15 Essential Pasta Recipes That Everyone Should Know How to Make   (2024)

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Moriah Ayana Mason

15 Essential Pasta Recipes That Everyone Should Know How to Make (1)

Moriah Ayana Mason

Moriah Mason is part of the fellowship program at Dotdash Meredith, currently with Allrecipes. Moriah writes trending news articles, updates existing articles, and analyzes site traffic. She is an experienced writer who has contributed to several publications, including Samford Crimson and Alabama Political Reporter.

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Published on September 30, 2022

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15 Essential Pasta Recipes That Everyone Should Know How to Make (2)

Pasta is the perfect blank canvas that allows you to experiment while also fulfilling your wildest cooking dreams. From simple dishes like pesto pasta to labors of love like classic lasagna, there's an endless number of pasta dishes to try. But these 15 must-make recipes — including bolognese, cacio e pepe and carbonara — are the essential dishes every home cook should have in their repertoire.

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Baked Ziti

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15 Essential Pasta Recipes That Everyone Should Know How to Make (3)

Cheese lovers rejoice! This baked ziti has not one but three types of cheese — provolone, mozzarella, and Parmesan — loaded in it for a gooey, melty masterpiece.

02of 16

Fettuccine Alfredo

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This simple yet delicious pasta dish is bound to satisfy even the pickiest eater in your household. Containing only butter, heavy cream, Romano cheese, Parmesan cheese, fettuccine pasta, and a dash of garlic salt, it's simple but oh so delicious.

03of 16

Spaghetti Carbonara

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15 Essential Pasta Recipes That Everyone Should Know How to Make (5)

Revel in the meaty taste of bacon in this flavorful carbonara recipe. It's ready in just 40 minutes and makes a whopping 8 helpings making it perfect for an easy entertaining dinner.

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Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

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15 Essential Pasta Recipes That Everyone Should Know How to Make (6)

There's no denying cacio e pepe is a beloved dish and it's easy enough to make at home. Trust us, this recipe has more than 200 5-star ratings! So there's no second-guessing the deliciousness of this perfect pasta dish.

05of 16

Slow Cooker Bolognese

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15 Essential Pasta Recipes That Everyone Should Know How to Make (7)

Bolognese is usually a labor of love, simmering all day on the stove. Make it easier on yourself with this hands-off recipe that utilizes the slow cooker. Pair it with any kind of pasta for a filling family dinner.

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Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella

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15 Essential Pasta Recipes That Everyone Should Know How to Make (8)

Fresh mozzarella cheese and fresh basil give this gnocchi recipe bright flavor. Recipe creator Alemarsi says this recipe works with both homemade gnocchi and store-bought.

07of 16

Bucatini All' Amatriciana

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This pasta dish featuring guanciale (a type of cured pork) is Chef Carlo Apolloni's signature dish. It makes just two servings, making it the perfect recipe to try for a date night in.

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Pesto Pasta

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Whether you like your pasta hot or cold, this Pesto Pasta is delicious either way! This recipe is for those times when you need to get lunch or dinner on the table in 15 minutes! Quick but lip-smacking good.

09of 16

Classic and Simple Meat Lasagna

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You can't beat a warm slice of lasagna that's been filled with juicy ground beef, savory tomato-basil sauce, creamy ricotta and melty mozzarella cheese.

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One Pan Orecchiette Pasta

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Skip cleaning a mountain of dishes and make a scrumptious orecchiette pasta all in a matter of 40 minutes using just one pot. From the spicy Italian sausage, chicken broth, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, this is one recipe that you'll want to make on repeat.

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Garlic-Herb Linguine

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15 Essential Pasta Recipes That Everyone Should Know How to Make (13)

This simple Garlic-Herb Linguine is the perfect side dish for any protein. Here's what reviewer Lisa D. Thompson had to say about it, "Simple and delicious! Great side dish."

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Bow Ties with Sausage, Tomato, and Cream

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The creamy tomato base of this pasta dish is infused with flavor thanks to sausage. If you like it spicy try it with hot Italian sausage.

13of 16

Three Cheese Manicotti

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Impress your family with this Three Cheese Manicotti dish that is not only made using three different types of cheeses but kicks up the flavor with garlic, basil, and pasta sauce.

14of 16

Tomato Basil Penne Pasta

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A little pepper Jack cheese adds a hint of spiciness to this simple and savory Tomato Basil Penne Pasta.

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Pantry Puttanesca

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"Quick, easy, and full of flavor!" says reviewer Jillian. This delicious pasta is ready in just 20 minutes and uses ingredients you probably already have on hand.

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15 Essential Pasta Recipes That Everyone Should Know How to Make (18)

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15 Essential Pasta Recipes That Everyone Should Know How to Make   (2024)

FAQs

What are the 4 main pasta dishes? ›

There are four classic Roman pasta dishes: cacio e pepe, carbonara, amatriciana, and alla gricia. Each one is a variation on the other — alla gricia is cacio e pepe plus guanciale, carbonara is gricia plus egg, and so on. These four dishes are famous in all of Italian cooking, not just in Rome.

What are the 5 things to remember in cooking pasta? ›

5 Tips On How To Cook Pasta
  • Cook Your Pasta In A Big Pot.
  • Don't Cook The Pasta In Advance.
  • Salt The Water.
  • Save The Pasta Cooking Water.
  • Add The Cheese At The End.
Feb 4, 2020

What pasta dishes do Italians eat? ›

Our Top 10 Italian Pasta Recipes
  • Trofie al Pesto.
  • Spaghetti Aglio Olio e Peperoncino.
  • Pici all'Aglione.
  • Pasta al Tonno.
  • Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe.
  • Lasagne alla Bolognese.
  • Pasta all'Arrabbiata.
  • Lo Spaghetto al Pomodoro.

What is the golden rule for pasta? ›

To be sure that your pasta is cooked correctly, it is enough to follow a few, simple rules. To begin with, you should keep in mind the right quantities. In Italy, the golden rule for cooking pasta is 1, 10, 100 or 1 liter of water, 10 grams of salt for every 100 grams of pasta.

What is the 10 100 1000 rule pasta? ›

For your cooking water, use this easy to follow rule: 10:100:1000. For 100g of pasta, use 1000ml (1 litre) of water and 10g of salt. This will give you water slightly less salty than the sea which will season the pasta as it cooks.

What is the healthiest pasta? ›

Whole-Wheat Pasta

Also called whole-grain pasta, this type of pasta keeps the bran, endosperm, and germ of the grain together. It's filled with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. This helps you feel full longer and keeps your blood sugar from spiking.

What is the most eaten pasta in Italy? ›

Spaghetti is the most popular pasta in Italy–at least according to a July 2021 poll by the Unione Italiana Food ranking the country's top ten pasta shapes.

Why can I eat pasta in Italy but not in the US? ›

Many believe this is because wheat grown in the U.S. has a higher gluten content, and that more herbicides are used in the production of wheat in the U.S.

What are 4 types of pasta? ›

There are many different varieties of pasta. They are usually sorted by size, being long (pasta lunga), short (pasta corta), stuffed (ripiena), cooked in broth (pastina), stretched (strascinati) or in dumpling-like form (gnocchi/gnocchetti).

What is the best pasta to eat? ›

Best Pastas You Can Eat
  • Whole-Wheat Pasta. 1/10. Also called whole-grain pasta, this type of pasta keeps the bran, endosperm, and germ of the grain together. ...
  • Chickpea Pasta. 2/10. ...
  • Legume-Based Pastas. 3/10. ...
  • Soba Noodles. 4/10. ...
  • Rice Noodles. 5/10. ...
  • Quinoa Pasta. 6/10. ...
  • Vegetable Noodles. 7/10. ...
  • White Pasta. 8/10.
Aug 23, 2022

What are the 4 herbs most popular with pastas? ›

5 Wonderful Herbs To Complement Your Pasta:
  1. Oregano. The most common herb that can add life to Italian food is oregano. ...
  2. Sage. The strong, slightly bitter flavour of Sage keeps it from losing aroma while cooking. ...
  3. Basil. Another common sprig that gives a whole new taste to any dish is Basil. ...
  4. Thyme. ...
  5. Parsley.
Dec 16, 2019

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