Cold, hot, thin, thick, freshly made, reheated leftovers, one sauce, two sauce, bare buttered, pasta is good every which way. And it just happens to be our unique opinion that it's one of the summer's best seasonal ingredients.

As part of our sacred food pyramid (all hail the great gluten), pretty close to the top we might add, we aim to try every bowl, fork spool, or single strand we can. Now we might have a bias towards those who like to use our olive oil, but darn it if we don't just love getting a bit of every chef and story that made a pasta come to life.

Austin, Odd Duck's Capellini: 

Odd Duck can do no wrong with anything on their menu, their timeless chorizo pasta recipe is included. This season they're playing with sunchoke sauce and pairing the dish with broccoli and we're loving this pairing for those who love to entertain red wine or whiskey with their meals. (Image by Richard Casteel)

Dallas, Sister's Clams Vongole:

Dallas has aptly decided that cute spots pair best with delicious pasta. While Lucia is a recognizable favorite, Sister is an indisputable competitor in both atmosphere and menu quality. Their Clams Vongole has us trying every white wine on the menu to "test" the best pairing for you. Fun fact, they're all winners.

Houston, Nancy's Hustle's Capellini: 

If this turns into a summer of Capellini, we won't be upset. Nancy's and Odd Duck's couldn't be more different, and we're here for the ways chefs are showing us a single pasta's potential. This savory, briny and bright dish will have your mind swimming in the sea and foraging in a forest--best paired with a wild night of talking summer adventures. Everything pairs great with this dish. In fact, this dish is so good we didn't pair anything with it for the first ten minutes because we were far too distracted with falling in love with the dish.

Read about more of our favorite pasta dishes in kitchens across the South.