Pasta is one of those things that comes in various shapes and sizes. You can throw almost anything on a pile of noodles and it will taste good. To an amateur chef like me, pasta keeps me from starving.

You could probably eat pasta every day prepared a different variation for a month and still try something new. It's cheap, delicious and always fills you up.

Thankfully, local restaurants put more effort into their pasta than I do, so that's why I asked local Patch editors throughout the region to suggest some hot spots to satisfy your noodle cravings. Leave a comment to add your favorite to the list.

Bowie—The appeal of Noodles & Company is that you can have your noodles any way you like them prepared: Asian, Mediterranean or American-inspired. This comes in handy when one person wants Japanese pan noodles and others are craving comfort foods like spaghetti and meatballs or mac and cheese. Noodles & Company also offers soups and salads if you're trying to cut back on carbs.

Crofton—The Italian Market in the Village at Waugh Chapel has an extensive menu of pasta dishes. There are fresh catch seafood dishes such as shrimp scampi, red snapper livarnese. The signature pasta dishes menu includes: fettuccine alla bolognese, penne puttanesca and tortellini alla rosa. The Gambrills restaurant also features gluten-free menu options. You can order take-out or sitdown. They also offer family-style dining where you can split huge meals together. Crofton’s Joseph Robinson commented on the Italian cuisine at Italian Market and Mamma Roma’s in a Crofton Patch Dish It! column.

Odenton/Severn—There are a number of great places in the Odenton/Severn area with great pasta. But one local favorite is Mamma Roma in Piney Orchard. Italian brothers Rino and Bruno know how to cook a fresh noodle, with great ingredients in their sauce, too. Everyone loves Mamma Roma's pizza, but you can't go wrong with any of their pasta dishes.

Annapolis—Giolitti Delicatessen & Catering—This long-time Parole deli is a great place to break for lunch with fresh pastas and other Italian dishes. One of the best parts is picking up a bag of freshly-made pasta for home.