Pasta doesn't always mean spaghetti and meatballs, and sometimes sauce isn't just red or white. While there are countless pizzerias across the Jersey Shore where you enjoy a comforting bowl of penne a la vodka, the following spots boast out-there dishes that are sure to wow you and fill your belly.

From fresh seafood dishes topped with local clams and scallops, to authentic carbonara straight from a native-Roman's cook book, here are five restaurants that offer pasta you just have to try.