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 Bevilacqua9/31One-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 Pakradooni10/31Ravioli 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 Bevilacqua11/31Grated 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 Louie12/31Baked 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 Buser13/31Tortellini With Garlicky Brown Butter and Dill
