71 Pasta Recipes to Cook If Spaghetti Is Your Love Language

• Jarred Peppers and Olives Are My Weeknight Dinner Dream Team
• Simple One-Skillet Chicken Alfredo Pasta
• Vegetarian Skillet Stuffed Shells
• Pasta with Smoky Pumpkin Cream Sauce
• 4. Caramelized Onion Pasta
• My Mother’s Butter, Tomato, and Onion Sauce
• Sheet-Pan Mac and Cheese
• This Red Pepper Pantry Pasta Is Easy on a Weeknight—and Even Easier on Your Wallet
• Why Do We Keep Reinventing Ways to Cook Spaghetti?
• Gluten-Free Fresh Pasta at Home? You Can Do That
• Turkey Tetrazzini
• One-Pot Pasta Primavera with Shrimp
• “Antipasto” Pasta with Sausage, Artichoke Hearts, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
• This Easy One-Pan Pasta Is Your In-Between-Holidays Dinner Solution
• Mushroom Stroganoff
• Sheet-Pan Pasta Bake with Chicken and Kale
• This Easy Pasta Salad Recipe Practically Makes Itself
• This Spiced Tomato Tuna Noodle Bake Made Me a Believer
• Tonnarelli a Cacio e Pepe
• The Official Meal Plan of COOK90 2020
• Creamy One-Pot Pasta With Sausage and Squash
• One-Pot Spring Pasta with Smoked Salmon
• Grilled Ratatouille Pasta Salad
• Unstuffed Shells Are the Easy Weeknight Dinner You Need When You’d Rather Watch TV Than Cook
• Pasta Carbonara with Cabbage and Mushrooms
• Pasta with 15-Minute Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce
• Why Do We Keep Reinventing Ways to Cook Spaghetti?
• Cauliflower Carbonara
• Creamy Pasta with Crispy Mushrooms
• Spring Goals: Eat All the Peas in This One-Pot Pasta
• Pasta with 15-Minute Garlic, Oil, and Anchovy Sauce
• Brothy Pasta with Chickpeas
• 1 Pot of Lentils, 2 Great New Recipes
• Pantry Pasta Puttanesca
• Spaghetti al Limone
• Lemony Pasta with Cauliflower, Chickpeas, and Arugula
• Penne alla Vodka
• Baked Stuffed Shells
• Spiced Lamb and Dill Yogurt Pasta
• Spicy Baked Pasta With Cheddar and Broccoli Rabe
• Our Favorite Mac and Cheese
• For the Creamiest Vegan Mac and Cheese, Use Cashews
• Sausage and Ricotta Baked Cannelloni
• Red Pesto Rigatoni
• Baked Pasta alla Norma
• Cacio e Pepe Pie
• Pasta With Brown Butter, Whole Lemon, and Parmesan
• Bucatini All’Amatriciana
• Pasta with 15-Minute Ham, Pea, and Cream Sauce
• Summer Squash and Basil Pasta
• Pasta with Delicata Squash and Sage-Brown Butter
• 3-Ingredient Orecchiette with Sausage and Fennel
• Pasta e Fagioli with Escarole
• How to make fresh pasta that’s elastic and smooth? Knead for longer than you think you need to.
• Baked Penne with Green Chiles
• Pasta with Baby Artichokes, Mascarpone, and Hazelnuts
• Pasta alla Gricia
• Pasta with Swordfish and Cherry Tomato Sauce
• Stuffed Shells with Marinara
• Pasta with Mushrooms and Prosciutto
• Chicken Cacciatore with Harissa, Bacon, and Rosemary
• Our Favorite Lasagna With Sausage, Spinach, and Three Cheeses
• Fregola with Clams
• Reginetti with Savoy Cabbage and Pancetta
• Bucatini with Butter-Roasted Tomato Sauce
• Fettuccine Alfredo
• Broken Meatball Lasagna
• Potlikker Noodles with Mustard Greens
• Ricotta Tortellini
• Ditalini with Chickpeas and Garlic-Rosemary Oil
• Rigatoni with Spicy Calabrese-Style Pork Ragù

If there’s one category of food I can fully get behind, it’s pasta—and these pasta recipes don’t disappoint. Although my dinner party default dish has long been lasagna and I get weak in the knees for a classic basil pesto, the truth is I’ll take any kind of pasta any day (and any meal) of the week. Between our easy stuffed shells, homemade gluten-free fresh pasta, creamy vegan ziti, and chorizo-sauced spaghetti, I’m convinced that the following collection of flavorful and easy recipes holds unifying, world peace pastability. (I just couldn’t resist.)

Jarred Peppers and Olives Are My Weeknight Dinner Dream Team

We’re kicking off this list of our best pasta recipes with a favorite that answers the challenge: pizza, but make it pasta. Packed with briny olives and zingy peppers, it’s a cheesy crowd-pleaser. See recipe.

Simple One-Skillet Chicken Alfredo Pasta

I have to admit: this chicken pasta recipe had me at “alfredo,” but has kept me as a life-long believer with its triple punch of protein, vegetable, and minimal clean up. See recipe.

Vegetarian Skillet Stuffed Shells

This spinach-packed stovetop version of the classic is bound to delight everyone at the table. Especially since it only requires 35 minutes of hands-on prep time. See recipe.

Pasta with Smoky Pumpkin Cream Sauce

The creamy unctuousness of this pumpkin pasta extravaganza will sway any doubters. See recipe.

4. Caramelized Onion Pasta

Funny what a shapeshifter the onion can be. Even to an onion skeptic like myself, this warm caramelized iteration is fully satisfying. And it requires only a handful of ingredients. See recipe.

My Mother’s Butter, Tomato, and Onion Sauce

There’s a reason this tomato sauce recipe leads with butter. It’s also the reason I cannot get enough of this recipe’s simple, comforting pleasures. You can make it with fresh tomatoes in the summer, but when the weather’s cold, it’s just as delicious if you start with canned whole tomatoes. See recipe.

Sheet-Pan Mac and Cheese

If mac and cheese that lacks a crunchy top coat makes you sad, this new recipe will give you all the crispiness you require. See recipe.

This Red Pepper Pantry Pasta Is Easy on a Weeknight—and Even Easier on Your Wallet

When red peppers, garlic, breadcrumbs, pasta and beans come together, you get a recipe that sits at the flavorful-meets-filling intersection of the vegan Venn Diagram. See recipe.

Why Do We Keep Reinventing Ways to Cook Spaghetti?

Texture fans rejoice! If you appreciate a nutty, smoky, crackly, creamy, fragrant, meaty mix, you’re in for a real treat. See recipe.

Gluten-Free Fresh Pasta at Home? You Can Do That

Friends who can’t touch gluten but crave fresh pasta can finally have a plateful with this simple formula. A blend of chickpea and store-bought GF flour makes for an easy homemade dough with surprising chew; you can dress the cooked pasta any way you like. See recipe.

Turkey Tetrazzini

Infinitely interchangeable, this one’s a stellar solve for leftovers. (Thanksgiving is coming, and with it, so much turkey). Hate turkey or just don’t have any on hand? Replace with chicken. Out of peas? Use broccoli. We say, go forth and unleash your casserole creativity. See recipe.

One-Pot Pasta Primavera with Shrimp

My daughter lives for pasta but my husband is a meat and vegetables kind of guy. Me? I love it all. For our dinnertime conflicts, this colorful one-pot wonder provides. The vegetable-and-shrimp pasta recipe calls for just the right amount of water—it magically cooks down to create a silky sauce, no draining necessary. (And no extra pasta pot to wash.) See recipe.

“Antipasto” Pasta with Sausage, Artichoke Hearts, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This easy pasta recipe reminds us that hearty, delicious meals are possible with nothing more than a quick trip to the pantry. See recipe.

This Easy One-Pan Pasta Is Your In-Between-Holidays Dinner Solution

Is breakfast your favorite meal of the day? Try this single-skillet garlicky orzo, tomato, eggs, and cheese recipe for dinner tonight. See recipe.

Mushroom Stroganoff

It’s about time stroganoff got a makeover. Enter cremini mushrooms—the star of this casserole. Vegetarian-friendly with a satisfying umami soul, we dare omnivores not to fall for this one. See recipe.

Sheet-Pan Pasta Bake with Chicken and Kale

Aren’t sheet pans the best? How else could you get this super satisfying pasta bake, filled with chicken, kale, sour cream, tomatoes, and cheese? It’s like nachos. For your pasta. See recipe.

This Easy Pasta Salad Recipe Practically Makes Itself

I uphold one pasta salad principle: mayo should sit this one out. If your playbook is similar, you’ll find that vinegar, banana peppers, olives, and summer squash make an all-star team. See recipe.

This Spiced Tomato Tuna Noodle Bake Made Me a Believer

Talk about tuna noodle casserole going full-flavored! Roasted red peppers, oil-packed tuna, and turmeric combine with toasted pasta nuttiness, resulting in a superlative take on the old classic. See recipe.

Tonnarelli a Cacio e Pepe

Here’s the thing: Cacio e pepe is already a next-level dish. But our version’s refinements (hint: cheese selection!) take the creamy, peppery classic to the next next level. See recipe.

The Official Meal Plan of COOK90 2020

If this recipe could talk, it would say, “You can have it all.” Sprinkled with a generous serving of penne, this salad shines the spotlight on radicchio, arugula, and basil. Don’t skip the anchovies—they’re essential for savory flavor. See recipe.

Creamy One-Pot Pasta With Sausage and Squash

I’m a sucker for sage, especially in the fall. Add in a combo of Italian sausage, spinach, and chopped butternut squash—plus a dairy trifecta (cream, milk and parmesan)—and you get this on-point one-potter. See recipe.

One-Pot Spring Pasta with Smoked Salmon

This dish nails springtime vibes: Asparagus, peas, and lemon balance out the savory, salty side of smoked salmon (and all in one pot!). See recipe.

Grilled Ratatouille Pasta Salad

This make-ahead meal can start with veggies you grilled the day before. So head outside, light up the coals, and consider it meal-prepping. See recipe.

Unstuffed Shells Are the Easy Weeknight Dinner You Need When You’d Rather Watch TV Than Cook

What do you get when your quick and easy pasta recipe requires roasted garlic, fresh, tangy chèvre, and red pepper flakes? Ask me when I’m finished inhaling it. See recipe.

Pasta Carbonara with Cabbage and Mushrooms

Sweet and earthy cabbage and shiitake mushrooms meet carbonara must-haves: salty cured pork, cheese, and egg yolks. See recipe.

Pasta with 15-Minute Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce

Juicy sweet cherry tomatoes burst open in warm olive oil, creating a luxuriously silky sauce that comes together in minutes. This quick-cooking supper is an all-time favorite of Epicurious readers. See recipe.

Why Do We Keep Reinventing Ways to Cook Spaghetti?

This pasta is a complete revelation. The sauce is magically made from the pasta water and tomatoes as the pasta cooks, all in one pan. No fuss—and a killer bowl of pasta. See recipe.

Cauliflower Carbonara

Cut cauliflower florets into tiny pieces before roasting and they’ll get trapped inside the orecchiette pasta, ensuring maximum flavor in every single bite. See recipe.

Creamy Pasta with Crispy Mushrooms

For a pasta dinner with deep, savory flavor and satisfying texture, use a mix of mushrooms—like feathery maitakes and meaty oysters—and brown them until they’re crisp. This recipe is on our most popular recipes list month after month, and to be honest, we’re not at all surprised. Serve this mushroom pasta with a crisp winter salad. See recipe.

Spring Goals: Eat All the Peas in This One-Pot Pasta

Pasta with 15-Minute Garlic, Oil, and Anchovy Sauce

This version of classic Italian aglio e olio (garlic and oil) pasta gets extra flavor and crunch from a sprinkle of toasted breadcrumbs. Put your leftover sourdough bread to work! See recipe.

Brothy Pasta with Chickpeas

Comforting pasta, silky broth, and an easy ingredients list that makes good use of the pantry? There are plenty of reasons for this to be one of our most popular pasta dishes when the weather is cold. See recipe.

1 Pot of Lentils, 2 Great New Recipes

A pot of pre-prepped marinated lentils gives a rich earthy flavor to this pantry-only pasta recipe. The secret is to use some of the lentils in the sauce and save some to sprinkle over the top for texture and flavor contrast. See recipe.

Pantry Pasta Puttanesca

With anchovies, Kalamata olives, and capers stocked in your pantry, you’ll always have the option of briny, flavor-packed, classic Italian pasta for dinner. See recipe.

Spaghetti al Limone

It doesn’t take much to make really flavorful pasta. Here, lemon zest and juice team up for a pop of bright citrus flavor. More zest, sliced into thin strips and sprinkled on top of each serving, adds lively contrast to the creamy sauce. It’s a simple meal that feels restaurant-worthy—and requires just five ingredients (plus salt and pepper). See recipe.

Lemony Pasta with Cauliflower, Chickpeas, and Arugula

A vegetarian pasta dinner that’s full of so much fresh arugula, it almost feels like eating a salad. In a good way. See recipe.

Penne alla Vodka

If you like your sauce a little feisty, be generous with the crushed red pepper. Often, restaurant chefs finish this dish by swirling butter into the sauce at the end. You can do the same, or use olive oil to finish the sauce. See recipe.

Baked Stuffed Shells

You can bake these ricotta-stuffed shells in individual baking dishes, but a big casserole works beautifully, too. Cover with creamy mozzarella and bake until the cheese is browned and bubbling. What’s best to eat with a pasta dish like this? We’d recommend an arugula salad, or some broccoli rabe on the side. See recipe.

Spiced Lamb and Dill Yogurt Pasta

Calling all dill lovers! This flavorful pasta gets three cups of the stuff, along with savory lamb, tangy kefir or yogurt, pine nuts, and dried currants. See recipe.

Spicy Baked Pasta With Cheddar and Broccoli Rabe

This pasta recipe offers the familiar comfort of baked macaroni and cheese, but with pops of pleasantly bitter, bright green broccoli rabe throughout. See recipe.

Our Favorite Mac and Cheese

Sometimes nothing will do but a big pan of mac and cheese. This version is ideal: creamy and rich, with a light, crunchy topping. See recipe.

For the Creamiest Vegan Mac and Cheese, Use Cashews

Sausage and Ricotta Baked Cannelloni

Two bunches of Swiss chard add freshness to this sausage-stuffed baked cannelloni. Store-bought marinara sauce is fine, but you should definitely make your own béchamel. (We promise, it’s easy.) See recipe.

Red Pesto Rigatoni

Baked Pasta alla Norma

This easy dinner packs all of the classic flavors of classic pasta alla Norma—eggplant, tomatoes, and basil—into a pan with spaghetti, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. See recipe.

Cacio e Pepe Pie

Pasta With Brown Butter, Whole Lemon, and Parmesan

When you’re not sure why a dish is so miraculously delicious, the answer is probably brown butter. Here, the good stuff pairs up with sliced whole lemon for a blast of citrusy aroma. See recipe.

Manicotti

This is project cooking at its best: tender manicotti wrappers are made by quickly cooking batter into pasta-like crepes. They’re filled with a creamy trio of ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella, and covered with fresh tomato sauce before baking. See recipe.

Bucatini All’Amatriciana

It’s hard not to love this classic Italian pasta—it’s just the right mix of spicy, savory, and sweet. You can make the sauce up to three days in advance to make life a little easier. See recipe.

Pasta with 15-Minute Ham, Pea, and Cream Sauce

Cozy up to this easy, creamy, 15-minute pasta, brightened with fragrant lemon zest and refreshing parsley. This simple pasta dinner will convince you that it’s always worth having a bag of frozen peas in your freezer. See recipe.

Summer Squash and Basil Pasta

Sautéed squash eventually gets jammy and saucy if cooked long enough, making it ideal for coating big pieces of pasta. You’ll want this one bookmarked for zucchini season. See recipe.

Pasta with Delicata Squash and Sage-Brown Butter

Brown butter and sage create a rich, complex sauce for this simple pasta. Half-moons of squash cook quickly in a large skillet. See recipe.

3-Ingredient Orecchiette with Sausage and Fennel

Be sure to add the sausage just before the last toss to maintain all those delicious crispy bits. See recipe.

Pasta e Fagioli with Escarole

Plenty of garlic and Parmesan give a nice punch of flavor to this hearty vegetarian dinner. See recipe.

How to make fresh pasta that’s elastic and smooth? Knead for longer than you think you need to.

As important as it is to develop feel and instinct when making dough, there is a metric formula for making pasta all’uovo. For every 100 grams of flour, use 1 (50- to 55-gram) egg, which corresponds to 1 USDA medium egg. See recipe.

Baked Penne with Green Chiles

Picture your favorite Tex-Mex cheese dip and the ultimate mac ‘n’ cheese. Now picture them together. See recipe.

Pasta with Baby Artichokes, Mascarpone, and Hazelnuts

The braised baby artichokes in this recipe may be a labor of love, but the lemon mascarpone sauce is 30-seconds-and-done. See recipe.

Pasta alla Gricia

You don’t need many ingredients to make restaurant-worthy pasta. This one is worth practicing. Be sure to reserve the pasta water, as it’s essential to the sauce. See recipe.

Pasta with Swordfish and Cherry Tomato Sauce

Bursting with sweet cherry tomatoes and golden raisins, this simple seafood pasta comes together in just 30 minutes. See recipe.

Stuffed Shells with Marinara

Nothing feels more decadent than giant shells of pasta filled with creamy mozzarella, Parmesan, and ricotta. See recipe.

Pasta with Mushrooms and Prosciutto

Getting the consistency of the creamy mushroom sauce right is key for this pasta recipe. You want to reduce it just until it clings to the pasta to create a light coating; be careful not to reduce it too much. See recipe.

Chicken Cacciatore with Harissa, Bacon, and Rosemary

The addition of harissa, the spicy, tomato-y Moroccan paste, adds a subtle kick to this “hunter-style” Italian dish; for those not in love with an extra bit of spice, tomato paste works beautifully too. See recipe.

Our Favorite Lasagna With Sausage, Spinach, and Three Cheeses

Easy enough for a weeknight; fancy enough for a special occasion. See recipe.

Fregola with Clams

You probably won’t have to salt the sauce itself since the clams are so briny; taste right before serving. If you don’t have Fregola, orzo works in this recipe just as well. See recipe.

Reginetti with Savoy Cabbage and Pancetta

We’re into the ruffles-on-ruffles look you get from using reginetti noodles and Savoy cabbage, but any short pasta and green cabbage can be used in their place. See recipe.

Bucatini with Butter-Roasted Tomato Sauce

No endless simmering and stirring for this garlicky pasta sauce. Here, canned tomatoes are oven-roasted, which intensifies their flavor while cutting down on fuss. See recipe.

Fettuccine Alfredo

Here’s the classic, creamy fettuccine, straight from the pages of Gourmet. If you’ve been relying on store-bought Alfredo sauce, you’re in for a treat with this four-ingredient pasta recipe. See recipe.

Broken Meatball Lasagna

These herby chicken meatballs are packed with grated zucchini, dill, and parsley and can be made a few days ahead. See recipe.

Potlikker Noodles with Mustard Greens

Just as Italians save their pasta cooking water to enrich their sauces, Southerners serve the smoky cooking liquid, a.k.a. potlikker, along with braised greens. This dish marries both traditions. Season with a light hand, as the broth will become saltier as it reduces. See recipe.

Ricotta Tortellini

Make a huge batch of this ricotta and Parmesan stuffed pasta and stick some in the freezer. They’ll just take a little longer to cook (straight from frozen) for a last-minute homemade dinner. See recipe.

Ditalini with Chickpeas and Garlic-Rosemary Oil

This version of pasta e ceci (pasta with chickpeas) thickens the sauce with puréed chickpeas, and it’s finished with a fresh garlic-and-rosemary oil, which adds great flavor and an even better aroma. See recipe.

Rigatoni with Spicy Calabrese-Style Pork Ragù

Any short, tubular pasta will work with this slow-cooked meat sauce. We used sedanini (“little celery”), but easier-to-find rigatoni and penne pasta are great, too. If your definition of comfort food is pile of pasta cocooned in a rich and meaty sauce, this is one of those pasta recipes you’ll make over and over. See recipe.