Why You Should Skip The Pasta If There's Only One Menu Option At A Restaurant

Life's too short (and expensive) to eat at bad restaurants — or to order the wrong thing at a good one. While there are often clear signs that a restaurant is bad news, spotting the wrong menu choice isn't always as obvious. One dish you should think twice about ordering is pasta, particularly when it's the only noodle option on the menu.

You may be familiar with the restaurant menu red flag of it being complicated or unfocused, where too many dishes from different cuisines are crammed together. In a similar vein, ordering pasta at a restaurant that doesn't specialize in it is a gamble. If there's only one noodle dish offered, that's a good indication pasta is not the kitchen's forte. In fact, it might be an afterthought, thrown on the menu to appeal to a broader crowd, but not given the same care or attention as the restaurant's signature items.

When pasta isn't a focal point, at best it will come out bland or uninspired. At worst you could end up with a soggy, overcooked mess. Either way, it'll be a disappointment. Ultimately, it's best to stick with the dishes that showcase the restaurant's strengths and leave the pasta for places that take it seriously.

If you're ordering for a kid off the children's menu, feel free to get that plate of plain noodles with butter and call it a win. But for the rest of us, ordering pasta outside of an Italian restaurant isn't the best idea. Unless you have a compelling reason to believe that the restaurant isn't approaching pasta as an afterthought — like a fusion spot where the dish is thoughtfully crafted, or the chef has a background that makes it a specialty — it's probably best to pass. Restaurant pasta should be better than what you could easily whip up at home for it to be a good choice.

The same principle applies when you go to an Italian place, too, which is why many of the things you should think twice before ordering at an Italian restaurant are pastas that are simple to create in your own kitchen. Skip dishes like carbonara or pasta varieties such as cappellini, and opt for a time- and labor-intensive treat like lasagna or any of the establishment's handmade pastas.

Restaurant pasta, when done right, can surpass homemade due to professional chefs' mastery of key fundamentals like layering salt and fat, controlling sauce consistency, and using high-quality ingredients. But if the pasta on the menu doesn't have that kind of attention to detail, it's unlikely to live up to the standards that make restaurant pasta worth it. So choose wisely, and save your pasta cravings for places that truly make it shine.