What’s your happy place? If you’re like us, it’s somewhere between the antipasto and dessert. Yes, there are few feelings as downright blissful as knowing a pizza is in the oven or Grandma’s Sunday gravy is stewing away on the stove. But not all of us have an Italian nonna.

For the unlucky among us, restaurants play an important role in the voyage to legendary old-world-style comfort. From the best places for housemade pasta to where to find cannoli and gelato worthy of breaking any diet, these are the best places to feed your craving for Italian in Northern Virginia.