Spinach orecchiette
This speedy, wholesome dish comes complete with a sauce made from frozen spinach, garlic, and cream – and teeny-tiny orecchiette shells are the perfect vessel to carry it. Frozen spinach isn't second-best either, as it gives the sauce more depth of flavor than fresh.
One-pot mushroom pasta
Perfect for feeding a family, this dish needs just one pot – so it's a great option if you're not in the mood for doing stacks of dishes after dinner. The spaghetti is cooked in stock and cream along with mushrooms and onions, and it all thickens up seamlessly. Finish with parsley, Parmesan, and a squeeze of lemon.
Eggplant, ricotta, and tomato spaghetti
This tangy eggplant and tomato dish originated in Sicily, where it's known as pasta alla norma. Traditionally it's served with ricotta salata – a salty, grated hard cheese – but you can add a dollop of the soft, creamy type instead. It'll still taste just as delicious!
Spinach and ricotta gnudi
Made from ricotta and flour, these tender dumplings require a little effort to make – but once you've nailed the technique, you'll be richly rewarded. They're a bit like a pasta-less pasta filling, hence their name (gnudi translates to 'naked'). You don't need to slather them in sauce; they're best served unadorned, with a little melted butter.
Pumpkin gnocchi with almond pesto
If you have a little more time on your hands, give this recipe for pumpkin gnocchi and almond pesto a go. Roasted pumpkin, flour, and nutmeg make up the little dumplings, while sage, almonds, garlic, nutritional yeast, and olive oil are blitzed into a delicious pesto sauce.
Mushroom and bacon pasta bake
A very simple and inexpensive pasta bake, this recipe is perfect when you need to make do with what's in the pantry and refrigerator. Mushrooms, crispy bacon, and peas are all combined in a cheese sauce with fusilli (corkscrew pasta), then the whole thing is finished off with a layer of melted, bubbling cheese.
Seafood tagliatelle
This simple seafood recipe takes just 30 minutes to make. First, whip up a sauce using fresh chopped tomatoes, onion, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. The shrimp and scallops should be added to the pot at the last minute so they don't overcook. Toss in some cooked linguine (flat spaghetti) or tagliatelle (medium ribbons), and you're all done.
One-pot vegetable lasagna
A vegetarian take on traditional lasagna, this one-pot wonder replaces meat with mushrooms, zucchini, and spinach. Tomato sauce and lasagna sheets are added to the same pot, then topped with Parmesan and mozzarella – and it's all broiled until golden.
Pasta puttanesca
When it comes to puttanesca, nothing you can buy in a jar comes close to a homemade version. It's very simple: tomatoes, anchovies, capers, olives, chili, and garlic are all simmered into a sauce. Stir in spaghetti or linguine, then serve with a snip of parsley, if you have it.
Crab spaghetti
For a taste of luxury, pull out all the stops and make this crab spaghetti. Though it sounds fancy, really it's just a combination of garlic, chili, parsley, crab meat (if you can't find fresh, use canned), and a squeeze of lemon. We love it with spaghetti but feel free to use whatever pasta you have available.
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