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!
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Total Time20 minutesmins
Course: Mains, Pasta
Cuisine: Western
Keyword: pasta dishes, pasta recipes, quick pasta recipes
Servings: 6people
Calories: 468cal
Author: Nagi
Ingredients
1 lb/500 g dried spaghetti(or other long pasta)
PASTA WITH OLIVE OIL & GARLIC (AGLIO E OLIO):
1/2cupextra virgin olive oil
10garlic cloves, sliced
1tbspred chilli flakes
1/4cupchopped parsley
FIERY PASTA (ARRABIATA):
1/4cupextra virgin olive oil
2garlic cloves, crushed
21 oz / 600g crushed tinned tomatoes
2tbspchilli flakes
1/4cupchopped parsley
PASTA WITH ANCHOVIES (SPAGHETTI CON LE ACCIUGHE):
1/3cupextra virgin olive oil
2garlic cloves, crushed
2tbspanchovies, finely chopped
1tbspred chilli flakes
1/4cupchopped parsley
AMATRICE SPAGHETTI (SPAGHETTI ALL’AMATRICIANA):
2tbspextra virgin olive oil
2garlic cloves, crushed
1/2brown onion, diced
14 oz/400g crushed tinned tomatoes
1/2tspred chilli flakes
6 oz/ 180g thinly sliced guanciale, or diced pancetta or bacon
FRESH TOMATO & BASIL SAUCE (POMAROLA):
4tbspextra virgin olive oil
2garlic cloves, crushed
24 oz/800g fresh cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4cupfresh basil, lightly packed
TOMATO SPAGHETTI (SPAGHETTI NAPOLITANA):
1/4cupolive oil
3garlic cloves, crushed
1brown onion, diced
28 oz / 800g crushed tinned tomatoes
1/4cupfresh basil, lightly packed
SPAGHETTI WITH OLIVES AND CAPERS (SPAGHETTI ALLA PUTTANESCA):
1/4cupextra virgin olive oil
2garlic cloves, crushed
14 oz/400g crushed tinned tomatoes
1/2tbspred chilli flakes
4 oz/100g black sliced olives
2tbspcapers
1/4cupchopped parsley
PASTA WITH TUNA (SPAGHETTI AL TONNO):
1/4cupextra virgin olive oil
2garlic cloves, crushed
1/2brown onion, diced
14 oz/400g crushed tinned tomatoes
5 oz/150g tinned tuna
1/4cupchopped 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!
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.