64 Pasta Recipes That Go Way Beyond Spaghetti and Meatballs (2024)

64 Pasta Recipes That Go Way Beyond Spaghetti and Meatballs (1)

We know, spaghetti and meatballs is a classic for a reason, but sometimes you want to upgrade your usual weeknight dinner. Whether you're preparing for a fancy date night or a dinner party night amongst friends, we've got all the ways you can liven up your spaghetti game.

When there are so many classic Italian pasta dishes, it can be hard to choose. Especially when that means you could have pasta puttanesca, carbonara, and or spaghetti Bolognese. Whatever you choose, don't skimp on the Parmesan cheese.

Maybe you're craving the more cheesy side of the pasta spectrum, and we 100% support that. In that case, it doesn't get any better than our lemon ricotta pasta, creamy three-cheese spaghetti, brie spaghetti, and of course, cacio e pepe. Our best pro-tip no matter how you dress your spaghetti: Save that pasta water! The starchiness of the pasta water, when tossed with your spaghetti, allows for the sauce to slick every noodle.

And hey, we won't knock you if you want to just curl up with a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs. We've got plenty of recipes for the best homemade spaghetti sauce, best jarred pasta sauces you can find at the store, and even how to properly cook pasta and make homemade pasta dough. And please don't forget the meatballs.

Looking for more pasta recipes? Try these baked pasta recipes, our favorite summer pasta dishes, and all the best pasta salad recipes.

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1

Spaghetti and Meatballs

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Meet your new favorite comforting, no-frills bowl of spaghetti and meatballs that you can take in any direction. We love this simple Marcella Hazan-inspired spaghetti sauce, and we especially love changing up our classic Italian meatball recipe with all kinds of fun flavor combinations, like cheesy Tex-Mex meatballs and spicy harissa meatballs.

Get the Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe.

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2

Garlicky Spaghetti

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Anchovies are totally optional in this recipe; The garlic, however, is not! If you're a major garlic fan, you gotta top this with our garlic butter meatballs, too!

Get the Garlicky Spaghetti recipe.

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3

Cacio e Pepe

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Cacio e pepe literally translates to “cheese and pepper." These two ingredients are usually thought of as small components to a dish, but in this pasta recipe, they take center stage. The fruity bite of freshly ground pepper adds complexity, and is earthy, sweet and spicy all at once.

Get the Cacio e Pepe recipe.

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4

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

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If Julia Child taught America how to roast chicken, Marcella Hazan taught us how to make good pasta sauce. Her version is a little unconventional; the onion isn't sautéed, the sauce simmers for less than an hour, and there's a lot of butter. It's the easiest and, most likely, best red sauce you'll ever make at home.

Get the Homemade Spaghetti Sauce recipe.

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5

Easy Carbonara

This pasta dish with Roman origins is a sure win, calling for just 5 ingredients and done in 20 minutes. It’s basically a pantry dive—spaghetti, bacon, garlic, eggs, and Parmesan are all ingredients that are easy to have on hand and make this the ultimate comfort food.

Get the Easy Carbonara recipe.

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6

One-Pan Tuna Pasta

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Using canned or jarred tuna in pasta is a cheap and delicious way to add some protein to a meal. Italians do it with pasta al tonno, and Americans do it (in our own way) with tuna noodle casserole. This recipe is a bit of a riff on pasta puttanesca, using familiar ingredients such as capers, anchovies, and olives.

Get the One-Pan Tuna Pasta recipe.

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7

Creamy Lemon Pepper Shrimp Spaghetti

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Spaghetti and meatballs is the classic you've probably turned to a little too often. Switch it up and make this creamy, fresh, lemon pepper shrimp spaghetti that's bursting with flavor.

Get the Creamy Lemon Pepper Shrimp Spaghetti recipe.

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8

Pasta Puttanesca

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The super-fragrant sauce is made with a lot of garlic and anchovies that will have you begging for seconds. It's definitely a break from the classic spaghetti and meatballs, especially with the capers and olives adding a briny saltiness to this classic dish. Serve it with the best garlic bread ever and call it a day.

Get the Pasta Puttanesca recipe.

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9

Lemon Ricotta Pasta

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This is the perfect summertime dish. It's fresh and light, and it instantly had us in love. If you can't find fat bucatini, use any long pasta like spaghetti or linguine instead!

Get the Lemon Ricotta Pasta recipe.

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10

Instant Pot Spaghetti

Yes, you really can throw all your spaghetti ingredients in the Instant Pot. It's a win-win: You get dinner on the table fast, but with a homemade marinara instead of the jarred stuff. We bet it will soon be the meal you turn to as often as Tuscan butter salmon or Instant Pot chicken noodle soup.

Get the Instant Pot Spaghetti recipe.

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11

Vegetable Spaghetti

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Vegetable spaghetti is the perfect way to use up leftover summer veggies. These are a good starting point, but truly, this'll turn out great with whatever you have on hand.

Get the Vegetable Spaghetti recipe.

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12

Smoked Salmon Pasta

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Smoked salmon pasta sounds really fancy, but the truth is it's the easiest and fastest pasta we've ever made. If you aren't necessarily a fan of smoked salmon our garlic butter salmon would be just as amazing in this pasta!

Get the Smoked Salmon Pasta recipe.

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13

Crock-Pot Spaghetti

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Yes, it's true: This entire meal (including the pasta!) can be made in the Crock Pot. Love this recipe? Check out our slow-cooker chicken alfredo for your next pasta night.

Get the Crock-Pot Spaghetti recipe.

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14

Kung Pao Spaghetti

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Our best copycat of California Pizza Kitchen's kung pao chicken spaghetti is saucy and extremely easy to make. We don't know why we haven't just been making it ourselves at home.

Get the Kung Pao Spaghetti recipe.

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15

Godfather Sunday Sauce

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This recipe is truly an offer you cannot refuse. With both meatballs and Italian sausage, this is a stick-to-your-rib meals that tastes just like your Nonna would make.

Get the Godfather Sunday Sauce recipe.

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16

Chipotle Spaghetti

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This Mexican-ized spin on spaghetti with red sauce is creamy and rich, plus a hint of smokiness from chipotle in adobo. It doesn't get any more comforting than a bowl of this upgraded spaghetti.

Get the Chipotle Spaghetti recipe.

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17

Creamy Three-Cheese Spaghetti

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This ultra-creamy and cheesy spaghetti can be yours in just 15 minutes. While it’s absolute perfection plain, you can totally mix in things like lemon garlic shrimp, grilled flank steak, or cooked chorizo.

Get the Creamy Three-Cheese Spaghetti recipe.

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18

Baked Spaghetti

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Why make baked spaghetti instead of regular ol' spaghetti with meat sauce? It's all about that melty layer of cheese on top! If you prefer, slice some fresh mozzarella to finish it off instead.

Get the Baked Spaghetti recipe.

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19

Best Bolognese Sauce

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Bolognese is so much more than just a standard meat sauce. It's defined by a base of Italian sofrito (cooked down celery, carrot, and onion), a good pour of wine, and the addition of milk, resulting in an extra creamy and velvety sauce.

Get the Best Bolognese Sauce recipe.

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20

Taco Spaghetti Pie

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This recipe combines all of your favorite taco flavors into one insanely killer pasta. We make a homemade taco seasoning, but feel free to swap in all your favorite taco-inspired spices for this dish.

Get the Taco Spaghetti Pie recipe.

64 Pasta Recipes That Go Way Beyond Spaghetti and Meatballs (2024)

FAQs

What can I put on pasta without sauce? ›

Cheese is an excellent way to add flavor to your pasta without having to rely on sauce. Try mixing your angel hair pasta with goat cheese, and toss in sun-dried tomatoes to make an amazing meal with just a few ingredients. Garlic butter is a terrific way to season all types of noodles.

What can I add to spaghetti sauce to make it taste better? ›

Tossing in strips of basil, a sprig of thyme or some oregano can take your sauce to the next level. Although fresh herbs might pop a bit more, dried herbs and spices can work just as well. Sprinkling in some red pepper flakes, a pinch of parsley and a dash of salt and pepper can liven up your jarred pasta sauce.

What is the secret to the best spaghetti? ›

For best flavor, use certified San Marzano tomatoes. Add Parmesan cheese into the sauce while cooking. Use no salt added tomatoes. Use ground beef to cut down on sodium content.

Why add Worcestershire sauce to spaghetti sauce? ›

Whether you can pronounce it or not, Worcestershire sauce is an easy, effective way to load up spaghetti sauce with umami flavor. It is salty, tangy, and has lots of potent vinegar, all of which cut through tomatoes to create a soothing, savory flavor.

What pasta is thicker than spaghetti? ›

Bucatini is a long pasta that's similar to spaghetti, but thicker and with a hole running through the center. This means that with every bite, you might get a little extra sauce that's found it's way into the hole. Yum! Try it in Bucatini with Winter Pesto and Sweet Potatoes.

What is spaghetti number 8? ›

Spaghetti #5 is the normal size, and spaghetti #8 (spaghettoni) are thicker; there are also spaghetti #3 (which in Italy are called spaghettini). Normal spaghetti are always #5, but the thickness depends from the brand, in the same way shirt sizes depend from the brand.

What is the most sold type of pasta? ›

Spaghetti. SHAPE: Long, thin, solid, cylindrical pasta. It's the most popular in the U.S. and the best-known pasta shape. SERVED: Spaghetti has a lot of versatility and mixes with a variety of sauces.

What sauce can I use instead of spaghetti sauce? ›

What can I substitute for tomato sauce?
  • Tomato paste. “I think of tomato paste as the garlic powder equivalent to fresh garlic,” Xie said, noting that it's highly concentrated and very dehydrated. ...
  • Canned tomatoes. ...
  • Tomato soup. ...
  • Ketchup. ...
  • Fresh tomato. ...
  • Sun-dried tomatoes.
Mar 24, 2022

What can I put in spaghetti other than tomato sauce? ›

15 Wow-Worthy Pasta Sauces That Aren't Marinara
  1. 01 of 15. Alfredo Sauce. ...
  2. 02 of 15. Browned Butter and Mizithra Cheese Pasta with Chicken, Spinach and Herbs. ...
  3. 03 of 15. Spinach Basil Pesto Sauce. ...
  4. 04 of 15. Lemon Butter Herb Pasta. ...
  5. 05 of 15. The Best Clam Sauce. ...
  6. 06 of 15. Chef John's Creamy Mushroom Pasta. ...
  7. 07 of 15. ...
  8. 08 of 15.
Aug 14, 2020

What can you put on spaghetti instead of tomato sauce? ›

Pasta with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and whatever veggies you want is a deceptively delicious way to pasta. Also known as “Aglio e Olio” (garlic and oil) pasta, this easy alternative to tomato sauce is quick, easy, and delicious.

What to add to jar spaghetti sauce to make it taste homemade? ›

Add fresh herbs (basil, oregano, rosemary, bay leaf), and let them simmer to give a punch of fresh flavor.

How do you make spaghetti more interesting? ›

Use cherry tomatoes, fresh basil or other herbs, a peppery extra-virgin olive oil, fresh grated cheese. Swap out all the heavy ingredients for light ones. Instead of a thick cream sauce, toss the spaghetti with roasted vegetables. Serve your spaghetti on the side instead of as a main dish.

What vegetables to put in spaghetti? ›

Vegetables — The type of veggies are up to you, but we love zucchini, yellow squash, jarred roasted red peppers, leafy greens, peas, corn, and cabbage. Options are endless, here. Onion, garlic, and tomato paste — These provide a base flavor for the simple sauce.

What is the most important ingredient in spaghetti? ›

  • tomatoes. Tomatoes is the most popular ingredient in spaghetti sauce dishes. ...
  • salt. Another popular ingredient in spaghetti sauce is salt. ...
  • olive oil. Olive oil is another common ingredient in spaghetti sauce dishes. ...
  • garlic. Another popular ingredient in spaghetti sauce is garlic. ...
  • pepper. ...
  • spaghetti.

What is the secret to good tomato sauce? ›

Del Conte explains that "to make a good tomato sauce, you can either cook the tomatoes for a very short time or let them bubble for at least 40 minutes", because they only begin to release their acid juices after about 10 minutes, and these take at least half an hour's simmering to evaporate.

What is the secret ingredient in tomato sauce? ›

This secret ingredient spaghetti sauce is a simple, slow-cooked, authentic spaghetti sauce, as good as the restaurants serve — or better! The secret ingredient is baking soda. Do not taste the sauce right after adding it; wait awhile, and this sauce will not disappoint you.

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