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

Recipes
Main Dishes
Pasta

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.

Allrecipes' editorial guidelines

Published on September 30, 2022

Baked Ziti

View Recipe

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

View Recipe

15 Essential Pasta Recipes That Everyone Should Know How to Make (4)

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

View Recipe

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.

04of 16

Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

View Recipe

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

View Recipe

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.

06of 16

Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella

View Recipe

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

View Recipe

15 Essential Pasta Recipes That Everyone Should Know How to Make (9)

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.

08of 16

Pesto Pasta

View Recipe

15 Essential Pasta Recipes That Everyone Should Know How to Make (10)

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

View Recipe

15 Essential Pasta Recipes That Everyone Should Know How to Make (11)

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.

10of 16

One Pan Orecchiette Pasta

View Recipe

15 Essential Pasta Recipes That Everyone Should Know How to Make (12)

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.

11of 16

Garlic-Herb Linguine

View Recipe

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."

12of 16

Bow Ties with Sausage, Tomato, and Cream

View Recipe

15 Essential Pasta Recipes That Everyone Should Know How to Make (14)

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

View Recipe

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

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

View Recipe

15 Essential Pasta Recipes That Everyone Should Know How to Make (16)

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

15of 16

Pantry Puttanesca

View Recipe

15 Essential Pasta Recipes That Everyone Should Know How to Make (17)

"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.

16of 16

More Inspiration

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

The 30 Best Pasta Recipes to Have In Your Arsenal
8 Super-Easy Pasta Dinners Ready In 15 Minutes
15 Best Pasta Dinners For Two

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Tell us why!

FAQs

15 Essential Pasta Recipes That Everyone Should Know How to Make ? ›

The basic ingredients are simple and cheap: flour, water, salt, and maybe some eggs. Whether you make your own or buy it at the store, pasta is a great way to feed the family without breaking the bank.

View Details ›

What are the essentials of pasta? ›

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

Learn More ›

What are the 4 main pasta dishes? ›

Gricia, Carbonara, Cacio e Pepe, and Amatriciana are all simple pastas that share the same big flavors of Pecorino-Romano, black pepper, and—in three of the dishes—cured pork. Published Oct. 18, 2018.

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.

Show Me More ›

What is the 10 100 1000 rule pasta? ›

The pasta is flavored by the salt water, so not enough salt will leave the pasta bland. If you want to get technical you can use the golden rule of 10-100-1000, 10 grams of salt to 100 grams of pasta, to 1000 grams of water.

Why do they say not to rinse pasta? ›

“You're really just washing off those natural starches that are coming out of the pasta from the cooking, and that's such an integral part of pulling the sauce together,” Adler said. The starch on the pasta is what helps the sauce cling to it.

Find Out More ›

Do and don'ts of cooking pasta? ›

How to Cook Pasta

Step 1: Use a Large, Lightweight Pot.
Step 2: Salt the Water at the Right Time.
Step 3: Stir the Pasta Occasionally.
Step 4: Test for Doneness.
Don't Break the Pasta.
Don't Add Oil to the Pot.
Don't Discard the Cooking Liquid.
Don't Rinse Cooked Pasta.

Apr 3, 2023

Discover More Details ›

What not to do when making pasta? ›

8 Pasta Mistakes That Are Ruining Your Meal

Using a pot that's too small.
Not salting the cooking water properly.
Adding oil to the cooking water.
Breaking the noodles.
Not checking the pasta often enough.
Not saving any pasta water.
Rinsing the pasta.
Not considering the combination of pasta shape and sauce.

Jan 26, 2023

Learn More ›

What is the pasta water trick? ›

Don't pour all the pasta water down the drain.

Take a ladle of the water—a quarter cup or so—and set it aside before draining your pasta, then add that water to your sauce. The way you drain the pasta can also affect the flavor and texture.

Should I put oil on pasta after cooking? ›

“I'd toss the cooked pasta with a small amount of olive oil after draining it,” she says. Just don't go crazy—think a couple teaspoons max. Greasing it up will make it harder for the sauce or dressing to stick when you do eventually add it.

Learn More ›

What is the rarest pasta dish? ›

Su filindeu—literally “threads of God” in Sardo—is unfathomably intricate. It's made by only three women on Earth, all of whom live on Sardinia. And they make it only for the biannual Feast of San Francesco. It's been this way for the last 200 years.

Keep Reading ›

What is the number one pasta in the world? ›

Spaghetti is the most popular of all the pasta types. It is the favorite of many, especially kids. Indeed, this is one of the most frequently cooked pasta worldwide. It is also usually available in most restaurants.

What 3 basic ingredients are used in the production of pasta? ›

Pasta products contain milled wheat, water, and occasionally eggs and/or optional ingredients. Pasta manufacturers typically use milled durum wheat (semolina, durum granulars, and durum flour) in pasta production, although farina and flour from common wheat are occasionally used.

What are the 5 classifications 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).

Discover More Details ›

What are the three ingredients all pastas are made of? ›

but it's not what you put in your pasta but how you. make it. That's what makes Vannelli pasta the best.

See Details ›