We are not wrong when we say that Italian pasta is one of the most popular foods on the planet. Cheap, nutritious and versatile, everyone likes it (or almost) and it is very easy to cook. But the best thing is how well we can eat with a pasta dish on the table. It is not surprising that it has become an indispensable product in our pantries.
In this house (and surely in many of you too) pasta is always welcome and celebrated. Whether in its most traditional format (such as carbonara or bolognese – queens of pasta universe) or born from the desire to innovate and/or improvisation. Today we take a trip through the best 79 italian pasta recipes from Direct to the Palate that we have been sharing over the years.
In general, short pasta is usually accompanied by sauces with body and small chunks, while creamy sauces are better for long pasta. However, there is no written rule about what pasta to accompany with what sauces, so among our recipes you will find a bit of everything. We hope you will make them your own and that they will inspire you to create your ideal combinations. Let’s go to the mess.
short pasta
Penne all’Arrabbiata
As simple as delicious, the penne all’arrabbiata They are one of the regulars of Roman trattorias. A pasta dish with tomato, with a spicy touch, which is delicious when done well. “Arrabbiata” literally means “enraged” or “angry”, an expression that warns of the spicy nature of the dish, similar to what happens with our patatas bravas.
Ingredients for four people: 500 g of penne or other short pasta, extra virgin olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic, 60 g of pancetta, 480 g of naturally preserved tomatoes, ground cayenne pepper, salt, fresh basil and Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese.
Elaboration: In a large frying pan, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and cook two minced garlic cloves. When it starts to sizzle, add about 60 g of bacon cut into strips and cook until it is well browned. We now add a large can of whole peeled tomato, which we can chop in the can itself. We do not discard the juice. We salt a little and let the tomato cook until it is concentrated, which will take us half an hour. While the sauce is cooking, bring plenty of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta following the manufacturer’s instructions. Five minutes before taking out the pasta, add a handful of fresh basil to the sauce. When the pasta is ready, add it to the sauce and cook everything together for a minute. We serve with grated cheese to taste.
Other recipes with short pasta
long pasta
Fettuccine Alfredo
This dish owes its name to its creator, Alfredo di Leilo, chef of the Alfredo alla Scrofa restaurant located at 104 Via Scrofa in Rome. Di Leilo’s star recipe was the fettuccine alfredo, a dish that became world famous at the beginning of the 20th century thanks to several Hollywood stars who spread the word. With a sauce similar to the burro sauce, only with more butter. Simple and quick, it can be prepared while we cook the pasta, which makes it a great resource for those occasions when there is little time to cook.
Ingredients for four people: 350 g fettuccine or similar pasta, 80 g butter, 80 g Parmesan cheese (plus more to serve), ground black pepper, and salt.
Elaboration: heat plenty of salted water and cook the pasta when it is boiling happily. Check the cooking well to remove it with a skimmer or tongs a couple of minutes before the time marked on the package to be al dente, as we will need extra cooking time later. Leave the pasta draining over a sieve, trying not to pile it up too much, and keep all or almost all of the water. Pour two ladles of that water with the butter into a large frying pan and heat. Stir gently with a whisk until melted Add half the cheese and stir until melted. Add the pasta to the pan, stirring well, and a few more ladles of water until you get the desired consistency. Incorporate the rest of the cheese, stir and add plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Serve with more cheese and pepper on each plate.
Other recipes with long pasta
Stuffed pasta
Vegetable lasagna
This is a lasagna in which the sheets of pasta alternate with two different sauces, tomato and bechamel sauce, and three different filler layers: mushrooms and spinach, carrot and broccoli and onion and eggplant. The order in which we place the filling layers does not affect the result, so you can vary it to taste.
Ingredients for four people: 12 mushrooms, 75 g fresh spinach, 2 baby carrots, 1/2 broccoli, 1 onion, 1/2 aubergine, 50 g fried tomato or tomato sauce, 500 ml bechamel sauce, 10 precooked lasagna sheets, 50 g grated parmesan, salt and ground black pepper.
Preparation of the mushroom and spinach filling. Wash the mushrooms and dry them well. Chop and sauté in a pan with a little extra virgin olive oil. As soon as they begin to change color, season with salt and pepper, add the spinach and cover. Let both ingredients cook with the residual heat.
Preparation of the carrot and broccoli filling. Wash the carrots and broccoli well. Cut the carrot into small cubes and chop the broccoli (trunk included). Heat a little extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan and sauté both vegetables together over low heat, seasoned to taste, until al dente.
Preparation of the onion and eggplant filling. Peel and chop the onion. Wash the aubergine and cut into small cubes. Heat a little extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan and sauté both vegetables (seasoned to taste) at the same time, over low heat, until they are very tender and cooked.
Assembling the vegetable lasagna. We cover the base of a rectangular baking dish with a couple of tablespoons of tomato sauce or fried tomato and a little bechamel sauce. Place two sheets of pasta on top. On them a layer of the mushroom and spinach stuffing and a little sauce (bechamel or tomato, to taste). Cover with two other sheets of pasta, a layer of the carrot and broccoli filling and a little more sauce. We finish with another layer of pasta, the last filling, more sauce and a last layer of pasta. We spread the rest of the bechamel sauce over the entire surface, letting it drip down the sides, and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan. Bake in the oven, preheated to 200º C, for about 20 minutes or until the surface is slightly golden. We serve immediately.
Other stuffed pasta recipes
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