8 Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes (2024)

By:Nagi

54 Comments

Here are 8 fantastic quick and easy pasta recipes! No matter how bare your cupboards are, I bet you can scrape together the ingredients for one of these classic Italian pasta dishes.

Choose from a classicAglio e Olio (garlic pasta), tomato basil pasta, Spaghetti Napolitana (tomato pasta),Arrabiata (spicy tomato pasta), pasta with anchovies, spaghetti with olives and tuna pasta!

8 Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes (1)

8 quick and easy Pasta Recipes

Here are 8 quick pasta recipes that are simple Italian classic pasta dishes.

Don’t mistakesimple for bland, because while these are quick and easy, all of these are totally slurp-worthy and you’ll find these on the menu of trattoria’s all across Italy.

I used to have these scrawledin my barely legiblehandwriting on a scrap of paper stuck on my fridge, along with my “go to marinades” (which I summarised into oneimage in this posthere). Much neater typed out into this post!

Click herefor a PDF printable version of all these recipes on one page.

These are simple easy pasta recipes that are classic Italian pasta dishes. Never mistake simple for bland!

8 Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes (2)

8 Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes (3)

More really quick pasta dishes

Tomato Bacon Pasta
Really Quick Broccoli Pasta
Sausage Pasta
Creamy Garlic Prawn Pasta
Vegetable Pasta – One Pot!
Fettuccine Alfredo
Mushroom Pasta
Orecchiette Sausage Pasta in creamy tomato sauce
Pesto Pasta – with plenty of pesto sauce!
Pasta

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8 Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes (14)

8 simple Italian Pasta Recipes

Author: Nagi

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 20 minutes mins

Mains, Pasta

Western

5 from 17 votes

Servings6 people

Tap or hover to scale

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These pasta recipes are simple Italian classics you'll find in trattorias all across Italy. “Pantry” meals that take less than 15 minutes to make, each makes enough for 6 people. For all recipes, follow the Base Steps then move onto the recipe specific steps. Clickherefor a PDF printable version of all these recipes on one page.

Use the recipe slider to change the serving size.

Key step (especially for simple pastas like these) - tossing the sauce with the cooked pasta and a splash of pasta cooking water. The fat in the sauce reacts with the starch in the cooking water, thickening the sauce and making it stick to the pasta strands. This is the proper way to make pasta - no self respecting Italian or restaurant would ever skip this step!

Ingredients

  • 1 lb/500 g dried spaghetti (or other long pasta)

PASTA WITH OLIVE OIL & GARLIC (AGLIO E OLIO):

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 10 garlic cloves , sliced
  • 1 tbsp red chilli flakes
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley

FIERY PASTA (ARRABIATA):

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves , crushed
  • 21 oz / 600g crushed tinned tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp chilli flakes
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley

PASTA WITH ANCHOVIES (SPAGHETTI CON LE ACCIUGHE):

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves , crushed
  • 2 tbsp anchovies , finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp red chilli flakes
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley

AMATRICE SPAGHETTI (SPAGHETTI ALL’AMATRICIANA):

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves , crushed
  • 1/2 brown onion , diced
  • 14 oz/400g crushed tinned tomatoes
  • 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
  • 6 oz/ 180g thinly sliced guanciale , or diced pancetta or bacon

FRESH TOMATO & BASIL SAUCE (POMAROLA):

  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves , crushed
  • 24 oz/800g fresh cherry tomatoes , halved
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil , lightly packed

TOMATO SPAGHETTI (SPAGHETTI NAPOLITANA):

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves , crushed
  • 1 brown onion , diced
  • 28 oz / 800g crushed tinned tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil , lightly packed

SPAGHETTI WITH OLIVES AND CAPERS (SPAGHETTI ALLA PUTTANESCA):

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves , crushed
  • 14 oz/400g crushed tinned tomatoes
  • 1/2 tbsp red chilli flakes
  • 4 oz/100g black sliced olives
  • 2 tbsp capers
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley

PASTA WITH TUNA (SPAGHETTI AL TONNO):

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves , crushed
  • 1/2 brown onion , diced
  • 14 oz/400g crushed tinned tomatoes
  • 5 oz/150g tinned tuna
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Instructions

Base Directions (for All):

  • Cook 1lb/500g of dried spaghetti (or any other long dried pasta) in a large pot of salted boiling water per packet MINUS 1 minute.

  • Meanwhile, prepare one of the sauces below.

  • When pasta is ready, scoop out 1 cup of pasta cooking water, and drain pasta.

  • Add pasta into chosen sauce with 3/4 cup pasta cooking water.Toss pasta until sauce thickens and sticks to pasta (called "emulsifying" the sauce), 1 - 2 minutes.Use more pasta water if needed to loosen sauce.

  • Season with salt and pepper to taste. Finish pasta per chosen recipe.

PASTA WITH OLIVE OIL & GARLIC (AGLIO E OLIO):

  • Heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook until golden - be careful not to burn it.

  • Toss with pasta and cooking water per Base Directions. Toss through parsley and chilli flakes, serve with parmesan.

FIERY PASTA (ARRABIATA):

  • Heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic, stir until fragrant, then add the tinned tomatoes and chilli flakes, simmer on medium for 5 minutes.

  • Toss with pasta and cooking water per Base Directions. Toss through parsley and serve with parmesan.

PASTA WITH ANCHOVIES (SPAGHETTI CON LE ACCIUGHE):

  • Heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and anchovies, stir until the garlic is fragrant and the anchovies have melted.

  • Toss with pasta and cooking water per Base Directions. Toss through parsley and chilli flakes, and serve with parmesan.

AMATRICE SPAGHETTI (SPAGHETTI ALL’AMATRICIANA):

  • Heat oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic, onion and guanciale (or pancetta or bacon) and cook until the onion has softened and the guanciale is golden.

  • Add the tinned tomatoes and chilli flakes and bring to rapid simmer. Toss with pasta and cooking water per Base Directions. Serve with parmesan.

FRESH TOMATO & BASIL SAUCE (POMAROLA):

  • Heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and cookuntil fragrant, add tomato and cook briefly, just to warm through.

  • Toss with pasta and cooking water per Base Directions. Toss through basil, serve with parmesan.

TOMATO SPAGHETTI (SPAGHETTI NAPOLITANA):

  • Heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, then add the onion and cook until softened. Then add tinned tomatoes and 1/2 cup water, simmer 5 minutes.

  • Toss with pasta and cooking water per Base Directions. Toss through basil and serve with parmesan.

SPAGHETTI WITH OLIVES AND CAPERS (SPAGHETTI ALLA PUTTANESCA):

  • Heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, then add tinned tomatoes, chilli flakes, olives, capers and 1/2 cup water. Simmer 3 minutes.

  • Toss with pasta and cooking water per Base Directions. Toss through parsley and serve with parmesan.

PASTA WITH TUNA (SPAGHETTI AL TONNO):

  • Heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the onion and cook until softened, then add the tinned tomatoes and 1/2 cup water. Simmer 3 minutes, then add the tuna.

  • Toss with pasta and cooking water per Base Directions. Toss through parsley. Seafood pasta typically not served with parmesan but you can if you want!

Recipe Notes:

TIPS:

  • Canned tomatoes - not all canned tomatoes are created equal. Good quality ones are naturally sweet with better tomato flavour, poor quality ones are sour and often unripe tomatoes. If needed,add sugar to sweeten tomatoes.
  • Salted boiling water - use a big pot of water and 1 tbsp salt. Stir pasta once or twice while cooking.
  • Time the pasta so it finishes cooking when the sauce is ready. If you leave cooked pasta sitting in a colander, it sticks together and goes hard as it cools. Ideal is to use tongs to transfer it straight out of the boiling water into the sauce - no colander needed!
  • Pasta sticks together -If your pasta DOES start to stick together and go hard, loosen it up with a splash of the reserved pasta cooking water (don't rinse it with tap water, this washes away the starch which stops the sauce from clinging to the pasta). Alternative is to use a drizzle of oil - drizzle and toss while hot.

Nutrition information is for Oglio e Olio, per serving.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 181gCalories: 468cal (23%)

Keywords: pasta dishes, pasta recipes, quick pasta recipes

Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

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54 Comments

  1. 8 Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes (18)Jonas says

    8 Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes (19)
    This was a very texturizing dish it made my taste buds unable to predict what would happen next the slippery pasta sauce made me quench my muscles as soon as the flavor hit me if I was a pasta and he was my cousin at family reunions my family would try to compare me to him and tell me to grow up just like him when I’m older I used to have depression but after this I realized how much life had to live for I have never been so happy in life it made me quit my job to eat this pasta professionally my wife left me and took the kids because I invested all my money into a restaurant that only sells this pasta I haven’t decided what name to give it if u have any suggestions please reach out to me ive decided to add my own ingredient into the pasta to spice it up a bit i get mini pieces of meat and throw it in there the meat I choose very from time to time because my mood changes lots my favorite meat to put in the pasta is cheese Smokey because the cheese adds a contrast to the meal

    Reply

  2. 8 Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes (24)Natalie says

    FIERY PASTA (ARRABIATA there seems to be a misprint. other sources say arrabiata has 2tsp of red pepper. not 2 TBSP.

    Reply

  3. 8 Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes (25)Deb Faulkner says

    Hi Nagi
    I’m wondering if I can add white wine to the pasta aglio E olio. I just had it in Bali at an Italian restaurant and was with white wine and Wagyu beef . So delicious. Should I just add a splash of wine?
    Thanks deb

    Reply

  4. 8 Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes (30)Marilyn Peters says

    Love all your recipes they are tasty, not too complicated to be ready for weeknight dinners….

    Reply

  5. 8 Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes (31)Eric says

    We’ve done the Aglio e olio two times and it was always a hit. I’m hosting a zoom recipes dinner in a couple of weeks with a few of our friends and this is what I’ll have everyone do.

    Reply

  6. 8 Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes (32)Cheryl says

    8 Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes (33)
    Made the SPAGHETTI ALL’AMATRICIANA tonight & it was a hit! Delicious, fresh & easy. Thanks again Nagi – you are THE BEST 🙂

    Reply

  7. 8 Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes (34)Briza says

    Great recipes Nagi as always. The puttanesca I have been doing for years pretty much exactly the same, but have always added anchovies for depth of flavour. Love your work, this has to be the best food blog in the universe haha

    Reply

  8. 8 Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes (37)Ben says

    8 Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes (38)
    Made the tuna pasta tonight and my god! Bloody tasty! Only thing I did different was use more garlic cuz I love it, and a touch of salt and pepper for flavour. I also used more tuna as well.

    Ate the whole lot and my 7 year old devoured it!

    Reply

  9. 8 Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes (39)EV says

    8 Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes (40)
    Made the tomatoes and basil pasta and turned out delicious. Will have to try the rest of the recipes.

    Reply

  10. 8 Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes (45)Fule says

    8 Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes (46)
    This woman is a kitchen boss..i love your recipes. Clear, straight to the point and easy.

    Reply

  11. 8 Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes (47)gianina valla says

    8 Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes (48)
    hi, i cooked the pasta pomarola and it was amazingly easy and fast. Everybody love it… thank you so much for these recipes….

    Reply

Older Comments
8 Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What can I put in pasta if I don't have anything? ›

Garlic butter is a terrific way to season all types of noodles. Simply melt butter and sprinkle in some garlic powder. Toss your spaghetti or favorite type of pasta in this delightful mixture to create a filling and appetizing meal.

How to jazz up boring pasta? ›

Fresh or dried herbs will also add flavor to pasta dishes.

"I use a lot of parsley, either fresh or even dried," Montillo said. "Oregano, garlic powder, onion flakes, black pepper all work well in a variety of sauces."

What should I add to plain pasta? ›

What simple ingredients can I add to plain cooked pasta to make it taste better? I like butter, garlic, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Salt, pepper, and a little olive oil (or a teaspoon of butter) compose a light but pleasant pasta dish.

What should you not put in pasta? ›

DON'T add oil to your cooking water

All this does is prevent your sauce from sticking to your pasta. If you cook your pasta in enough water as I mention in the first point, your noodles will not stick together.

What can you add to pasta that is unique? ›

Now's the time to get really creative with your pasta. Add in some chopped olives or jarred tapenade, quartered artichoke hearts, or sun-dried tomatoes in oil, capers, sliced pickled chiles or roasted red peppers, drained canned tuna or other tinned seafood.

How do you pimp up pasta? ›

Garnish your pasta with a grating of lemon zest, some crunchy breadcrumbs or even a crumble of crispy bacon to add texture and taste. Herb it up. Experiment with lots of fresh herbs in your pasta dishes.

What can I add to pasta to make it tastier? ›

Simply add a tablespoon of olive oil to the boiling water before adding the pasta. In addition, you can also try tossing the cooked pasta with a sauce made with fresh ingredients, such as garlic, olive oil, fresh basil, or crushed tomatoes. This can help to bring out the flavor of the pasta and make it more satisfying.

How to make pasta for idiots? ›

Pasta Cooking for Dummies
  1. #1 Salted water. 10:100:1000. ...
  2. #2 Boiling water. Add the pasta to the water once it's boiling, not before. ...
  3. #3 No oil, never rinse. Please, just no. ...
  4. #4 Test for doneness. The sauce shall always wait for the pasta, never the other way round. ...
  5. #5 Reserve cooking water.
Sep 8, 2020

How to make spaghetti like ramen? ›

Here's a little trick that feels like an edible science experiment, but the result is pretty good! If you don't have a package of ramen on-hand, “ramenize” your spaghetti by adding baking soda to a pot of water. It adds alkali, which is what gives ramen its chewy, bouncy texture and yellowish hue.

What can I add if I don't have enough pasta sauce? ›

Thankfully, you probably have something in your pantry or fridge that you can use in its place. Let's look at four possible substitutes for tomato sauce: The two best are tomato paste and canned tomatoes, while ketchup and tomato soup can be used for certain recipes when you are really in a pinch.

What can I add to cook pasta? ›

It's necessary that you salt the water before adding the pasta so that the pasta can absorb the salted water while cooking and retain flavor. A little salt in the pasta water can go a long way, adding flavor to your final dish. Once the pasta is cooked, you have lost your chance to season the pasta.

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