34 Italian Pasta Recipes Everyone Will Love

These Italian pasta recipes are delicious, filling, and full of flavor.

white bowl of curly pasta with light red Trapanese sauce and basil sprig
Photo:

Chef John

Hungry, but not sure what you want to eat? An Italian pasta dinner is always a good idea. Whether you're in the mood for classic spaghetti, hearty gnocchi, or elegant cacio e pepe, you can't go wrong with any of these Italian pasta recipes.

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Gnocchi with Sausage in Vodka Sauce

Gnocchi with Sausage in Vodka Sauce
fabeveryday

"Quick and easy! I did double both the sausage and spinach and added a bit of garlic powder (I add garlic to most things)." —fabeveryday

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Classic Italian Pastina Soup

Classic Italian Pastina Soup

Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

"Simple and delicious! Made it tonight and my husband declared it the best soup he’s ever had (and he makes some yummy homemade soups himself)!" —Belinda

03 of 34

Pasta alla Trapanese (Sicilian Tomato Pesto)

white bowl of curly pasta with light red Trapanese sauce and basil sprig

Chef John

"I made this for my wife who is hugely picky. She said it was the best thing I’ve ever made for her. This was a quick, easy, and delicious recipe that I will make for company and act like I know what I’m doing!" —SpaceCadet65

04 of 34

Gnocchi alla Sorrentina

Gnocchi alla Sorrentina

"A classic Italian 'primo,' or starter pasta, from the Campania region of Italy. Fresh tomatoes are sautéed with onion, garlic, and basil, then tossed with fresh mozzarella, basil, and your favorite gnocchi or short pasta." —Buckwheat Queen

05 of 34

Enzo's Spaghetti all'Amatriciana

Enzo's Spaghetti all'Amatriciana

"Five stars but 14 thumbs up over here. I doubled it because I had a house full of hungry people. It was perfect. Bravissimi!" —Buckwheat Queen

06 of 34

Spaghetti Risottati alle Vongole

Spaghetti Risottati alle Vongole

"If you're looking for a recipe to wow your guests, this is the one! I had never used this method for cooking pasta before and was amazed at how much flavor the pasta takes on by doing it this way. This is a meal you would pay big money for at a high-end restaurant and yet it's simple enough to do in your own home." —Soup Loving Nicole

07 of 34

Spaghetti Aglio, Olio, e Peperoncini

Spaghetti Aglio, Olio, e Peperoncini

"Holy cow. This was absolutely delicious. I doubled the recipe, tripled the garlic, and used a habanero pepper. Sprinkled with Parmesan and it was amazing." —FrackFamily5 CA—>CT

08 of 34

Ricotta Gnudi

164756302745DCFBB5-1A99-4D6E-A741-D53953FA7259.jpeg

"This is the first time I've made gnudi but am an accomplished cook. I normally don't go by recipes with very few ratings but this looked good so I tried it. I wasn't disappointed! These are very light but filling and so versatile! I can't wait to add bits of meat and/or herbs for fun — and of course, spinach!" —Chef Yvonne

09 of 34

Capellini Pomodoro (Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce)

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"Years ago, an Italian restaurant served a dish called Capellini Pomodoro which I ordered often, sometimes adding grilled chicken or shrimp to the pasta. This is my own quick version." —thedailygourmet 

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Gnocchi with Pomodoro Sauce

Gnocchi with Pomodoro Sauce
TheDailyGourmet

"Fluffy potato dumplings sautéed for a crispy exterior and tender interior with a simple tomato sauce. I used the oil from the marinated mozzarella ball container for the sauce with great success." —thedailygourmet

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Spaghetti alla Carbonara Tradizionali

looking down at a bowl of spaghetti alla carbonara tradizionali

Buckwheat Queen

"Great simple recipe. Don't forget to reserve a cup of the pasta water to mix in with everything. That starchy water will give it a nice creamy texture and keep it from being overly sticky." —Jan Elle

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Chef John's Sunday Pasta Sauce

close up view of pasta with Pasta Sauce garnished with cheese and fresh herbs in a white bowl, with sausage in a white baking dish and bread in the background
Chef John

"DELICIOUS!! I’d never made Sunday Sauce before but always wanted to! I feel I would have made my Italian ancestors very proud today. This recipe is easy yet complex — and you reap the benefits flavor-wise! My wife (somewhat picky) said it was better than anything she’s eaten at an Italian restaurant in a long time." —Jake Dinwiddie

13 of 34

Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli Soup

Slow Cooker Pasta Fagioli Soup

"Got this going early in the day and enjoyed a hearty, robust soup for dinner with a side salad and a hot baguette. The ditalini goes in for the last 15 minutes, and honestly, the soup was very liquid-y at that point. But the pasta soaked up a lot of the broth and the soup ended up with just about perfect consistency. Very tasty soup, definitely would make again." —lutzflcat

14 of 34

Pasta Fazool (Pasta e Fagioli)

close up view of Pasta Fazool, garnished with grated cheese and fresh herbs in a bowl, next to bread slices
Chef John

"New comfort food unlocked! This is the perfect meal for a cold winter’s evening. I only left out the red pepper flakes (the rest of the family are sensitive to heat), and I didn’t have oregano, so I used basil instead. Delish! The whole family loves it!" —Melissa Ann

15 of 34

Italian Pasta Sauce

Italian Pasta Sauce

"Perfect. I prepared this exactly as written. I'd always been searching for a particular flavor when making pasta sauce and they all ended up tasting similar with the same old acidic taste. This hit the spot and was exactly the flavor I wanted. The Merlot really adds depth to tame the bitter tomato! Will be adding this to my routine recipe list!" —jbean712

16 of 34

Mama Palomba's Spaghetti Sauce

Mama Palomba's Spaghetti Sauce

"We just got back from Italy and I had a craving for the Spaghetti Bolognese we had there. This recipe is a keeper! Very easy to make and so scrumptious! It has the rich flavor that I loved in Italy. Everyone in the family loved it!" —Tracy

17 of 34

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Tammy

"OMG!! Absolutely tasty and quick. Not pop-in-the-microwave quick — it took me about half an hour. The longest step was slicing the garlic while the pasta cooked. I used a combo of grated Romano and shaved parmesan. Perfect comfort food for a rainy day!" —DC Girly Girl

18 of 34

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

high angle looking at a plate full of spaghetti alla carbonara garnished with cheese

DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS 

"I am fortunate enough to have an Italian market close by and I can get guanciale. Carbonara is one of my favorite dinners. I use Pecorino-Romano cheese. The only thing I do differently is use four eggs: three whole eggs and one yolk. So delicious and my husband holds the pot while I mix in the egg mixture. Just the way they make it in Italy." —Terry Brunner Zielinski

19 of 34

Lasagne Verdi al Forno

Lasagne Verdi al Forno

"My husband made this lasagna last night and I swear it's the best lasagna I've ever had in my entire life. WOW, the bechamel sauce was awesome. Hubby comes from a family of Italians, so he wanted to make something authentic. Lemme tell ya ... this is as good as it gets!" —Ailina Willis

20 of 34

Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella

Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella

"This is one of my favorite meals — I keep gnocchi in my pantry just for dishes like this! I did add mushrooms but that's the glory of this dish — you can modify it several ways to fit your tastes (or your fridge). The leftovers are great reheated, too, which is nice for lunch the next day." —Jamie Justice Yost

21 of 34

Spaghetti alla Nerano (Spaghetti with Fried Zucchini)

Spaghetti with fried zucchini and Parmesan cheese

Marialaina Szpryngel

"This recipe represents everything that is Italy: simplicity, passion, patience, and authenticity. It’s so delicious. I’ve made this a few times and was able to make the whole recipe with just 1/4 cup of oil. Make sure to use provolone piccante, not dolce." —Buckwheat Queen

22 of 34

Rigatoni alla Genovese

close up view of Rigatoni alla Genovese in a white bowl
Chef John

"There really isn't a way to describe this pasta sauce that captures the delicious uniqueness it imparts to the rigatoni. It definitely has notes of French onion soup but there's such savory flavor from the beef. The husband enjoyed this very much and fortunately, he'll get to again soon thanks to the abundance of sauce now in the freezer." —Lacyanne

23 of 34

Spaghetti alla Gricia

Spaghetti alla Gricia

"I made this with pancetta. My family loved it. I will make it again. This is a very easy dish." —Seanwyatt

24 of 34

Pasta "Ro Malu Tempu"

Pasta "Ro Malu Tempu"

"This peasant dish from Sicily translates to 'pasta when the weather is bad.' It's what fishermen made when the weather conditions didn't allow them to fish. Besides broccoli and pasta, it uses common ingredients found in every Sicilian kitchen such as pine nuts, raisins, bread crumbs, anchovies, and saffron." —Buckwheat Queen

25 of 34

Spaghetti Aglio, Olio, e Peperoncino con Bottarga

Spaghetti Aglio, Olio, e Peperoncino con Bottarga

"Muggine bottarga (cured mullet roe) is an ancient traditional food from the island of Sardinia in Italy. A classic pasta dish from Italy becomes a specialty by adding bottarga to it." —Buckwheat Queen

26 of 34

Vegan Italian Pasta Salad with Vegetables and Olives

Vegan Italian Pasta Salad with Vegetables and Olives

"A classic vegan pasta salad from Italy's southern regions consisting of sautéed vegetables and dressed with an olive-based sauce." —Buckwheat Queen

27 of 34

Instant Pot Buckwheat Minestra

Instant Pot® Buckwheat Minestra

"My husband and I eat soup at every supper. This is a vegan soup that I make at least three times a month. We love it that much. During fall and winter, I use pumpkin or butternut squash. In the summer, I use green zucchini. I add lots of flavorful ingredients, so we never add salt." —Buckwheat Queen

28 of 34

Gnocchi alla Sorrentina

Gnocchi alla Sorrentina

"A classic Italian 'primo,' or starter pasta, from the Campania region of Italy. Fresh tomatoes are sautéed with onion, garlic, and basil, then tossed with fresh mozzarella, basil, and your favorite gnocchi or short pasta." —Buckwheat Queen

29 of 34

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe (Cima di Rapa)

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe (Cima di Rapa)

"My husband and I enjoyed this! I made just a couple of changes — used panko, as the only other bread crumbs I had on hand were seasoned. I also cut the red pepper flakes way back to suit (my) tastes. Very tasty dish, and one that hubs and I both agreed is a 'do again.'" —Kim's Cooking Now

30 of 34

Bucatini Cacio e Pepe (Roman Sheep Herder's Pasta)

Bucatini Cacio e Pepe

Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

"This is THE true recipe for Cacio e Pepe. No garlic, no frozen peas, no bacon: just the pasta, cheese, and pepper. This was a regular Friday evening dish growing up. It's still a favorite because it's delicious and inexpensive. Close your eyes and you're in Rome." —healthyeater

31 of 34

Lasagne Verdi alla Bolognese

Lasagne Verdi alla Bolognese

"Wow, what a great recipe. This is a game-changer for me! The Parmigiana and bechamel created a very light, creamy feel that is so different from using ricotta and mozzarella. We loved the Bolognese sauce, it's so flavorful and delicious! This is a labor of love and the end product delivered!" —Howard

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Pasta alla Norma

Pasta alla Norma

"This dish was pretty awesome and tasted just like it did on my last visit to Sicily — basil and garlic are the stars in this dish. I just omitted the cayenne pepper." —blueplate

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Spaghetti with Tuna and Capers

Spaghetti with Tuna and Capers

"This recipe is perfect in its simplicity. I made it as the recipe says, and it was delicious (and easy, fast, and inexpensive, too)." —Tish

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