• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

RecipeTin Eats

Fast Prep, Big Flavours

Small book

My cookbook "Dinner" now available!

  • My RecipeTin
  • My cookbook!
  • Recipes
  • Recipes By Category
    • Mains
      • Chicken
        • Chicken mince
      • Beef Recipes
        • Ground Beef (Mince)
      • Pork
      • Lamb
      • Turkey
      • Shrimp / Prawns
      • Salmon
      • Fish
      • Salad Meals
    • Quick and Easy
    • Soups
    • One Pot
    • Stews
    • Slow Cooker
    • Sides
      • All
      • Vegetables
      • Show Off Salads
      • Rice (all)
      • Fried rice recipes
      • Rice (plain)
      • Potato
    • Pasta
      • All
      • Pasta bakes
      • Pasta salads
    • Sweet
      • Cakes
      • Cheesecakes
      • Cupcakes & Muffins
      • Cookies
      • Puddings & Cosy Desserts
      • Bite Size
      • Pies
      • Slices & Bars
      • Frosting & Icing
      • Ice cream
    • Cuisine
      • Asian
        • All
        • Stir fries
        • Noodles
        • Soups
        • Chinese
        • Japanese
        • Korean
        • Thai
        • Vietnamese
      • French
      • Greek
      • Indian
      • Italian
      • Mediterranean
      • Mexican
      • Middle Eastern
      • South American
    • Dietary
      • Gluten Free
      • Low Calorie
      • Vegetarian
    • Other Categories
      • BBQ
      • Breakfast
      • Burgers
      • Cocktails
      • Party Foods
      • Rice Recipes
      • Roasts
      • Sandwiches & Sliders
  • Collections
  • About
    • Me
    • RecipeTin Meals
    • Free Recipe Books
    • Contact
    • Food Bloggers Central
    • Nitty Gritty
      • Policy: Use of Recipes & Images
      • Privacy & Disclosure
Home Pasta Recipes

8 Quick and Easy Pasta Recipes

By:Nagi
Published:13 Jun '14Updated:4 Aug '20
50 Comments
Recipe v

Here are 8 fantastic quick and easy pasta recipes! No matter how bare your cupboards are, I bet you can scrape together the ingredients for one of these classic Italian pasta dishes.

Choose from a classic Aglio e Olio (garlic pasta), tomato basil pasta, Spaghetti Napolitana (tomato pasta), Arrabiata (spicy tomato pasta), pasta with anchovies, spaghetti with olives and tuna pasta!

8 Classic Simple Italian Pasta recipes, condensed into one handy page. All on the table in 15 minutes!

8 quick and easy Pasta Recipes

Here are 8 quick pasta recipes that are simple Italian classic pasta dishes.

Don’t mistake simple for bland, because while these are quick and easy, all of these are totally slurp-worthy and you’ll find these on the menu of trattoria’s all across Italy.

I used to have these scrawled in my barely legible handwriting on a scrap of paper stuck on my fridge, along with my “go to marinades” (which I summarised into one image in this post here). Much neater typed out into this post!

Click here for a PDF printable version of all these recipes on one page.

These are simple easy pasta recipes that are classic Italian pasta dishes. Never mistake simple for bland!

Spicy Pasta Arrabbiata: 8 Classic Simple Authentic Pasta Recipes. Pantry favourites on the table in 15 minutes or less.

Pasta with Olive OIl & Garlic (Aglio Olio): 8 Classic Simple Authentic Pasta Recipes. Pantry favourites on the table in 15 minutes or less.


More really quick pasta dishes

Simplicity at its best - Bacon Tomato Pasta. 5 ingredients. Utterly irresistible. recipetineats.com
Tomato Bacon Pasta
Cheesy broccoli pasta in a rustic blue bowl, ready to be eaten
Really Quick Broccoli Pasta
A quick and easy Sausage Pasta made using chopped up Italian sausages that look like meatballs! recipetineats.com
Sausage Pasta
This Creamy Garlic Prawn Pasta is for all those nights when nothing but a creamy pasta will do. recipetineats.com
Creamy Garlic Prawn Pasta
Overhead close up of One Pot Vegetable Pasta (healthy pasta recipe) in a white pot, fresh off the stove ready to be served
Vegetable Pasta – One Pot!
Closeup of Fettuccine Alfredo
Fettuccine Alfredo
Skillet with spaghetti and mushrooms
Mushroom Pasta
Close up of Orecchiette Sausage Pasta in Creamy Tomato Sauce in skillet, ready to be served
Orecchiette Sausage Pasta in creamy tomato sauce
Pesto pasta spaghetti on a plate, ready to be eaten
Pesto Pasta – with plenty of pesto sauce!
Sicilian Chicken Spaghetti being tossed in sauce
Pasta Recipes

Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

Pasta with Olive OIl & Garlic (Aglio Olio): 8 Classic Simple Authentic Pasta Recipes. Pantry favourites on the table in 15 minutes or less.

8 simple Italian Pasta Recipes

Author: Nagi
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 20 mins
Mains, Pasta
Western
5 from 14 votes
Servings6 people
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 164
These pasta recipes are simple Italian classics you'll find in trattorias all across Italy. “Pantry” meals that take less than 15 minutes to make, each makes enough for 6 people. For all recipes, follow the Base Steps then move onto the recipe specific steps. Click here for a PDF printable version of all these recipes on one page.
Use the recipe slider to change the serving size.
Key step (especially for simple pastas like these) - tossing the sauce with the cooked pasta and a splash of pasta cooking water. The fat in the sauce reacts with the starch in the cooking water, thickening the sauce and making it stick to the pasta strands. This is the proper way to make pasta - no self respecting Italian or restaurant would ever skip this step!

Ingredients

  • 1 lb/500 g dried spaghetti (or other long pasta)

PASTA WITH OLIVE OIL & GARLIC (AGLIO E OLIO):

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 10 garlic cloves , sliced
  • 1 tbsp red chilli flakes
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley

FIERY PASTA (ARRABIATA):

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves , crushed
  • 21 oz / 600g crushed tinned tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp chilli flakes
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley

PASTA WITH ANCHOVIES (SPAGHETTI CON LE ACCIUGHE):

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves , crushed
  • 2 tbsp anchovies , finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp red chilli flakes
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley

AMATRICE SPAGHETTI (SPAGHETTI ALL’AMATRICIANA):

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves , crushed
  • 1/2 brown onion , diced
  • 14 oz/400g crushed tinned tomatoes
  • 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
  • 6 oz/ 180g thinly sliced guanciale , or diced pancetta or bacon

FRESH TOMATO & BASIL SAUCE (POMAROLA):

  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves , crushed
  • 24 oz/800g fresh cherry tomatoes , halved
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil , lightly packed

TOMATO SPAGHETTI (SPAGHETTI NAPOLITANA):

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves , crushed
  • 1 brown onion , diced
  • 28 oz / 800g crushed tinned tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil , lightly packed

SPAGHETTI WITH OLIVES AND CAPERS (SPAGHETTI ALLA PUTTANESCA):

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves , crushed
  • 14 oz/400g crushed tinned tomatoes
  • 1/2 tbsp red chilli flakes
  • 4 oz/100g black sliced olives
  • 2 tbsp capers
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley

PASTA WITH TUNA (SPAGHETTI AL TONNO):

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves , crushed
  • 1/2 brown onion , diced
  • 14 oz/400g crushed tinned tomatoes
  • 5 oz/150g tinned tuna
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Instructions

Base Directions (for All):

  • Cook 1lb/500g of dried spaghetti (or any other long dried pasta) in a large pot of salted boiling water per packet MINUS 1 minute.
  • Meanwhile, prepare one of the sauces below.
  • When pasta is ready, scoop out 1 cup of pasta cooking water, and drain pasta.
  • Add pasta into chosen sauce with 3/4 cup pasta cooking water. Toss pasta until sauce thickens and sticks to pasta (called "emulsifying" the sauce), 1 - 2 minutes. Use more pasta water if needed to loosen sauce.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste. Finish pasta per chosen recipe.

PASTA WITH OLIVE OIL & GARLIC (AGLIO E OLIO):

  • Heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook until golden - be careful not to burn it.  
  • Toss with pasta and cooking water per Base Directions. Toss through parsley and chilli flakes, serve with parmesan.

FIERY PASTA (ARRABIATA):

  • Heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic, stir until fragrant, then add the tinned tomatoes and chilli flakes, simmer on medium for 5 minutes.
  • Toss with pasta and cooking water per Base Directions. Toss through parsley and serve with parmesan.

PASTA WITH ANCHOVIES (SPAGHETTI CON LE ACCIUGHE):

  • Heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and anchovies, stir until the garlic is fragrant and the anchovies have melted. 
  • Toss with pasta and cooking water per Base Directions. Toss through parsley and chilli flakes, and serve with parmesan.

AMATRICE SPAGHETTI (SPAGHETTI ALL’AMATRICIANA):

  • Heat oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic, onion and guanciale (or pancetta or bacon) and cook until the onion has softened and the guanciale  is golden.
  • Add the tinned tomatoes and chilli flakes and bring to rapid simmer. Toss with pasta and cooking water per Base Directions. Serve with parmesan.

FRESH TOMATO & BASIL SAUCE (POMAROLA):

  • Heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, add tomato and cook briefly, just to warm through. 
  • Toss with pasta and cooking water per Base Directions. Toss through basil, serve with parmesan.

TOMATO SPAGHETTI (SPAGHETTI NAPOLITANA):

  • Heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, then add the onion and cook until softened. Then add tinned tomatoes and 1/2 cup water, simmer 5 minutes. 
  • Toss with pasta and cooking water per Base Directions. Toss through basil and serve with parmesan.

SPAGHETTI WITH OLIVES AND CAPERS (SPAGHETTI ALLA PUTTANESCA):

  • Heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, then add tinned tomatoes, chilli flakes, olives, capers and 1/2 cup water. Simmer 3 minutes.
  • Toss with pasta and cooking water per Base Directions. Toss through parsley and serve with parmesan.

PASTA WITH TUNA (SPAGHETTI AL TONNO):

  • Heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the onion and cook until softened, then add the tinned tomatoes and 1/2 cup water. Simmer 3 minutes, then add the tuna. 
  • Toss with pasta and cooking water per Base Directions. Toss through parsley. Seafood pasta typically not served with parmesan but you can if you want!

Recipe Notes:

TIPS:
  • Canned tomatoes - not all canned tomatoes are created equal. Good quality ones are naturally sweet with better tomato flavour, poor quality ones are sour and often unripe tomatoes. If needed, add sugar to sweeten tomatoes.
  • Salted boiling water - use a big pot of water and 1 tbsp salt. Stir pasta once or twice while cooking.
  • Time the pasta so it finishes cooking when the sauce is ready. If you leave cooked pasta sitting in a colander, it sticks together and goes hard as it cools. Ideal is to use tongs to transfer it straight out of the boiling water into the sauce - no colander needed!
  • Pasta sticks together - If your pasta DOES start to stick together and go hard, loosen it up with a splash of the reserved pasta cooking water (don't rinse it with tap water, this washes away the starch which stops the sauce from clinging to the pasta). Alternative is to use a drizzle of oil - drizzle and toss while hot.
Nutrition information is for Oglio e Olio, per serving.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 181gCalories: 468cal (23%)
Keywords: pasta dishes, pasta recipes, quick pasta recipes
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

 

Previous Post
Sticky Pantry Chicken Thighs recipe
Next Post
Real Chinese All Purpose Stir Fry Sauce (Charlie!)

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Related Posts

Close up photo of Spinach ricotta stuffed shells

Spinach ricotta stuffed shells

Bowls of Pesto pasta salad for lunch

Pesto pasta salad

Overhead photo of One Pot Greek Chicken Risoni (Orzo)

One-pot Greek chicken risoni (orzo)

More Pasta Recipes

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Cooked this? Rate this recipe!




50 Comments

  1. Deb Faulkner says

    November 11, 2022 at 6:32 am

    Hi Nagi
    I’m wondering if I can add white wine to the pasta aglio E olio. I just had it in Bali at an Italian restaurant and was with white wine and Wagyu beef . So delicious. Should I just add a splash of wine?
    Thanks deb

    Reply
  2. Taiz Mind says

    September 6, 2022 at 1:05 am

    5 stars
    This post very helpful for us.Its give us good information.Make more posts for us.We also inform you such information. Taiz Mind

    Reply
  3. Geelong Paving says

    February 11, 2022 at 10:55 pm

    5 stars
    I love this taste

    Reply
  4. Marilyn Peters says

    January 22, 2022 at 6:39 pm

    Love all your recipes they are tasty, not too complicated to be ready for weeknight dinners….

    Reply
  5. Eric says

    January 22, 2022 at 6:26 am

    We’ve done the Aglio e olio two times and it was always a hit. I’m hosting a zoom recipes dinner in a couple of weeks with a few of our friends and this is what I’ll have everyone do.

    Reply
  6. Cheryl says

    January 13, 2022 at 10:23 pm

    5 stars
    Made the SPAGHETTI ALL’AMATRICIANA tonight & it was a hit! Delicious, fresh & easy. Thanks again Nagi – you are THE BEST 🙂

    Reply
  7. Briza says

    January 11, 2022 at 8:01 pm

    Great recipes Nagi as always. The puttanesca I have been doing for years pretty much exactly the same, but have always added anchovies for depth of flavour. Love your work, this has to be the best food blog in the universe haha

    Reply
  8. Anxiety Merch says

    January 11, 2022 at 12:48 pm

    5 stars
    Wife promised she would make all 8 of them this month! Thank you so much 🙂

    Reply
  9. Ben says

    October 14, 2021 at 7:23 pm

    5 stars
    Made the tuna pasta tonight and my god! Bloody tasty! Only thing I did different was use more garlic cuz I love it, and a touch of salt and pepper for flavour. I also used more tuna as well.

    Ate the whole lot and my 7 year old devoured it!

    Reply
  10. EV says

    October 1, 2021 at 5:26 am

    5 stars
    Made the tomatoes and basil pasta and turned out delicious. Will have to try the rest of the recipes.

    Reply
  11. Hvac Colorado Springs says

    August 16, 2021 at 11:01 am

    Pasta in red sauce, spaghetti aglio e olio, spaghetti alla puttanesca, spaghetti cacio e pepe. These are all Italian staples that all home cooks need to know

    Reply
  12. Rendy Monyai says

    May 25, 2021 at 12:29 am

    Hmmm so yummy

    Reply
  13. Kasia says

    April 28, 2021 at 11:26 pm

    5 stars
    I made pasta aglio e olio.
    It was delicious. And so simple!
    Thank you Nagi.

    Reply
  14. Fule says

    April 1, 2021 at 11:57 pm

    5 stars
    This woman is a kitchen boss..i love your recipes. Clear, straight to the point and easy.

    Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Meet Dozer

Official taste tester of RecipeTin Eats! Meet Dozer
As Featured On

What's for Dinner?

Close up of beef enchiladas in a baking dish, fresh out of the oven

Beef Enchiladas

Butter Chicken served over basmati rice in a bowl, ready to be served

Butter Chicken

Overhead photo of 2 black bowls with Chinese Chicken Salad with Asian Dressing, ready to be eaten

Chinese Chicken Salad

Salisbury Steak recipe in skillet.

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken - 7 ingredient magic. The coconut fragrance is heavenly! recipetineats.com

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken

Fast prep. Big flavours!

Never miss a recipe

Back to Top
  • Related
  • RecipeTin Japan
  • Food Bloggers Center
  • Help
  • Contact Us
  • Image Use
  • Privacy Policy & Terms
Site Credits Maintained by Zao Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled © RecipeTin Eats 2023 · All Rights Reserved Back to Top