Pasta Night Recipes

Rigatoni alla Zozzona

This Roman mash-up of carbonara and Amatriciana is, as Claudia Rinaldi describes it, “a dirty mess of delicious stuff.”

By Courtney HillAugust 9, 2023

Tagliatelle alla Bolognese

We do our Ragù Bolognese the authentic way—cream-free and silky-smooth. OR Ragu Bolognese—a velvety, creamy-yet-creamless meat sauce—luxuriates in ribbony tagliatelle.

By Diane UngerOctober 30, 2020

Fettuccine Alfredo

In Rome, fettuccine alfredo is totally unlike gloopy American versions—silky-smooth, buttery, and light.

By Diane UngerJune 11, 2021

Cheesy Mushroom-Thyme Fettuccine

Inspired by the fettuccine con funghi we tasted in Italy, we developed this recipe for creating a quick yet elegant dinner using supermarket ingredients. Be sure to use dried fettuccine or pappardelle made with egg; this type typically is sold coiled

By Courtney HillSeptember 11, 2024

Pasta with Pistachios, Tomatoes and Mint

Sicily is known for its pistachios, so it’s no surprise that the colorful, subtly sweet nuts feature heavily in the region's cuisine. This recipe is our take on a pistachio- and tomato-dressed pasta taught to us by Doriana Gesualdi, owner of Sicilia i

By Courtney HillDecember 10, 2018

Lemon-Garlic Fettuccine

In Amalfi, Italy, we were taught a delicious, bracing pasta dish of handmade lemon fettuccine tossed with a simple, quick sauté of garlic, olive oil and fresh lemon segments. To mimic the sweet, mild flavor of Amalfi lemons using the standard lemons a

By Diane UngerDecember 14, 2020

Pasta with “Fake” Sauce

In Italy, we learned about Tuscan sugo finto, or “fake sauce,” so called because the vegetables—onion, carrot and celery—are minced, then gently cooked in fat to the point where they resemble, in both appearance and texture, bits of long-simmered meat

By Rose HattabaughOctober 4, 2024

Miso Butter Spaghetti with Scallions

Miso and garlic deliver a flavor upgrade to that classic kid food—buttered noodles. Softened butter mixed with miso, garlic, scallion whites and lemon juice creates a simple, flavorful no-cook sauce for pasta. The heat from the noodles and some of the

By Felisia TanFebruary 19, 2025

Fettuccine with Miso and Kale Pesto

Bold, salty-sweet white miso forms the backbone of this vegan earthy kale and basil-based pesto. For richness and body, we add walnuts, echoing miso’s umami punch (pine nuts are a good stand-in for those who aren’t fans of walnuts). A few splashes of

By Dimitri DemopolousOctober 17, 2023

Cacio e Pepe

Cacio e pepe is the simplest of dishes, but achieving creamy, silky perfection took us years of attempts. We did it. And you will too.

By Rose HattabaughFebruary 12, 2024

Cheesy Mushroom-Thyme Fettuccine

Inspired by the fettuccine con funghi we tasted in Italy, we developed this recipe for creating a quick yet elegant dinner using supermarket ingredients. Be sure to use dried fettuccine or pappardelle made with egg; this type typically is sold coiled

By Courtney HillSeptember 11, 2024

Fettuccine with Asparagus and Pancetta

In Mompeo, Italy, home cook Alfonsina Cortegiani showed us how she makes pasta con asparagi e pancetta, an elegant dish featuring wispy wild asparagus and fresh egg noodles. For our adaptation, look for slender asparagus—about the size of a pencil—and

By Courtney HillFebruary 26, 2025

Pasta alla Norma

Sicilian eggplant pasta draws loads of concentrated flavor from simple ingredients.

Fettuccine with Asparagus, Lemon and Prosciutto

This fettuccine, studded with prosciutto and asparagus, plus cheese and a cut of citrus, is the first recipe we make when asparagus comes back in season.

By Rose HattabaughJanuary 25, 2022

Pasta alla Genovese

Chris describes this melty, onion-based ragù as “typically Italian”—with long-cooked pounds of onions, some meat thrown in, no “culinary somersalts.” OR Highly underrated: we think this onion-based ragù needs to be the sleeper hit of summer. (Yes, oni

By Rose HattabaughFebruary 5, 2021

Charred Red Sauce Spaghetti (Spaghetti all’Assassina)

In Bari, Italy, spaghetti is crisped til partly blackened—creating intensely concentrated tomato flavor and lasagna-like texture. OR Charring spaghetti adds rich, concentrated flavor and crunchy-chewy bits akin to the edges of a lasagna.

By Rose HattabaughApril 4, 2023

One-Pot Pasta all’Arrabbiata

Pasta all’arrabbiata—or “angry” pasta—earns its name from the spicy merger of tomato, garlic, and red pepper flakes.

Spaghetti with Lemon Pesto

This zesty, lightly perfumed lemon pesto is inspired by the world-famous lemons of Amalfi, Italy.

By Courtney HillDecember 14, 2020

Spaghetti Puttanesca

We think of puttanesca as a saucy dish built on anchovies. But in Naples, where it originates, two varieties of briny olives and pungent capers, not anchovies, give the dish bold savoriness that balances the sweetness of the tomatoes. We got a lesson

By Diane UngerFebruary 4, 2019

Pasta with Pesto Rosso

Rich red pesto, a balance of savory and sun-dried tomatoey sweetness.

By Calvin CoxJune 7, 2022

Roman Spaghetti Carbonara

A spaghetti carbonara, inspired by a remarkably airy sauce from Rome.

Skillet Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Despite its short ingredient list and reputation as dead-easy to make, pasta alla carbonara rarely is great. The eggs go from raw to scrambled in an instant; the window for achieving the perfect luxurious consistency is woefully narrow. Our skillet-on

By Hisham Ali HassanSeptember 4, 2024

Spaghetti with Prosciutto, Parmesan and Peas

In Rome, we learned to make pasta alla papalina—a lighter, brighter riff on classic carbonara. The dish has been popular since the 1920s, when, as the story goes, Cardinal Pacelli, who later became Pope Pius XII, asked chef Cesertto Simmi to create a

By Rose HattabaughJanuary 14, 2024

Rigatoni with Roman Broccoli Sauce

Romans use the leaves that grow around heads of broccoli to make a flavorful sauce for pasta. In the U.S., most of the leaves are stripped off before broccoli is sold. Our recipe instead uses the stems, which are equally flavorful and produce a silky

Rigatoni Carbonara with Peas

A favorite Roman pasta dish, carbonara comes together easily with ingredients you likely already have in the kitchen. In place of guanciale, the type of cured pork traditionally used in carbonara, we swap in smoky-sweet bacon. We also add green peas f

By Rose HattabaughNovember 15, 2022

Rigatoni with Cherry Tomatoes and Anchovies

At Osteria ai Promessi Sposi in Venice, Italy, chef Claudio Furlanis taught us how to make a dish of his own creation—pasta tossed with cherry tomatoes, sautéed onion and anchovies. Furlanis briefly roasted the tomatoes to render them soft and juicy a

By Diane UngerJanuary 26, 2022

Calabrian-Style Tomato and Sweet Pepper Sauce with Pasta

This recipe was inspired by a stewy mélange of cherry tomatoes, garlic, sweet-spicy peppers and extra-virgin olive oil that was served with flatbread at Ristorante Barbieri in Calabria. To make a sauce for pasta, we combine mini sweet peppers (usually

By Courtney HillApril 21, 2025

Rigatoni with Pistachio, Ricotta and Herb Pesto

A rich, creamy combination of pistachios and ricotta cheese, inspired by Sicilian cuisine.

Farfalle with Zucchini, Pecorino and Basil

This buttery dish features pan-fried zucchini bites and a generous heap of Pecorino romano, plus pistachios for a delightful crunch!

By Dimitri DemopolousApril 25, 2023

Pasta with Kale Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This bright green kale pesto is deeply vegetal, with toasty roasted almonds and savory Parm.

By Rose HattabaughNovember 11, 2022

Farfalle with Tomatoes, Peas and Pecorino

Fresh-flavored peas and meaty pancetta pair beautifully in our version of pasta con piselli e pomodoro. Pasta absorbs the flavor of pancetta fat and tomato juices in the skillet, which form the sauce.

By Rose HattabaughApril 22, 2022

Farfalle with Spinach and Lemon Pesto

This speedy pasta was inspired by the spaghetti al pesto di limone that Giovanna Aceto made for us on her family’s farm in Amalfi, Italy. Instead of lemon juice, which is sharp and acidic, we use lemon zest, where the essential oils reside. We use lem

By Dimitri DemopolousOctober 17, 2023

Peruvian-Style Pasta with Creamy Pepper and Cheese Sauce

Huancaína is a creamy, golden-toned sauce made by pureeing sautéed onion, queso fresco (a fresh, crumbly cheese with a mild, milky flavor), milk or cream, and ají amarillo (a variety of chili commonly used in Peruvian cooking). The sauce has myriad us

By Elizabeth MindreauDecember 15, 2021

Pasta with Sausage, Olive and Fennel Seed Ragù

This comforting pasta dish calls on a handful of high-impact ingredients, packing immense flavor into a simple ragù. Fennel seeds and Italian sausage are cooked together—bringing a double punch of aromatic, anise-y notes. Then crisp white wine, aromat

By Malcolm JacksonApril 25, 2023

Garlic Noodles

Garlic noodles are a perennial favorite at Thanh Long and Crustacean, popular family-owned Vietnamese restaurants in San Francisco and Los Angeles. The recipe is a closely guarded secret, which is why the Internet is awash with attempts to re-create t

By Courtney HillApril 29, 2025

Pasta with Ricotta, Tomatoes and Herbs

The best summer pasta is all about tossing, and garden-fresh tomatoes; the sauce requires no cooking at all. OR Rome’s best no-cook pasta sauce is the simple pleasure of fresh ingredients: just piping-hot pasta, tossed with crushed tomatoes, a heap of

By Diane UngerApril 4, 2022

Spicy Pork Noodles

Spicy pork noodles made easy, fast and flavorful.

By Shaula ClarkApril 4, 2023

Dan Dan Noodles

Sichuan dan dan mian is a spicy ground pork and sesame sauce served over a tangle of wheat noodles. We use a few Chinese staple ingredients—oyster sauce, hoisin and chili-garlic sauce—to build big flavor. Preserved mustard greens are a common addition

Peanut-Sesame Udon Noodles with Scallions

Natural peanut butter approximates the dark color and rich flavor of Chinese sesame paste, which can be difficult to find. The sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to a week; bring it to room temperature before using. Check the packaging of

By Elizabeth GermainJune 5, 2017

Spaghetti with Clams (Spaghetti con Vongole)

In this Venetian classic, clams, wine, spaghetti, and parsley create a seamless blend of light, briny, complementary flavors.

By Diane UngerDecember 17, 2021

Pasta with Lemon-Marjoram Sauce (Maccheroni con Aglio e Maggiorana)

In Mompeo, a village about 30 miles northeast of Rome, home cook Alfonsina Cortegiani taught us how she makes maccheroni con aglio e maggiorana, a simple, delicious pairing of pasta with fresh marjoram, garlic and olive oil, finished with cheese. The

By Rose HattabaughJanuary 10, 2025

Pasta with Spicy Tomato-Lentil Sauce

Italian pasta e lenticchie features the unlikely pairing of two humble ingredients—pasta and lentils—to create a comforting, rib-sticking dish. Here we use French lentils du Puy, which hold their shape nicely, and give them a head start by simmering t

By Julia RackowApril 7, 2020

Pasta with Trapanese Pesto

We hear “pesto” and see shades of green, but the word refers to prep, not pigment. It stems from pestare, to pound—this Italian sauce traditionally was made with a mortar and pestle. The basil-heavy, and therefore green, version we know best comes fro

Pesto alla Genovese

We learned to make pesto alla Genovese in its birthplace—Genoa, Italy. It traditionally is made in a mortar and pestle of nothing more than basil, pine nuts, cheese, garlic, salt and olive oil, emphasis on the basil. We use a food processor for conven

By Courtney HillAugust 6, 2018