmade pizza and pasta served alongside sharing plates. Parking can be a pain, but Lino makes up for it with a casual, laidback vibe with picturesque al fresco dining in the evenings. Most come here for the pizzas, but we recommend giving the freshly made pastas a try too. Standouts include the spinach ricotta ravioli ($26), lamb ragu garganelli $29), and vongole linguine ($30). Complete your meal with natural and organic wines, cocktails, craft beers and Italian digestifs – not bad for a neighbourhood joint. 

It's in the name – 'Tipo' comes from the type of wheat flour ('doppio zero' or 'granero tero') in Italy used to make pasta. It produces a pasta that's smooth and silky to the touch, which is what Tipo Pasta Bar is all about. From dill and lemon fettucine to saffron fusilli, everything at this casual joint is made from scratch. But the fun part? That's getting to create your own dish. At Tipo, you're invited to pick your pasta depending on what's available on the day, before adding on your own sauce and additional toppings. Choose from alfredo, pomodoro, beef ragu, and more for the sauce, and throw in sous vide egg, vinegared mussels or crumbled gouda, among others, to top it all off.