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70 Spaghetti Recipes That Go Way Beyond Just Pasta & Meatballs

There's a whole world of options out there.

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angel hair pasta with sliced chicken, tomatoes and basil
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

It's true, spaghetti & meatballs is a classic for a reason, but sometimes you want to upgrade the classic weeknight pasta dinner. Whether you're preparing for a fancy date night or a dinner party night amongst friends, we've rounded up 70 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 choosing is between pasta puttanesca, carbonara, pasta pomodoro, spaghetti Bolognese...the list goes on. We've got all the classics here, plus lots of tips for making them just as tasty as your favorite local red-sauce joint. Whatever you choose, just make sure you don't skimp on the Parmesan cheese.

Speaking of, are you more of a cheese-head than a tomato fan? We 100% support that. In that case, it doesn't get any better than our lemon ricotta pasta, our creamy three-cheese spaghetti, or our brie spaghetti. 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 really do just want to curl up with a bowl of spaghetti & 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 to guarantee yours is the easiest or best it can be. Go classic, or swap in different meatballs to jazz things up (our French onion chicken meatballs or our Thai-style red curry meatballs would be incredible).

Looking for even more pasta recipes? Check out our best baked pasta recipes, our favorite summer pasta dishes, and all our top pasta salad recipes too.

1

Creamy Tomato Pasta With Burrata

creamy tomato pasta with burrata
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Here, a classic tomato sauce is made even better with a bit of cream and a delicious topping of burrata. The cherry tomatoes add a bit of sweetness to the sauce and make it feel fresher too.

Get the Creamy Tomato Pasta With Burrata recipe.

2

Spaghetti & Meatballs

spaghetti and meatballs vertical
ETHAN CALABRESE

Meet your new favorite comforting, no-frills bowl of spaghetti and meatballs that you can take in any direction. Enjoy it as is, or use it as a jumping off point for swapping in different pasta sauces and meatball recipes.

Get the Spaghetti & Meatballs recipe.

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3

Dirty Martini Pasta

a pot of cooked spaghetti in a cream sauce with pieces of green olive, chopped parsley, and parmesan
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

This pasta takes inspiration from a classic pasta al limone by using heavy cream as the base for the luscious and decadent sauce. And, just like a dirty martini, we supplement the dish with olives and brine (and booze, of course). The best part? It comes together in under 30 minutes.

Get the Dirty Martini Pasta recipe.

4

Chicken Spaghetti

chicken, spaghetti, and red peppers covered in cheese in a casserole
PHOTO: RYAN LIEBE; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

If you didn’t grow up with this comfort food, allow us to introduce you to your new favorite weeknight dinner. Chicken, spaghetti, and veggies combine with a creamy, cheesy sauce for a baked and bubbling casserole that’s just as perfect for busy weeknights as it is for parties. The best part? The leftovers are even better.

Get the Chicken Spaghetti recipe.

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5

Pasta Alla Gricia

pasta alla gricia with pecorino and guanciale
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

Along with carbonara, cacio e pepe, and amatriciana, pasta alla gricia completes the four classic pasta dishes of Rome. It's a classic for good reason: With only four ingredients, it's simple to make and easy to indulge. Don't have guanciale? It won't be quite the same, but you can use thick-cut bacon instead.

Get the Pasta Alla Gricia recipe.

6

Taco Spaghetti

taco spaghetti
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

One-pot taco spaghetti is a fast-as-can-be weeknight dinner that pairs all your favorite taco fixin’s with spaghetti rather than taco shells. It's perfect for those nights when you just cannot stand the thought of a sink full of dirty dishes too, because everything comes together in one pot.

Get the Taco Spaghetti recipe.

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7

Pasta Al Limone

a plate of pasta al limone
PHOTO: JOEL GOLDBERG; FOOD STYLING: LENA ABRAHAM

This is a rich, creamy dish that’s sure to satisfy everyone, given it’s perfect balance of acidity and cream – and it can be whipped up as quickly as it takes to boil your pasta.

Get the Pasta Al Limone recipe.

8

Brie Spaghetti

brie spaghetti
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: BARRETT WASHBURNE

It’s gotta be said—brie can be costly. We used a BIG wheel for our video above, but don’t worry: You can get away with a wheel about (or a little over) half the size. A little bit of brie goes a long way, and your pasta will still be delicious.

Get the Brie Spaghetti recipe.

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9

Tuscan Chicken Pasta

angel hair pasta with sliced chicken, tomatoes and basil
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

We've incorporated Tuscan flavors into countless of our weeknight dinners, including one of our most popular recipes of all time: creamy Tuscan chicken. We turn to this recipe so often, we decided to transform it into a pasta dinner to shake up your dinner rotation.

Get the Tuscan Chicken Pasta recipe.

10

Garlicky Spaghetti

garlicky spaghetti
PARKER FEIERBACH

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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11

Cacio E Pepe

cacio e pepe topped with pepper and parmesan
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON

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.

12

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

homemade spaghetti sauce vertical
Parker Feierbach

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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13

Spaghetti Carbonara

spaghetti carbonara with pancetta
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: TAYLOR ANN SPENCER

Though many people travel to Rome to experience the Colosseum, for us, there’s only one reason to make the trip: carbonara! Like other Italian classics bucatini all'Amatriciana and cacio e pepe, eating a bowl of silky, rich, perfectly salty carbonara is life-changing, and now you can make it right at home.

Get the Spaghetti Carbonara recipe.

14

Easy Carbonara

carbonara delish
Ethan Calabrese

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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15

One-Pan Tuna Pasta

one pan tuna pasta
ANDREW BUI

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.

16

Creamy Lemon Pepper Shrimp Spaghetti

creamy lemon pepper shrimp spaghetti
PARKER FEIERBACH

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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17

Pasta Puttanesca

pasta puttanesca

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 & 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.

18

Lemon Ricotta Pasta

dish, food, cuisine, ingredient, italian food, produce, comfort food, pasta, recipe, carbonara,
Parker Feierbach

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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19

Instant Pot Spaghetti

instant pot spaghetti
Parker feierbach

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.

20

Bucatini all'Amatriciana

bucatini all'amatriciana
Lucy Schaeffer

What makes this Roman pasta dish so special is pancetta, which adds extra saltiness and flavor to the otherwise classic tomato sauce. If you're really in a pinch, you can sub bacon for the pancetta but we think it really does make a difference in the final dish if you do seek it out.

Get the Bucatini all'Amatriciana recipe.

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