31 Pasta Recipes for Weeknights, Dinner Parties, and Unabashed Joy
Making it onto this list of our best pasta recipes is kind of a big deal. We tried to count how many pasta dishes we’ve developed over the course of this publication’s history—modern mathematics cannot accommodate such a figure.
You can imagine how painstaking it was to whittle down this list to just 31 recipes. But, fueled by a second helping of rigatoni alla vodka, we did it. The collection includes classic Italian dishes like spaghetti carbonara and cacio e pepe, TikTok’s own feta pasta, vegetarian favorites like savory pasta with beans, and plenty of weeknight one-pot dinners. So, if you need pasta, we're here to deliver: Find our all-time favorite pasta recipes below.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley1/31Cacio e Pepe
This Italian pasta recipe is for the classicists and minimalists alike. All you need are Pecorino, Parmesan, black pepper, butter, salt, and bucatini or spaghetti. (Short ingredient lists are so chic.)
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca2/31Pasta Alla Norma
This Sicilian classic lets eggplant and basil shine in a tomato-rich sauce that tastes like summer. Craving a sammie? We made a panini version.
Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Kat Boystova4/31BA’s Best Linguine and Clams
If possible, look for an artisanal dried pasta for this recipe. Here’s an argument for why expensive pasta is worth it: The rougher surface texture will better catch the slippery sauce.
Photo by Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott6/31Fettuccine Alfredo
True Alfredo sauce doesn’t contain any cream. Instead, the silky texture results from an emulsion between cheese, butter, and pasta water. (See?) Craving chicken Alfredo? Poach boneless skinless chicken breast, slice, and arrange on top.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens7/31Pasta al Limone
This luscious but bright lemon pasta is more than the sum of its parts—and it’s ready in just 15 minutes. For those who crave salinity and complexity, here’s a version with preserved lemon.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua8/31One-Pot Puttanesca
In this streamlined puttanesca, the pasta—use small pasta such as ditalini, orzo, or mini shells—cooks directly in the broth, absorbing all of those tomatoey, umami flavors.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Beth Pakradooni9/31Ravioli and Mushroom Skillet
Crispy fried onions are key to topping this cozy pasta dish—and we have a lot of opinions about fried onions, starting with store-bought is better than homemade.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua10/31Grated Tomato and Miso-Butter Pasta
This almost no-cook pasta gets extra punch from fish sauce, lending a subtle savoriness you didn’t know your pasta needed.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Nicole Louie11/31Baked Tomato Feta Pasta
The viral baked feta pasta that actually delivers: creamy, tangy, and weeknight-easy with blistered tomatoes doing most of the work for you. Calabrian chile paste gives this version a spicy kick.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Thu Buser12/31Tortellini With Garlicky Brown Butter and Dill
Photograph by Scott Semler, Food Styling by Drew Aichele, Prop Styling by Maggie DiMarco15/31Sun Gold Tomato Pasta With Pistachio Gremolata
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling Christine Keely16/31Green Pasta e Fagioli
A greener take on the classic Italian pasta-and-beans combination, this brothy, herb-packed bowl is a wonderfully hearty dinner—especially with nutty whole wheat pasta.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Alexandra Massillon17/31Gnocchi Piccata
Pillowy shelf-stable gnocchi soak up a briny, lemony piccata sauce like a dream, making this vegetarian pasta feel both cozy and restaurant-worthy.
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Michelle Gatton, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness18/31Cilantro Pesto Pasta
Classic basil pesto is reliable, always, but this punchy, lime-kissed cilantro pesto version will bring unexpected zing to your next bowl of herb-slicked noodles.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca19/31Spinach Lasagna With Ricotta
This freezer-friendly spinach lasagna can be assembled months ahead and baked straight from frozen—ideal for future-you. No ricotta in the house? Try our easy cottage cheese lasagna or a classic lasagna with homemade béchamel.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Taneka Morris, prop styling by Tim Ferro20/31One-Pot Broccoli Mac and Cheese
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Prop Stying Gerri Williams, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi21/31Chicken Riggies
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams22/31One-Pot Beer Cheese Bucatini
Imagine everything good about classic beer cheese dip transformed into a pasta dish. Now imagine it showered in crunchy pretzel breadcrumbs.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams23/31One-Pot Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Fans of Buffalo chicken dip or Buffalo wings, do we have your attention? This pasta sauce is ripe for game day gatherings and cozy-but-easy dinners alike.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams24/31Shortcut Baked Rigatoni With Spicy Italian Sausage
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Judy Kim25/31Summer Squash Pasta With Just Enough Anchovies
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams26/31Lemon-Chile Calamari Pasta
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Kelsi Windmiller27/31Marinated Artichoke and Pancetta Pasta
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Christina Allen28/31Smoky Brown-Butter Pasta
This easy pasta recipe boasts just a handful of ingredients and takes barely 30 minutes to become a pantry-friendly, grown-up version of the beloved dish: buttered noodles.
Photograph by Maya Visnyei, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua29/31Pasta With Creamy Mushroom Ragù
Whereas a classic Italian meat ragù may bubble away all afternoon, this vegetarian version can be a weeknight dinner—and still tastes as if it simmered for hours. (Looking for an even simpler mushroom pasta recipe? We’ve got you.)
Photograph by Aaron Barton, food styling by Michelle Gatton, prop styling by Alexandra Massillon30/31Pasta With Beets, Sausage, and Fried Sage
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime31/31Rigatoni With Fennel and Anchovies
This is the best pasta recipe to convince your friends who think they hate anchovies that, well, they don’t. Because magic happens when fennel, garlic, anchovies, and olive oil come together.
