70 Spaghetti Recipes That Go Way Beyond Just Pasta & Meatballs (2024)

70 Spaghetti Recipes That Go Way Beyond Just Pasta & Meatballs (1)

It's true, 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.

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1

Creamy Tomato Pasta With Burrata

70 Spaghetti Recipes That Go Way Beyond Just Pasta & Meatballs (3)

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.

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2

Spaghetti & Meatballs

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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 .

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3

Dirty Martini Pasta

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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.

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4

Chicken Spaghetti

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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

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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.

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6

Taco Spaghetti

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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

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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.

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8

Brie Spaghetti

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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

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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.

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10

Garlicky Spaghetti

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

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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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12

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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13

Spaghetti Carbonara

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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.

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14

Easy Carbonara

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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

70 Spaghetti Recipes That Go Way Beyond Just Pasta & Meatballs (31)

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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16

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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17

Pasta Puttanesca

70 Spaghetti Recipes That Go Way Beyond Just Pasta & Meatballs (35)

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 , 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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18

Lemon Ricotta Pasta

70 Spaghetti Recipes That Go Way Beyond Just Pasta & Meatballs (37)

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

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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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20

Bucatini all'Amatriciana

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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.

70 Spaghetti Recipes That Go Way Beyond Just Pasta & Meatballs (2024)

FAQs

How to make spaghetti for a lot of people? ›

Learn how to cook spaghetti for huge crowds with stress-relieving, time-saving tricks.
  1. Prep and Store Key Ingredients. ...
  2. Cook Enough Noodles. ...
  3. Use Less Water for the Noodles. ...
  4. Store Cooked Noodles in the Freezer. ...
  5. Use a Slow Cooker. ...
  6. Freeze Your Spaghetti Sauce. ...
  7. Prep Toppings a Day Before. ...
  8. Pre-Soak Spaghetti Noodles.

What to put on pasta when you have no 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.

How do you bulk up spaghetti? ›

Keep reading to find out more about how you can easily add some protein to your favorite pasta dishes.
  1. 01 of 09. Toss in some meat. ...
  2. 02 of 09. Or fish. ...
  3. 03 of 09. Load up on the veggies. ...
  4. 04 of 09. Add an egg. ...
  5. 05 of 09. Try a homemade pesto. ...
  6. 06 of 09. Or a peanut sauce. ...
  7. 07 of 09. Swap out your noodles. ...
  8. 08 of 09. Bring on the beans.
Jan 10, 2022

How much spaghetti do I need to feed 20 people? ›

When you cook pasta, 2 ounces of dry pasta per person is a good rule of thumb to follow.

What can I eat meat sauce with instead of pasta? ›

What to Do with Leftover Meat Sauce: 34 Creative Ideas
  • Meat. • 1 Make cheesy buffalo chicken dip. ...
  • Produce. • 1 Add to a baked potato. ...
  • Refrigerated. • 1 Add it to scrambled eggs.
  • Canned Goods. • 1 Make soup.
  • Condiments. • 1 Add it to a salad as a dressing. ...
  • Pasta & Grains. • 1 Add it to rice. ...
  • Bread & Baked Goods. ...
  • Frozen.

What to have instead of pasta? ›

8 Low-Carb & Grain-Free Substitutes for Pasta
  • Zucchini. Zucchini is a popular noodle substitute because its texture makes it easy to spiral out into spaghetti-like shapes. ...
  • Cauliflower. ...
  • Spaghetti Squash. ...
  • Egg Noodles. ...
  • Cucumber. ...
  • Broccoli. ...
  • Eggplant. ...
  • Cabbage.

What is a substitute for spaghetti sauce? ›

Tomato Paste

This umami-rich paste can transform into a makeshift tomato sauce when mixed with water. Here's how: Sauté tomato paste in olive oil with minced garlic, salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Add water, roughly following a ratio of 1:1, tomato paste to water, and mix well.

What is the secret to good spaghetti? ›

IF YOU COOK spaghetti in a big pot of water, drain it, then toss it with sauce, you are pouring a lot of flavor down the drain, says Vendemmia chef Brian Clevenger. “The trick to good pasta is cooking it in the sauce,” he says. It was while working at Delfina in San Francisco that he really started to understand why.

What gives spaghetti more flavor? ›

Fresh basil is the natural choice with simple pasta sauces like marinara, but parsley, cilantro, and even mint can also give pasta dishes a burst of fragrant flavor when they're sprinkled on just before serving.

What does adding milk to spaghetti do? ›

It sounds unconventional to use milk in a meaty red sauce, but upon further investigation, it makes total sense why Italians swear by it. According to our Food Director Amira, not only does milk add a rich flavour to the bolognese, but it also “helps cut through the acidity of the tomatoes and red wine”.

What is the thick spaghetti called? ›

Thick Spaghetti, also known as Spaghettoni, is a wider version of an old favorite. Spaghetti is long and round, and the name means "lengths of cord" in Italian. Barilla® Thick Spaghetti is made with non-GMO ingredients.

What is number 5 spaghetti? ›

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 pasta is thinner than spaghetti? ›

Spaghetti means "little twine," and variations include spaghettini (thinner), spaghettoni (thicker), bucatini (thicker and straw-like, with a hollow center), capellini (very thin) and angel's hair (thinnest). Spaghetti is traditionally served with simple, thin sauces such as olive oil or marinara (tomato sauce).

How do you cook spaghetti ahead of time for a crowd? ›

How to Cook Pasta Ahead of Time
  1. Boil Water. Bring a large stockpot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. ...
  2. Cook Pasta. Add pasta to the boiling water, stir, then begin measuring your cooking time. ...
  3. Drain Pasta & Store Cooking Water. Drain the pasta saving about 1 cup of cooking water. ...
  4. Prep and Store Pasta. ...
  5. Reheat.

How do you keep spaghetti warm for a large crowd? ›

Here's how to keep pasta warm for a crowd.
  1. Use a Slow Cooker. Setting it and forgetting it is the most hands-off method. ...
  2. Use the Double Boiler Method. Fill a large pan or pot halfway with water and bring it to a simmer. ...
  3. Use a Chafing Dish. Just like you see at a wedding or a buffet.
Jul 28, 2021

How much spaghetti sauce do I need for 25 people? ›

When calculating how much sauce for pasta per person, generally about 2 to 4 ounces (1/4 to 1/2 cup) of sauce for each 2 ounce (about 1 cup cooked) serving of pasta would be needed. For pesto sauces, use about one jar of 5.6-ounce sauce for a 16-ounce package of pasta.

How much pasta to cook for 30 people? ›

If you're having pasta as your main meal, we'd suggest the following quantities: 100g of dried pasta per person. 120g of fresh pasta per person.

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