It’s hard to find dinner ideas that please everyone at the table. Pasta to the rescue! Here we’ve narrowed down to a list of “greatest hits.” These pasta recipes for dinner are guaranteed to be crowd-pleasers at mealtime. There’s cheesy baked rigatoni with a zesty red sauce, and mac and cheese with a secret green ingredient. There’s pasta that takes only a few minutes to make, and showy lasagna that is absolutely worth the effort. Ready to get startedWant recipes by type? Go to Vegetarian Pasta, Vegan Pasta Recipes, or Pasta Salad Recipes.
And now…the pasta recipes and dinner ideas!
How to cook pasta to al dente
In all of these pasta recipes, cooking pasta to al dente is absolutely key. Promise us that you’ll make sure not to over cook your pasta. Say it! OK, good. Also try: Tortelloni with Tomato Cream Sauce Also try: Cajun Shrimp Pasta Also try: Truffle Mac and Cheese, Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese, Gouda Mac and Cheese, or White Cheddar Mac and Cheese Also try: Pasta with White Wine Sauce Also try: Gluten Free Zucchini Lasagna or Favorite Vegan Lasagna What’s al dente? In Italian it means “to the bite.” This refers to pasta that has a tender exterior balanced by a firm bite with a fleck of white at its core. No wimpy noodles, here! Here’s how to cook pasta to al dente:
Boil: Boil the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water. Add pasta & check often! While cooking, check pasta continually for doneness. Pull it with a fleck of white at its core. As soon as the pasta has a tender exterior but a fleck of white at its core, drain it! Even a few seconds can be the difference between al dente and limp noodles.
More pasta recipes
Try these pasta recipes for more dinner ideas!
Try 30 Tasty Vegetarian Pasta Recipes Go for 12 Best Vegan Pasta Recipes Make 23 Tasty Italian Pasta Recipes Opt for 15 Great Cold Pasta Salad Recipes Try our top 15 Homemade Pasta Sauce Recipes
More great pasta recipes
Looking for more inspiration? Here are a few more pasta recipes you’ll love: No reviews
1 small yellow onion, minced 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 celery rib, finely diced 1 carrot, finely diced 2 28-ounce cans high quality peeled whole tomatoes 1 large handful basil ¼ cup olive oil 2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste 1 ½ teaspoons sugar Fresh ground black pepper
For the pasta (makes 4 modest servings)
8 ounces penne pasta Fresh grated Parmesan cheese Finely chopped parsley, for garnish
Burrata Pasta with Tomato Basil Sauce A stunning meal in under 30 minutes. Dreamy! Pasta Primavera Full of beautifully green spring veggies and lots of flavor. Creamy Cavatappi Pasta Mixed with a tasty Parmesan cauliflower sauce: so good! Butternut Squash Pasta The creamy squash sauce accents rigatoni perfectly. Tomato Basil Pasta Full of fresh summery flavor, with ripe tomatoes and peppery basil.
