18 authentic italian pasta recipes

Who does not love a classical italian pasta recipe? Pasta is a regular weeknight meal at our home. There are several reasons why:

• quick recipes
• easy recipes
• the kids eat pasta
• it is easy to improvise something new

But sometimes you want to try something different than the simple pasta with pesto and parmesan, pasta with tomato sauce and meatballs or pasta with a random pasta sauce based on cream. Don’t get me wrong I love these pasta recipes:

• Sriracha mac & cheese,
• Creamy blue cheese gnocchi with asparagus and peas
• Tagliatelle with halloumi and tomatoes
• Creamy tomato pasta with mushrooms and feta cheese
• Asparagus lemon pasta
• Browned butter lemon spaghetti with garlic

I had the idea that I should try out the more authentic italian pasta recipes for a change. In my research I came up with these 18 dishes that showed up in several pages that listed famous italian pasta dishes:

1. Spaghetti alle/con le vongole
2. Bucatini all’Amatriciana (the traditional recipe use cured pork cheek, guanciale, but pancetta might be a better alternative that you can actually get hold of)
3. Cacio e pepe
4. Pasta bolognese (Ragù Bolognese)
5. Pasta carbonara
6. Spaghetti alla Norma
7. Fettucine all’Alfredo
8. Farfalle al salmone
9. Spaghetti aglio e olio
10. Pasta puttanesca
11. Pasta e fagioli
12. Spaghetti al pomodoro
13. Penne all’arrabbiata
14. Gnocchi alla sorrentina
15. Spaghetti allo scoglio (also “Spaghetti ai frutti di mare” or “Spaghetti alla pescatora”)
16. Ziti al forno
17. Spaghetti alla siciliana
18. Fettucine boscaiola

For each recipe I have searched for a traditional version, but it should also be using fairly simple ingredients and be suitable to actually preparing at home for a dinner.

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1. Spaghetti alle/con le vongole
Main ingredients: clams, garlic, white wine

Illustration from this blog post with 14 classic pasta sauces:

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2. Bucatini all’Amatricia
Main ingredients: guanciale (or pancetta), pecorino romano, tomatoes, tomato paste, onion

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3. Cacio e pepe
Main ingredients: black pepper, pecorino romano

Illustration from this blog post with 14 classic pasta sauces:

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4. Pasta bolognese (Ragù Bolognese)
Main ingredients: ground beef, onion, carrots, pancetta, red wine

Illustration from this blog post with 14 classic pasta sauces:

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5. Pasta carbonara
Main ingredients: bacon, egg, parmesan, garlic

Illustration from this blog post with 14 classic pasta sauces:

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6. Spaghetti alla Norma
Main ingredients: eggplant (aubergine), tomatoes, pecorino, chili

Illustration from this blog post with 14 classic pasta sauces:

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7. Fettucine all’Alfredo
Main ingredients: butter, parmigiano-reggiano

Illustration from this blog post with 14 classic pasta sauces:

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8. Farfalle al salmone
Main ingredients: smoked salmon, garlic, cream cheese, cream, vodka

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9. Spaghetti aglio e olio
Main ingredients: garlic, olive oil

Illustration from this blog post with 14 classic pasta sauces:

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10. Pasta puttanesca
Main ingredients: olives, anchovy, tomatoes, capers, garlic

Illustration from this blog post with 14 classic pasta sauces:

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11. Pasta e fagioli
Main ingredients: cannelini beans, garlic, pancetta

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12. Spaghetti al pomodoro
Main ingredients: tomatoes, garlic, onion

Illustration from this blog post with 14 classic pasta sauces:

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13. Penne all’arrabbiata
Main ingredients: chili, tomatoes, olive oil, garlic

Illustration from this blog post with 14 classic pasta sauces:

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14. Gnocchi alla sorrentina
Main ingredients: mozzarella, tomatoes, garlic

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15. Spaghetti allo scoglio
Main ingredients: white wine, mussels, clams, chili, scallops, shrimps, garlic

Illustration from this blog post with 14 classic pasta sauces:

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16. Ziti al forno
Main ingredients: feta, gorgonzola, emental, mozzarella, parmesan

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17. Spaghetti alla siciliana
Main ingredients: sundried tomatoes, garlic, chili, parsley

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18. Fettucine boscaiola
Main ingredients: mushrooms, bacon, shallots, cream, parmesan

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Then there are of course other traditional italian pasta recipes such as:

• Lasagne al forno
• Canneloni
• Manicotti
• and many more 🙂

And then there’s the American and Canadian classic pasta recipes:

• One-pan pasta
• Pasta primavera
• Mac & cheese