Take A Trip to Italy With These 85 Pasta Recipes Perfect For Any Day Of The Week

Forgive us the pun, but the pastabilities for making pasta are pretty much endless. Looking for a romantic dinner? Pasta always impresses. Want something extra comforting? Pasta always delivers. Need an easy weeknight dinner? Yep, you guessed it, we’re turning to pasta, and you should too. It satisfies our every craving, whether that be for a classic Italian dish or something new to the table; can be jazzed up for a multi-step dinner or made all in one pot. So what are you waiting for? Check out our favorite pasta recipes for ideas—we know what you’ll be having for dinner tonight 😉.

We’re sure you’re familiar with the classics (and likely have them in your weeknight dinner rotation), but just in case, we’ve included lots of recipes for our favorites here. Some are super straightforward and standard, like our fettuccine Alfredo, our vegetarian baked ziti, or our pasta pomodoro, while some are a little more outside the (pasta) box, like our Southern baked mac & cheese (made with a cheesy, eggy custard), our broccoli rabe & Italian sausage lasagna, or our chipotle spaghetti. We’ve got all the super old-school Italian pasta greats too, like pasta alla gricia, pasta puttanesca, baked mostaccioli, and bucatini all’amatriciana. They’re our favorites to whip out for special occasions, because they’re super easy to make but sound crazy impressive.

Feeling bored of pasta (the horror!)? We got you too. Try some of our innovative pasta recipes or our creative takes on old standbys to jazz up your pasta nights. Check out our miso bolognese, our chicken tikka Alfredo (trust us, it works), our Thai drunken carbonara noodles, or our one-pot creamy kimchi shells. Want to take things up a notch? Make your own pasta at home—homemade pasta dough is a labor of love that will take even the most boring of pasta dishes to the next level.

Want even more pasta inspiration? Check out our favorite penne pasta recipes, spaghetti recipes, and gnocchi recipes too.

Gnocchi will always hit the spot for a quick, delicious meal. Yes, it’s great on its own as a main, but it also makes for a winning, hearty sidekick to roasted chicken or rosemary pork chops, too!

Get the Crispy Gnocchi & Mushrooms recipe.

Obviously roasting a block of feta with bursting tomatoes is going to be amazing. But is it good enough to break TikTok like this one did? Our answer, begrudgingly, is yes. It's genius—super easy, but fancy enough for date night. 😍

Get the Baked Feta Pasta recipe.

This pasta—with roasted butternut squash, crispy sage, creamy gorgonzola, and toasted walnuts—SCREAMS fall. Want to add protein? We think this would be amazingwith pancetta or bacon too.

Get the Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta recipe.

A classic tomato sauce is made even better with a bit of cream and a delicious topping of burrata. The cherry tomatoes add a bit of sweetness to the sauce and make it feel fresher. It tastes too good to be as easy as it is, and that’s just what we want for a weeknight pasta dinner.

Get the Creamy Tomato Pasta With Burrata recipe.

Pumpkin fanatics: This spin on classic vodka sauce really hits the spot. A nice pour of vodka emphasizes the sweet pumpkin and tomato flavors in this richly flavored cream sauce. But don’t worry, most of the alcohol cooks off (and it doesn’t really taste like vodka!), so it’s a family-friendly dish you can serve up all season long—or year round!

Get the Creamy Pumpkin Vodka Sauce & Penne recipe.

This chicken Parmesan-inspired dish has several key components—bacon, a flavorful panko topping, an easy doctored jarred sauce— and lucky for you, they all come together in just one pan!

Get the Chicken Parm Pasta recipe.

If you’re looking for a pasta dinner that everyone in your family will love, look no further. This creamy penne with sausage and sun-dried tomatoes could not be more delicious or easy. It’s quick enough for any weeknight this November, but impressive enough to serve to guests.

Get the Creamy Penne With Sausage & Sun-Dried Tomatoes recipe.

This is the best creamy and bright vodka sauce any of us in the test kitchen have ever had. The secret? Tomato paste. Tomato paste has a more concentrated flavor, and texture-wise, it makes for a smoother, almost velvety sauce your date will love.

Get the Penne Alla Vodka recipe.

If you're looking for a super simple, comforting, no-frills bowl of spaghetti and meatballs to impress your date, you've come to the right place. And if you're feeling adventurous, it's also a great jumping off point to make your own version of this classic dish!

Get the Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe.

If a bowl of creamy, earthy, umami-rich pasta sounds good to you, give this flexible recipe a go. It tastes great with any variety of mushrooms, and is easily adapted with alternate alliums, herbs, nuts, pasta shapes, and hard cheeses. We love the earthy flavor toasted pecans, but if nuts aren't your bag, toasted fresh breadcrumbs or panko are great crunchy alternatives.

Get the Creamy Mushroom Pasta recipe.

We took a couple shortcuts for this recipe by using store-bought marinara and boxed pasta sheets. Trust us, it saves a ton of time without sacrificing any flavor.

Get the Classic Lasagna recipe.

Though you totally could roast your own peppers for this dish, we actually preferred the jarred version while testing this recipe. The store-bought variety tends to be more tender, which makes for a smoother, more velvety sauce. Creamy, smoky, and spicy, this comforting shrimp pasta is low effort, high reward.

Get the Roasted Red Pepper Shrimp Linguine recipe.

Oh, chicken alfredo: It's the classic pseudo-Italian pasta we just can't seem to get enough of. Of course there are tons of jarred pasta sauces you can buy, but making alfredo sauce from scratch is actually SO easy.

Get the One-Pot Chicken Alfredo recipe.

Serve as a side or all on its own on a bed of salad greens, this creamy orzo pasta is a more herbalicious version of cacio e pepe. The best part of this recipe: It all takes place in just one pot, which means more flavor and fewer dishes to wash.

Get the Orzo Pasta recipe.

Buttered noodles are the perfectly simple and comfort food dish from our childhoods that we never grew out of. For those nights when you need something fast and have no time or energy to cook, keep it a relaxed affair: a bowl of these noodles will feed you in under 30 minutes from start to finish.

Get the Buttered Noodles recipe.

This labor of love marries classic Greek eggplant moussaka with baked ziti, turning it into an eye-catching beauty of a pasta dinner that's easy enough for weeknights, but special enough for guests too.

Get the Pasta Moussaka recipe.

This simple summer-y pasta has it all: tender, garlicky morsels of eggplant, a cheesy panko topping, and lots of fresh basil. Just add your favorite pasta and you've got dinner!

Get the Garlicky Feta Eggplant Pasta recipe.

Sure, everyone loves pasta. But pasta + bacon + mushrooms? That's just out of control. Creamy and comforting, we’re (over)confident this tagliatelle will become your fast friend.

Get the Tagliatelle with Bacon and Mushrooms recipe.

This dish is no-fuss comfort food at its finest. Everyone loves broccoli when it's tossed with cheddar and Parm!

Get the One-Pot Broccoli-Cheddar Pasta recipe.

Derived from the Italian word pasticcio, which means “mix” or “hodgepodge,” pastitsio is a classic Greek casserole best described as a cross between lasagnaand moussaka. Rich and hearty, creamy and comforting, it’s well worth the extra effort it takes to put together.

Get the Pastitsio recipe.

When comfort calls, don't ignore it. This pasta is packed with protein and flavor thanks to tempeh and a simple garlic-lemon sauce. It's simple enough for a weeknight dinner but special enough to serve for a special occasion too.

Get the Tempeh & Broccoli Rabe Orecchiette recipe.

This is everything you love about chicken piccata but without the chicken. The sauce is bright and briny and extra buttery. Take your time with the mushrooms; you need to let them crisp and turn a dark golden brown (tip: wait to salt them, as salt will draw out moisture, making them soggy instead of crisp).

Get the Mushroom Piccata Pasta recipe.

We love a classic lasagna, but it can be a lot of work. This easy skillet version has everything we love about the original—including the frilly-edged long noodles—but without the confusing layering steps!

Get the Tricolore Skillet Lasagna recipe.

Roasted garlicRoasted garlic gets mashed into a paste here to create a light sauce for the pasta that adds a ton of flavor. It's simple, light, and perfect for when you want comfort without being weighed down by something overly rich. The toasted walnuts on top add a nice bite and really complete the dish, but feel free to swap or omit.

Get the Garlicky Roasted Cauliflower Pasta recipe.

Pasta night deserves a special pasta. Making your own dough does take a bit of time, but the process itself isn't complicated. The dough is made from 3 basic ingredients and comes together in minutes—use your pasta maker for best results.

Get the Homemade Pasta recipe.

Bursting with flavor and so easy to prepare, you'll be craving this pasta every week. The super-fragrant sauce is made with a lot of garlic and anchovies that will have you coming back for more, and the capers and olives add a briny saltiness to the dish. Yum!

Get the Pasta Puttanesca recipe.

Chef Millie Peartree's baked mac & cheese is famous for many reasons, the top of which is that she puts an ENTIRE layer of extra cheese in between two layers of (already cheesy) macaroni. Game. Changer.

Get the Southern Baked Mac & Cheese recipe.

Traditional bolognese sauce might take forever to cook, but this weeknight version is done in just 30 minutes. Delicate and earthy miso paste adds serious depth to the ground beef sauce.

Get the Miso Bolognese recipe.

If you're in a pinch you can sub bacon for the pancetta in this classic pasta dish, but we think it really does make a difference in the outcome. It doesn't take hours to simmer, but still comes out to be one of the best pasta sauces we've ever had. Be sure to top with lots of Pecorino and basil!

Get the Bucatini all'Amatriciana recipe.

In case you missed it, copycat recipes are kind of our speciality. This one tastes just like Olive Garden's 5-Cheese Ziti Al Forno...maybe better! Our advice: Buy a jar of marinara but make your own Alfredo! It's creamy and, yes, extra cheesy, and so easy to make. What can possibly be better?

Get the Copycat Olive Garden 5-Cheese Ziti Al Forno recipe.

Along with their creamy kale salad, Lolita’s stunning and decadent­ mac & cheese is another recipe we had to get our hands on. Its hard-to-put-the-fork-down irresistibility is based on a few factors, namely four different cheeses; cream; and caramelized garlic and onion.

Get the Lolita's Mac & Cheese recipe.

This pasta is perfect for the night that you're craving a little bit of everything. It's spicy, it's creamy, there's veggies, there's chicken, there's CHEESE... there's basically no flavor or texture that this dish doesn't have. It's rare to find a pasta dish with a good level of spice, and the jerk seasoning in this recipe does just that. On a hectic weeknight, we love having this fun and easy pasta in our back pocket.

Get the Rasta Pasta recipe.

Nicknamed "mini hot dog buns", this easy-to-shape fresh pasta will impress any dinner guest. It's perfect for beginner pasta makers because your hands, not fancy equipment, do all the shaping.

Get the Homemade Cavatelli recipe.

Why make baked spaghetti instead of regular ol' spaghetti with meat sauce, you ask? It's ALL about that melty layer of cheese on top! If you prefer, slice some fresh mozzarella to finish it off instead.

Get the Baked Spaghetti recipe.

The noodles in this stunning dish—also known as honeycomb pasta—get filled with ricotta and bake standing up in a springform pan for some serious WOW factor.

Get the Pizza Rigatoni Pie recipe.

These are, by their soft, tender, and pillowy nature, very rustic—one might even call them ugly. But worry not: Once you sauté them in butter, herbs, and pistachios, they will look every bit as delicious as they smell. You can also use them as you would store-bought gnocchi, like in our one-pan creamy chicken & gnocchi recipe.

Get the Carrot Gnocchi recipe.

For this version of lobster ravioli, wonton wrappers are used instead of pasta dough. We know that it's hardly Italian traditon, but we wanted to make this easy for you. And guess what… they are so darn delicious. The wonton wrappers are so tender and light that you really only taste the decadent lobster filling. If you want actual pasta-encased lobster ravioli, then our pasta dough is great; otherwise, we promise you’re going to make these over and over again.

Get the Lobster Ravioli recipe.

Serve this gnocchi boiled or seared, either in a caramelized sauce of bacon fat, butter, maple syrup, and bourbon (😋), or in a simple cacio e pepe-inspired finish, like in our potato gnocchi recipe.

Get the Sweet Potato Gnocchi recipe.

Homemade potato gnocchi is surprisingly easy to make and the dough is a dream to work with. Unlike pasta, there's no resting or labored rolling involved. It's as simple as roasting a few potatoes and mixing everything together.

Get the Cacio e Pepe Potato Gnocchi recipe.

Spaghetti and meatballs is the classic you've probably turned to a little too often. Switch it up and make this creamy, fresh, lemon pepper shrimp spaghetti that's bursting with flavor.Get the Creamy Lemon Pepper Shrimp Spaghetti recipe.

When you're looking for something comforting and carb-y, nothing fits the bill like a good carbonara. This version adds a bit of protein by way of sautéed chicken breasts, making it the perfect quick and easy weeknight dinner.

Get the Best-Ever Chicken Carbonara recipe.

Orecchiette, literally translating to "little ears" in Italian, is a crazy-underrated and underutilized pasta in the home kitchen. The tiny little indentations catch so much sauce! Here, the sauce is similar to that of cacio e pepe. You just need butter, pasta water, pepper, and cheese!

Get the Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe recipe.

Spaghetti and meatballs is the ultimate comfort food. It's already relatively no-fuss as far as recipes go, but throwing everything into a slow-cooker makes it even better and easier!

Get the Crock-Pot Spaghetti recipe.

Mostaccioli is a hearty baked pasta that's perfect for a weeknight dinner. It's essentially an easier version of lasagna, made with penne. Top it with plenty of cheese and you'll soon have a new favorite to add to the rotation.

Get the Baked Mostaccioli recipe.

Simply stir together ricotta, olive oil, Pecorino, and lemon and you've got yourself a restaurant-level bright creamy sauce.

Get the Lemon Ricotta Bucatini recipe.

Vegetable spaghetti is the perfect way to use up leftover summer veggies. These are a good starting point, but truly, this'll turn out great with whatever you have on hand.

Get the Vegetable Spaghetti recipe.

This dish is worth the wait: Ground lamb simmers for an hour with red wine and herbs like thyme and rosemary for maximum flavor. We've got a soft spot for pappardelle, but this pairs well with any pasta, so use your favorite.

Get the Lamb Ragu recipe.

Smoked salmon pasta sounds really fancy, but the truth is, it's one of the easiest and fastest pastas we've ever made. It comes together in just under 30 minutes making it the perfect dish to whip up for a weeknight seafood dinner, but still good enough to impress your guests for holidays and celebrations.

Get the Smoked Salmon Pasta recipe.

Pasta pomodoro is a step above from spaghetti and meatballs and highlights the freshness of tomatoes— pomodoro means 'tomato' in Italian. You're cooking down the tomatoes just enough to form a light sauce but keeping most of them intact so this past stays extra fresh. It's best enjoyed outside with a mound of grated Parmesan on top!

Get the Pasta Pomodoro recipe.

Tteokbokki is a Korean street food dish consisting of chewy rice cakes and a funky, spicy-sweet gochujang sauce. While delicious and traditional, the glutinous rice cakes are unfortunately less accessible to those of us without a Korean market around the corner. Luckily, store-bought gnocchi make for a great substitute!

Get the Tteokbokki-Style Gnocchi recipe.

Fettuccine Alfredo is one of life's greatest comfort foods. It's creamy, cheesy, carb-y, and super super flavorful. We especially love this version because the shrimp adds lots of extra flavor and some lean protein to boot!

Get the Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo recipe.

Cacio e pepe literally translates to “cheese and pepper." These two ingredients are usually thought of as small components to a dish but in this pasta recipe, they take center stage. The fruity bite of freshly ground pepper is complex, earthy, sweet and spicy all at once, and this pasta is the perfect way to show off that flavor.

Get the Cacio e Pepe recipe.

The star of this recipe is the tikka pasta sauce. Spiked with ginger and warm spices like garam masala and coriander, it pairs perfectly with yogurt-marinated chicken and Parmesan (trust us!).

Get the Chicken Tikka Alfredo recipe.

Poblanos and cilantro turn this pasta perfectly green! Feel free to reduce the amount of poblanos to 2 or 3, supplementing with roasted green bell peppers instead if you're not a fan of spice.

Get the Green Spaghetti recipe.

Fettuccine Alfredo is one of the most basic and delicious pasta recipes EVER—and it couldn't be easier to make! Our recipe is a little untraditional (there's heavy cream) but it's just as easy to whip up as the rest. Half a cup butter, cheese, and cream is all you need to make this luscious sauce.

Get the Fettuccine Alfredo recipe.

Classic lasagna, as much as we adore it, can be extremely time-consuming. These roll-ups come together in no time and couldn't be more delicious. This spinach and ricotta version (but feel free to add meat if you like!) is quick and simple and still every bit as comforting as the traditional.

Get the Lasagna Roll-Ups recipe.

This tangy, rich pasta kind of feels like mac & cheese’s cool older cousin. Maybe that’s because it comes complete with 3 layers of umami flavor: kimchi, Parmesan, and gochujang, a Korean fermented red chili paste. Trust us, the flavors work!

Get the One-Pot Creamy Kimchi Shells recipe.

The key to pulling this copycat off at home? The combination of white cheddar for deep cheesiness and white American cheese to impart a silky texture— you might want to add both to all your mac & cheese recipes from now on.

Get the Copycat Panera Bread Mac & Cheese recipe.

This delicate, luscious pasta is the epitome of spring, showcasing under-appreciated fresh produce—radish greens, which taste slightly peppery and cook down in a flash, and the "tough" dark green tops of leeks, which take a little longer to cook than the pale and white parts, but taste just as delicious. 😍

Get the Pasta Primavera recipe.

Start with Southeast Asian flair from a Thai drunken noodle base made of oyster sauce and fish sauce. Combine that with a classic creamy Italian carbonara of pappardelle pasta and pancetta, and you’ll be as amazed as we were. We can’t explain it, this just works.

Get the Thai Drunken Carbonara Noodles recipe.

This unexpected dish is comforting in the way pasta should be be—creamy and rich—plus a hint of smoke from chipotle in adobo. You're definitely going to want seconds.

Get the Chipotle Spaghetti recipe.

This is easy to make and even easier to indulge in. The real Italian way uses guancial—cured pork jowl—which has a slightly sweet, delicate flavor. If you can't find it, use pancetta or thick-cut bacon instead!

Get the Pasta Alla Gricia recipe.

Sausage and broccoli rabe is a classic pasta combination. So it felt right to feature the dynamic duo in this decadent white lasagna, held together by a creamy mornay sauce. (AKA bechamel + parmesan.) If you don't feel like making your own Italian "sausage", go with pre-made fresh sweet or hot Italian sausage, removed from the casing and crumbled.

Get the Broccoli Rabe & Italian Sausage Lasagna recipe.

Italian night is better when your two favorite pastas combine.

Get the recipe from Delish.

This no-effort creamy ricotta pasta is topped with red chili oil and buttery bread crumbs. The extra effort to make your own bread crumbs and chili oil is well worth it for this simple pasta. You might want to top all your dinners with them from now on. 😉

Get the Red Chili Ricotta Pasta recipe.

This recipe is proof that a killer tomato sauce doesn’t need a long simmer on the stovetop. You'll create a robust sauce by concentrating the cherry tomatoes' flavor through bursting them in the skillet, along with other classic enhancers, like olive oil, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Tomato paste intensifies the tomato flavor while also adding umami, which boosts the dish's savory qualities. Yum!

Get the Cherry Tomato Pasta recipe.

This recipe is a bit of a riff on a pasta puttanesca, using familiar ingredients such as capers, anchovies, and olives. But instead of sitting over a pot of simmering tomato sauce, we used sun-dried tomatoes to form a paste that, when combined with pasta water, is transformed into a luscious sauce–and it’s all made in one pan!

Get the One-Pan Tuna Pasta recipe.

If the TikTok famousbaked feta pasta is a tad salty for your taste or if you’re ready to try something new, reach for a hunk of brie instead. This melty, brie-coated pasta has earthy mushrooms, sweet shallot, smokey bacon, and a surprise sprinkled on top—kind of like if feta pasta had a cool older cousin.

Get the Baked Brie Pasta recipe.

Perfect for a night when you're craving the three C's: carbs, cheese, and comfort. This easy dinner harnesses the power of Italian sausage, jarred marinara, and gnocchi to make an extra-satisfying dish with minimal prep.

Get the One-Pan Cheesy Sausage Gnocchi recipe.

Whenever we crave steak, this dish is always what we want to make. It comes together quickly and is so full of flavor, plus the steak makes it feel extra special. It might just make you forget chicken Alfredo ever existed.

Get the Creamy Steak Fettuccine recipe.

When everything cooks together, everyone wins. The chicken finishes cooking in the sauce, making it the easiest comfort meal ever. It's what weeknight dinner dreams are made of!

Get the One-Pan Creamy Chicken & Gnocchi recipe.

The magic of a little freshly grated nutmeg is most pronounced in dairy, making stuffed shells a perfect occasion to use this special spice. You can choose between Parmesan or pecorino cheese—both are delicious. If you want to switch up the regular mozzarella for some Fontina or caciocavallo, more power to you!

Get the Stuffed Shells With Spinach recipe.

Wanna pack this baked ziti with even MORE veggies? Try throwing in some chopped bell peppers, sliced zucchini, or swap the spinach for kale! Just because it's vegetarian doesn't mean it has to be boring.

Get the Vegetarian Baked Ziti recipe.

Whether you're looking for a perfect dinner for your cozy night in or looking to impress that hot date, this is THE pasta. It's warm and cozy and filling, but not heavy. If you want to make it vegetarian you can totally skip the sausage. There's plenty of squash in there to fill you up!

Get the Brown Butter Butternut Squash Pasta recipe.

Tuscan butter is perfect on everything. Literally. We love it on shrimp, salmon, chicken, and now, gnocchi!

Get the Tuscan Butter Gnocchi recipe.

One bite and you'll forget that all you needed to pull off this fancy-tasting dish was garlic, lemon, and a fresh herb (parsley, basil, or chives all work, so use your favorite!).

Get the Garlicky Spaghetti recipe.

A good bolognese takes time. The longer you let this meat sauce simmer, the better and richer it becomes. Another key aspect, though it may be surprising, is milk. It helps to thicken the sauce and make a more cohesive sauce that clings really beautifully to pasta.

Get the Pappardelle Bolognese recipe.

Putting in the elbow grease for these squash raviolis will make you feel like a true chef and the pasta will taste 10x better just knowing you made it from scratch. A homemade pasta is no easy feat, but trust us, it is 100% worth it.

Get the Butternut Squash Ravioli recipe.

This pasta tastes like spring! Stir the cheese in off the heat to prevent clumping, and don't skimp on the lemon slices, they really brighten the creamy sauce.

Get the Lemon Asparagus Chicken Pasta recipe.

When you want a bit of decadence and elegance at the dinner table, but don't have time to make a super-fancy meal, this your recipe. It's so simple, it can be thrown together in about 30 minutes. That wine sauce is perfection.

Get the Linguine With Clams recipe.

This loaded fettuccine makes it so easy for you (and your family!) to eat your vegetables. We love adding quick-cooking shrimp to the pot for protein once the pasta is almost al-dente.

Get the One-Pot Shrimp Primavera recipe.

There is nothing quite as comforting as a baked pasta dish. The sides get a little crispy and the topping of melty cheese is to die for. Here we changed up the classic penne alla vodka by adding in ground turkey. The result is a creamy pasta that satisfies every carb craving possible with a little extra boost of protein.

Get the Baked Penne Alla Vodka with Turkey recipe.

Shrimp scampi is a classic dish and this baked version makes it even easier. The shrimp gets tossed with plenty of butter, white wine, lemon juice, and garlic which will make your kitchen smell like Italian kitchen. Bread crumbs also get sprinkled on top for that extra crunch we all love. Tossed with some angel hair pasta, this is the tastiest dinner you'll make all week.

Get the Baked Shrimp Scampi recipe.

We love that everything in this goulash cooks together in one pot– even the pasta! Cooking the macaroni directly in the goulash means the pasta gets to soak up all that beef and tomato flavor while simultaneously releasing some of its starch into the pan, thickening the goulash to create a hearty, comforting stew. Once you cook pasta this way, you might never go back to boiling water again.

Get the Goulash recipe.

Loaded with sautéed chicken breasts and crispy bacon, this hearty spaghetti recipe will please even the pickiest eaters. Feel free to use either spaghetti or angel hair (as in our video).

Get the Tuscan Chicken Pasta recipe.