Giulia is serving some of the best fresh pasta in the city. If available, get the pappardelle with wild boar, but a diner can’t go wrong with any of the options, from beef neck tortelli to squid ink linguine with cuttlefish. Plan out dinner here well in advance; reservations are difficult to snag.

Rino’s Place in East Boston has the hard-to-find lovability of locals and tourists alike. This is no-frills, classic Italian American checker-tablecloth dining. The ravioli are made to order, and no meal is complete without a plate of crispy calamari for the table. Come hungry; portions tend toward gigantic. (No reservations; walk-ins only.)

This Cambridge neo-trattoria takes everything that is fantastic about classic Italian fare, but with an eclectic modern spin. Veteran chef Tony Susi’s Bar Enza has a focus on plates meant to be shared, like fried zucchini flowers stuffed with lobster mascarpone mousse and fluffy tomato foccacia. There’s lots of pasta to go around — try the tender ricotta gnocchi and sweet corn-filled tortelli for a good introduction to Susi’s show.

The concept here is simple and undeniably Italian — like your nonna has invited you into her own kitchen for dinner. Sit next to friends and strangers alike over the course of a night-long feast spread out between six to eight courses. The plates are constantly changing based on seasonality and whatever chef and owner Jen Royle has put together that night. Don’t miss the meatballs, which just won a third consecutive award for best in the North End.

Where classic red-sauce dining meets Boston’s historic old charm, Mamma Maria defines what great Italian food in Boston should look like. Overlooking the cobblestones of Boston’s oldest city square on North Street, Mamma Maria’s gorgeous storefront reels you in, and the food will surely make you stay. As is done in Italy, expect a seasonal menu — Mamma Maria focuses on taking the best from what the local markets have available, like their pumpkin gnocchi with sea scallops, perfect for fall. The bar is not to be missed, featuring artisanal cocktails with local liqueurs, including Boston’s own Black Infusions Vodka.

While there is no sandy beach oasis near the Rowes Wharf location, Pasta Beach does a good job of cultivating relaxed, vacation-style vibes at its waterfront restaurant. The pasta is made in-house daily and there is a carb concoction for everybody. Order the carbonara made with decadent guanciale (pork cheek), imported pecorino, and egg, or taste the sea with their lobster cappelletti with ricotta and spinach.

Looking to get out of the North End? Head to Allston and get settled in the cozy, laid-back dining room at local favorite Carlo’s Cucina Italiana. This is as Italian-American as it gets — dig into hearty portions of ricotta-stuffed eggplant, gnocchi tossed with chicken and sun-dried tomatoes, and excellent linguine combined with mussels, clams, squid, and shrimp.

It’s all about the lobster paccheri, folks. But also any other pasta dish, any crudo, and it should not be an option to leave without ordering dessert. Just order the whole menu at Bar Mezzana, which features coastal Italian cuisine.

SRV (which stands for Serene Republic of Venice) is a bacaro and wine bar serving cuisine inspired by the Adriatic right in Boston’s South End. Go with friends and get at least one of each cicchetti option (Venetian small plates), but also try some of the creative pasta dishes, such as paccheri with eggplant, taleggio cheese, lemon verbena, and pine nuts, or the strozzapreti with sausage, cauliflower, and salsa verde.

Unlike its northern Italian predecessor, the Fox & the Knife, chef Karen Akunowicz’s Bar Volpe places emphasis on the phenomenal flavors of southern Italy. The South Boston restaurant serves as both a dining room and a store where fresh pasta can be bought by the pound to take home. Make sure to try the hand-crafted Sardinian culurgiones stuffed with goat cheese and potato served over a tomato basil sauce.

This Brookline mainstay tends to lean in the direction of northern Italy, based on owners Josh and Jen Ziskin’s time in Italy’s Piedmont region. For a taste of as much of the menu as possible, try the prix fixe menu with optional wine pairings.

Chef Stefano Quaresima transports customers direct to Italy at this new spot on Dorchester Avenue. Roman through and through, this trattoria is a bakery by day — putting out some of Boston’s freshest and tastiest pastries thanks to their lievito madre (sourdough starter) — and a restaurant by night. Stop by on the weekend to sample their brunch, where you can taste a true maritozzo rarely found anywhere outside of Rome. Then, come back in the evening for an unforgettable dining experience that will make you question if you’re in Dorchester or Anzio, Quaresima’s hometown south of Rome.

In Rosindale, Delfino’s shines as a star in the neighborhood’s dining scene. There is careful attention to tradition here, with hearty recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation, holding true to their Italian origins. The linguine frutti di mare (seafood linguine) may be the best bang-for-your-buck seafood pasta in Boston. If seafood isn’t the vibe, “Figgy Piggy” is a can’t-miss plate of roasted pork, prosciutto, and garlic mashed potatoes all drenched in a fig demi-glace.