Advertisement

27 Simple Pasta Recipes Anyone Can Master

It doesn’t take a million fancy ingredients to make an incredible meal. Don’t believe us? Here are 27 simple pasta recipes made with classic veggies and fridge and pantry staples, perfect for beginners and experts alike. Now off you go, master chef.

RELATED: These 17 Low-Carb Pasta Recipes Are on Your Diet

1. Cacio e Pepe

This Italian classic is the definition of “easy to make.” It’s just butter, cheese, pasta and freshly ground pepper.

Get the Recipe

2. One-Pot, 15-Minute Pasta Limone

This one-pot, 15-minute pasta limone is like dinner in your back pocket: You likely have most of the ingredients in your kitchen already, and it comes together in practically no time.

Get the Recipe

3. Bucatini Amatriciana

Tieghan Gerard from Half Baked Harvest has done it again. Here, she brings us a delightful combo of cherry tomatoes, rosemary, and, yes, smoked bacon.

Get the Recipe

4. Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

What’s that delicious smell? It’s not the trattoria downstairs…it’s your kitchen. Heidi Larsen’s traditional spaghetti alla carbonara is worth making for the wafting scent alone.

Get the Recipe

5. Skillet Pasta with Summer Squash, Ricotta and Basil

Serve up this skillet pasta with summer squash, ricotta and basil instead. Best of all, this one-pan meal is ready in half an hour.

Get the Recipe

6. Pasta Florentine with Grilled Chicken

You love chicken. You love pasta. Why not combine them into this creamy, smoky and downright delightful pasta Florentine with grilled chicken?

Get the Recipe

7. Roasted Broccoli and Bacon Pasta Salad

Roasted broccoli, crispy bacon and hearty pasta make one helluva salad. Serve it as a side dish or a main dish—your call.

Get the Recipe

8. Mezzi Paccheri Pasta with Burrata Cream, Guanciale and Saffron

Aida Mollenkamp’s burrata cream and guanciale pasta was inspired by a trip to the Tuscan hilltop town of Castelfalfi. (Just claim the story as your own.)

Get the Recipe

9. Cheesy Kale Farfalle Pasta

Kale, lemon and pecorino cheese are ridiculously delicious toppings for simple bow-tie pasta. (The kids will be into this one too.)

Get the Recipe

10. Four-Ingredient Stovetop Mac and Cheese

Step away from the blue box. You need only four ingredients to whip up your own homemade macaroni and cheese.

Get the Recipe

11. Easy Vegan Sausage Mushroom Marinara Pasta

You don’t need a refrigerator full of vegan ingredients to make a veg-friendly pasta. Case in point: Gena Hamshaw’s five-ingredient vegan sausage and mushroom pasta with marinara sauce.

Get the Recipe

12. Pesto Pasta Salad

Three words: tiny cheese balls. We’re loving the bursts of flavor in Maria Lichty’s pesto pasta salad that includes mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil.

Get the Recipe

13. Five-Ingredient Butternut Squash, Arugula and Goat Cheese Pasta

Crunchy pine nuts top this sweet and savory whole-wheat pasta that’s just as delicious on your dinner plate as it is at your desk for lunch the next afternoon.

Get the Recipe

RELATED: 14 Kid-Friendly Pasta Recipes the Whole Family Will Devour

14. 15-Minute Lemony Broccolini Pasta

It’s gorgeous enough to serve at your next dinner party, but not too fancy for the kiddos.

Get the Recipe

15. One-Pot Tomato Basil Pasta

The best part (beyond having just one pot to clean)? Once you’ve mastered this version, you can customize the recipe to your heart’s content.

Get the Recipe

16. Goat Cheese Pasta with Spinach and Artichokes

This goat cheese pasta is bound to be a hit, and if you’re wondering, it takes only 25 minutes to make.

Get the Recipe

17. Salami, Artichoke and Ricotta Pasta Salad

A few classic Italian flavors come together for one simple yet satisfying dish.

Get the Recipe

18. Spaghetti with Avocado Pasta Sauce

This recipe is rich but totally virtuous, and the whole meal takes just 30 minutes to prepare. (Cue singing angels.)

Get the Recipe

19. One-Pot Creamy Chicken Alfredo

Traditionally, you’d cook the pasta and sauce in at least two different pans, but in this 35-minute recipe, everything comes together in a single pot.

Get the Recipe

20. Avocado and Black Bean Pasta Salad

We discovered a while back that pasta and avocado are meant to be together.

Get the Recipe

21. Shrimp and Pasta Stew

Stew doesn't have to mean hours in the kitchen. This recipe comes together in just about 30 minutes, making it an easy staple.

Get the Recipe

22. Pasta Pomodoro

Whip up a quick Italian classic that looks fancy, but it’s really just spaghetti with tomato sauce.

Get the Recipe

23. Creamy Sweet Corn Pappardelle

We don’t always eat vegan, but it’s a fun bonus when a creamy, delightful dish just so happens to be plant-based.

Get the Recipe

24. Pasta Alla Norma

Best of all, you can make four servings for less than $10. Salute!

Get the Recipe

25. Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Pasta Salad

This recipe combines all of our favorite fall flavors (mmm...butternut squash). We have a feeling you'll be making this all season long.

Get the Recipe

26. Spicy Corn Carbonara

Imagine a plate of pasta that’s lusciously creamy, but not heavy.

Get the Recipe

27. Easy Vegan Pizza Pasta Bake

Tastes like pizza, but with added frozen veggies and tofu feta, it’s actually pretty nutritious.

Get the Recipe