Recipe Roundup

51 Traditional Italian and Italian-American Pasta Recipes

All you need now is a red-checkered tablecloth and a bottle of the house red.
Image may contain Plant Food Cutlery Spoon and Produce
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton
  • Pasta with Vodka sauce in white bowl with gold fork and wine on the side.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    1/51

    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.

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  • A single serving of pasta lightly dressed with olive oil and basil pesto topped with shaved Parmesan.
    Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    2/51

    Perfect Pesto Pasta

    The key to this classic pesto recipe is to add the basil at the very end, instead of blending everything all at once—that way, the basil maintains its flavor and vibrant green color.

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  • Two wide shallow bowls of cacio e pepe with a small pinch bowl of freshly cracked black pepper on the side.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Grace Parisi
    3/51

    Cacio e Pepe

    This classic pasta only has a few ingredients, but they merge into a surprisingly silky, flavor-packed sauce.

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  • The pasta in a white stoneware baking dish—the top a valley of toasted cheese and concentrated pockets of tomato...
    Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Heather Greene, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou
    4/51

    Sausage and Ricotta Baked Cannelloni

    We’re all for a good store-bought marinara, but there is no substitute for homemade béchamel—of this we can be sure.

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  • Cheesy dish of spaghetti in tomato sauce baked in a castiron skillet with one wedge cut out.
    Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Sue Li
    5/51

    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 Parm.

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  • A pan filled with stuffed pasta shells and serving spoon.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    6/51

    Vegetarian Skillet Stuffed Shells

    This one-pan, stovetop-only pasta turns mushroom- and spinach-stuffed shells into an easy weeknight dinner.

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  • Rigatoni tossed with shredded cheese and guanciale on a white plate.
    Photo by Alex Lau
    7/51

    The Silkiest Carbonara

    This yolk-heavy carbonara is beyond creamy—without cream!—with a heady mix of peppercorns (you can substitute black pepper for all and it's still great). It's unlike any clumpy carbonaras you've had. It's a pasta worth mastering.

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  • A serving dish of penne pasta with broccoli florets and large chunks of chicken in a creamy sauce.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    8/51

    Simple One-Skillet Chicken Alfredo Pasta

    Chicken, dried pasta, and plenty of cream all cook together in this one-pot version of the luscious classic. Broccoli, or a slew of other optional add-ins, rounds it out.

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  • Bright green pesto sauce in an ovate white bowl.
    9/51

    Classic Pesto

    Some say using a blender rather than a food processor results in a smoother puree. When combining pesto with pasta, Ligurians mix a small ladle of the cooking water into the pesto just before adding the noodles; this dilutes the concentrated sauce and helps it adhere to the pasta.

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  • Pasta puttanesca in a blue bowl with a golden fork and knife.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    10/51

    Pantry Pasta Puttanesca

    Keep these ingredients stocked in your pantry, and a briny, flavor-packed, classic Italian pasta will always be a dinner option.

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  • Image may contain Food and Pizza
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton
    11/51

    Four-Cheese Manicotti

    A spoon works fine for stuffing the manicotti noodles, but a piping bag—while it may seem fussy—makes quicker work of the assembly.

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  • Image may contain Animal Invertebrate Sea Life Clam Seashell Cutlery and Spoon
    Marcus Nilsson
    12/51

    Fregola with Clams

    You probably won't have to salt the sauce itself since the clams are so briny; taste right before serving.

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  • Three plates of bucatini all'amatriciana next to three forks.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Grace Parisi
    15/51

    Bucatini All'Amatriciana

    It's hard not to love this classic Italian pasta—it's just the right mix of spicy and sweet.

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  • A lemon pasta dish with spaghetti and a lemoncream sauce topped with strips of lemon zest and black pepper.
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food styling by Kate Buckens
    16/51

    Pasta al Limone (Lemon Pasta)

    This creamy lemon pasta recipe is luscious and amply cheesy, but still bright and fresh. Best part: You can make it for dinner in just 15 minutes.

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  • Slices of vegetarian lasagna being served on small plates.
    Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce
    17/51

    Vegetarian Lasagna With Easy Roasted Tomato Sauce

    This is a vegetable lasagna that cooks can enjoy, too, not only because it’s delicious, but because it’s simple and stress-free to prepare.

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  • A platter with classic ragu bolognese on a white background.
    Photo by Marcus Nilsson
    18/51

    Classic Ragu Bolognese

    Set a pot of this sauce simmering on a weekend when you'll be hanging around the house. It'll tempt you with savory aromas for hours, until you have no choice but to give up and eat a bowlful. With pasta, of course.

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  • Onepot pasta primavera with shrimp in a bowl.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    21/51

    One-Pot Pasta Primavera With Shrimp

    This lightning-fast version of the classic spring pasta calls for just the right amount of water that magically cooks down to create a silky sauce, no draining necessary.

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  • A plate of bucatini with Marcella Hazan's tomato sauce.
    Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Sean Dooley
    22/51

    My Mother's Butter, Tomato, and Onion Sauce

    The classic, beloved Marcella Hazan pasta sauce is made with just four ingredients and couldn't be easier.

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  • Image may contain Food
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    27/51

    Pasta With 15-Minute Meat Sauce

    This rich 15-minute ragù turns pasta or polenta into a quick hearty dinner any night of the week.

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  • Image may contain Sandwich Food Dish Meal Cutlery Fork Lasagna Pasta and Burger
    Marcus Nilsson
    28/51

    Lasagna Bolognese

    The ultimate holiday vacation cooking project: lasagna with two homemade sauces and layers of homemade pasta.

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  • Image may contain Human Person Food and Finger
    Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
    31/51

    Pasta All'uovo (Egg Dough)

    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.

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  • Image may contain Cutlery Fork Food Dish and Meal
    Marcus Nilsson
    32/51

    Pasta alla Gricia

    Both guanciale and Pecorino are quite salty; undersalting the pasta water will give you more control over the final dish.

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  • A baking dish of Macaroni and Cheese with a serving spoon.
    Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
    39/51

    Our Favorite Mac and Cheese

    Creamy, decadent macaroni with a light, crunchy topping: this is the mac ‘n’ cheese dreams are made of.

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  • A plate of shrimp scampi pasta spaghetti tossed with noodles crushed red pepper flakes and parsley in a garlic butter sauce.
    Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Prop Styling by Alex Massillon, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht
    40/51

    Shrimp Scampi Pasta

    This super fast shrimp scampi works just as well for weeknights as it does for big gatherings.

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  • Spaghetti aglio e olio with lots of kale in a pot and a bowl.
    Photo by Alex Lau
    43/51

    Spaghetti Aglio e Olio With Lots of Kale

    You will think this pasta recipe calls for an absurd amount of kale, but it will shrink a ton when cooked.

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  • Image may contain Spaghetti Food Pasta Human and Person
    Jeff Lipsky
    44/51

    Bucatini All'Amatriciana

    This classic sauce takes its spiciness from black pepper and dried chiles and its depth of flavor from guanciale, Italian salt-cured pork jowl. If you can't find it, use pancetta, which is available at better supermarkets.

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  • Image may contain Plant Confectionery Food Sweets Fruit and Bread
    Photo by Quentin Bacon
    45/51

    Souffléed Gnocchi

    This Roman-style semolina gnocchi is made similarly to polenta, then is cooled to firm up, cut into discs, and layered in a gratin dish before baking to crisp the top.

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  • A plate of spaghetti carbonara with bits of crispy guanciale and topped with shredded cheese and black pepper.
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, Styling by Molly Baz
    46/51

    Simple Pasta Carbonara

    Humble ingredients—eggs, pasta, cheese, and pork—combine to create glossy, glorious spaghetti carbonara that’s just as good at dinner as at 2 a.m.

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  • A casserole dish of manicotti topped with tomato sauce Parmesan and basil leaves.
    Laura Murray
    47/51

    Manicotti

    This manicotti recipe is made with delicate crepes instead of dried pasta, and the result is something heavenly.

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  • Casserole dish of baked ziti on gray marble surface.
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman
    48/51

    BA’s Best Baked Ziti

    With its creamy Parmesan béchamel and tangy pancetta-enriched marinara sauce, this baked ziti recipe is one of our favorite uses for a casserole dish.

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  • Image may contain Plant Food Produce Vegetable Bean Lentil and Bowl
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Carla Lalli Music
    51/51

    Pasta e Fagioli

    The key to a soup with fully developed savory flavor starts with the soffritto—a mix of slowly cooked aromatic vegetables.

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