When it comes to pasta, there are countless options at your fingertips. You can experiment with different sizes or shapes of pasta and different pasta sauces, not to mention all the other ingredients that go into your meal.
With so many options, it’s not surprising that there are countless types of pasta dishes to choose from. These pasta dishes run the gambit, including popular American meals like mac and cheese, lasagna, and baked ziti, plus the more traditional dishes, like alfredo, spaghetti alle vongole, and amatriciana.
Some of these meals are creamy, comforting, and often not at all healthy. Others are much lighter, where the pasta sauce may even be somewhere in the background, rather than the dominant part of the dish. With so many options, you can be confident that there are plenty of pasta dishes out there for you.
This is even true if you have dietary requirements to consider. For example, keto dieters can experiment with low carb pasta or zoodle recipes, while gluten free dieters can easily find gluten free pasta products. You can even cook pasta in the slow cooker if you’re short on energy.
P.S. It is also possible to eat pasta raw instead of cooking it. But, doing so isn’t a great idea and there are some risks to consider.
22 Types Of Pasta Dishes
Mac And Cheese
Mac and cheese is the perfect place to begin, as it’s such a popular comfort food. It’s one of those dishes that many of us have eaten throughout our lives and come back to time and time again.
This is partly why mac and cheese is an excellent side for countless meals.
Mac and cheese can also be tweaked in endless ways. You can make a simple creamy and cheesy version that focuses on being comforting. Or, you can add some spices and extra ingredients to boost the flavor and complexity.
Baked mac and cheese is one of the best versions. Baking the dish creates a fantastic golden brown crust that contrasts the texture of the rest of the dish.
Spaghetti And Meatballs
Spaghetti and meatballs is another famous pasta dish – so famous that it barely needs an explanation. The meal features perfectly cooked spaghetti that has been topped with meatballs in a simple tomato-based sauce.
The meatballs are often made from ground beef, but other types of meat can be used as well. Breadcrumbs may be added to help with the texture, plus eggs for moisture and herbs for flavor.
While the dish often seems Italian, it’s actually an Italian-American creation. That’s why you’ll often find it served in America and rarely in Italy. Still, it’s delicious either way, to the meal’s history doesn’t matter too much.
Lasagna
Garfield’s favorite food, lasagna, is another classic that we can’t miss. It’s a baked dish, traditionally made with layers of flat pasta sauce, plus rich sauces and layers of filling.
The most famous version uses ground meat as the filling, plus two types of sauce (a white bechamel sauce and a meat-based ragu sauce). The combination of meat and sauces is truly exceptional, creating a rich and flavor-packed dish.
However, this is hardly the only approach. Lasagna can also be made using vegetables or even seafood as the filling. Some creative versions even drop the noodles entirely. These use thinly sliced zucchini or another ingredient to give similar properties with fewer carbs.
Spaghetti Bolognese
Spaghetti bolognese, or spag bol, is another popular dish – that’s now served throughout the world. It features spaghetti as the pasta, plus a meat heavy ragu sauce.
It’s easy to think of this as an Italian dish, but as with spaghetti and meatballs, that claim isn’t quite accurate. The Italian version is ragu alla bolognese, which uses a similar ragu sauce and is served with flat pasta rather than spaghetti.
That said, there’s a surprising amount of debate surrounding spaghetti bolognese and its origins. Some authors even claim that the pasta does indeed have some history in Italy, much to everyone’s surprise.
For most of us, the distinction barely matters. Regardless of where spag bol comes from, it’s a delicious and easy-to-prepare classic that’s popular in countless households.
Baked Ziti
Baked ziti is a common American baked pasta dish, popular because it is filling and easy to prepare. It relies on tubular ziti pasta, although penne pasta can be used instead without impacting the dish much at all.
The meal relies on a rich tomato sauce, similar to marinara or bolognese. Ground meat is often included as well, plus onion, herbs, and garlic for flavor. Some recipes include cream or ricotta to add richness, while others skip these.
Finally, baked ziti is topped with plenty of cheese, which creates a delicious crispy layer. The type of cheese varies considerably, as do many of the other ingredients. Indeed, this is a frequently adapted pasta recipe. There are endless variations and no wrong way to make the meal.
Some recipes even skip the meat to make a vegetarian version. A plant-based source of protein, like lentils or tofu, could be used here or you could simply make a light version of the ziti with sauce, pasta, and cheese.
Fettuccine Alfredo
Fettuccine alfredo is a crowd pleaser in America, famous for its thick, rich, and creamy sauce. It’s a delicious and surprisingly filling meal, especially when served with chicken.
Yet, as popular as the meal is, this version of alfredo isn’t the least bit traditional. The authentic version of fettuccine alfredo is much simpler – it just consists of fresh pasta tossed in butter and fresh parmesan cheese.
This simpler version of the dish lacks the rich creaminess found in the American version. The flavors of the parmesan shine through instead, which isn’t a bad thing at all.
Carbonara
Then there’s carbonara. The American version of this often relies on cream as well, making the two dishes difficult to tell apart.
Here too, there’s a more traditional Italian version that doesn’t use cream at all. That dish uses just five ingredients: pasta, guanciale or occasionally pancetta, eggs, pecorino cheese, and pepper.
Because there’s no cream, the traditional version doesn’t have the familiar rich sauce. Instead, the flavors are more subtle, giving you the chance to fully taste the guanciale and the cheese.
Of course, sometimes it’s not a matter of choosing the most authentic version. You might simply want to go with the version you like the most. After all, food is made to be enjoyed.
Penne Alla Vodka
This dish is a common part of American-Italian cuisine, one that’s much less controversial than carbonara or alfredo. The most notable feature is the vodka-based tomato sauce.
Here, vodka is used to emulsify the sauce, making it much smoother. The vodka adds a subtle extra flavor as well, which improves the sauce even more.
As the name suggests, penne pasta is popular for the dish. This is due to the hollow shape of the penne tubes, which capture the sauce and provide bursts of flavor in each bite. Of course, you can easily make a similar meal using a different type of pasta.
Pasta Primavera
Pasta primavera is light and refreshing – a perfect way to serve pasta during the warmer months. The dish is packed with fresh veggies, such as bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, and spinach. It’s a flexible recipe, so you can easily include any fresh vegetables from your garden.
The dish often uses a light sauce made with lemon and olive oil. This allows the vegetables to shine and dominate the dish.
Alternatively, you can make a version using a creamy or tomato-based sauce. Such sauces are usually kept light so they don’t overpower the vegetables.
Pasta Bake
Pasta bake is a broad category that refers to creamy and comforting pasta dishes baked in the oven. Many are first prepared on the stovetop, then added to an oven-safe dish, topped with cheese and breadcrumbs, and finished off in the oven.
There’s endless room for variety, as the dishes can use different types of pasta, sauce, vegetables, and protein. For example, some recipes rely on a rich tomato-based sauce, while others focus on a white cheesy sauce. There are even vegetarian versions that feature lentils or tofu instead of meat.
Pasta bakes are great for beginners, as most are straightforward to prepare and use familiar ingredients. You can even make them using sauces from the grocery store. Plus, most recipes can be prepared ahead of time and reheated when it’s time to eat.
Pesto Pasta
Pesto pasta is one of the simplest approaches, as you’re just tossing cooked pasta in pesto until it is well covered. You can also slightly thin the pesto with olive oil or pasta water to make the process easier.
The vibrant flavors of pesto work perfectly with pasta, creating a simple yet delicious meal.
Of course, the basic version isn’t the only way to go. You can easily add extra ingredients, like grilled vegetables, feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, chicken, or pine nuts.
Think about the pesto as well. Instead of relying on traditional basil pesto, you could experiment with a different type of pesto, like one made from arugula, kale, or even sun dried tomatoes.
Ravioli
Ravioli are small pasta pockets stuffed with ingredients like meat, vegetables, or cheese. They are then boiled and often served with some type of sauce (baked ravioli casseroles are also an option).
Using stuffed pasta pockets creates a very different experience, giving you a meal that tastes amazing.
The most time-consuming part is making the ravioli pockets, if you’re doing so yourself at home. However, it can be a satisfying process that isn’t too difficult once you get used to it. Alternatively, you can skip the hard work entirely and simply buy premade ravioli from the store (or online!).
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
If you’re looking for something bold, puttanesca could be just the ticket. It uses garlic, anchovies, capers, olives, and tomatoes as some of the base ingredients. This combo provides a ton of flavor, giving you a savory and salty meal with a touch of sweetness from the tomatoes.
Most recipes pair puttanesca sauce with spaghetti, as this is how the dish was traditionally served in Italy. The long thin spaghetti strands also work perfectly with the sauce, creating a meal that’s both delicious and fun to eat.
Beef Stroganoff
Beef stroganoff is a famous Russian dish that is now served worldwide. It combines aspects of French and Russian cuisine to create a rich, comforting, and easy-to-prepare meal.
Stroganoff relies on strips of beef, mushrooms, and a rich sour cream-based sauce. It is made carefully to ensure the meat stays moist and tender, without any chewy bits.
While the term beef stroganoff often just refers to the meat and sauce, it also applies when you serve it with fresh pasta. This is one of the most delicious ways to serve it as you get a fantastic contrast between the sauce and the pasta.
Manicotti
Manicotti follows a different style again. This time we’re talking about pasta tubes that have been stuffed with a rich three-filling and coated with a tomato-based sauce.
Sometimes the filling is changed, so you get meat-stuffed tubes or ones with a spinach mixture instead. Regardless of the filling, the pasta is typically stuffed, covered with sauce, and baked, creating a delicious and engaging dish.
Once again, there are differences between the traditional version of manicotti and the modern American version. Nowadays, manicotti tends to be made with dried pasta tubes rather than fresh pasta, which changes the texture somewhat.
There’s also cannelloni, which is a similar dish, except that the pasta tubes are smooth, while manicotti has ridges instead. The ridges on manicotti create an interesting texture difference, giving the pasta a little more bite.
Shrimp Scampi
Then there’s shrimp scampi, which involves cooking shrimp in a stunning white wine, butter, and garlic sauce. This sauce adds flavor to the dish without overpowering the shrimp’s natural flavor.
You can serve shrimp scampi on its own, but the dish is much nicer when combined with fresh pasta. The pasta’s texture is a perfect contrast to the shrimp and sauce, giving you a delicious, decadent meal.
Pasta Salad
Pasta salad breaks most rules, as it’s a pasta dish that’s often served cold rather than warm. The trick is to cook the pasta until it is al dente, then rinse it with cold water to prevent it from getting too soft.
Once the pasta has been rinsed, you can mix in the other ingredients and a dressing to create the salad. There are plenty of styles and ingredient combos to choose from, including Greek pasta salad which often features feta, olives, tomatoes, and more.
Pasta salad typically uses a vinaigrette-based recipe, which includes oil, vinegar, and herbs, to create a vibrant flavor profile. However, some salads use a creamy dressing instead, often with mayonnaise as the base ingredient. The creamy dressing creates a more decadent salad that’s still very delicious.
Tuna Noodle Casserole
Tuna noodle casserole is hardly an elegant dish. It is, however, a classic comfort food, one that takes barely any effort to create.
The casserole often relies on egg noodles, plus canned tuna and some type of creamy sauce. The sauce often relies on condensed soup as a base, which makes the soup even easier to prepare.
Because of the ingredients, this isn’t a dish for when you want something elegant. Instead, it’s comfort food through and through, one that’s perfect when money is tight.
Seafood Pasta
Seafood pasta lives up to its name, in that it is simply a pasta dish made with seafood. The exact type of seafood, pasta, and sauce varies considerably, giving you an endless collection of different dishes.
Some versions even include multiple types of seafood at once, to give you a fantastic balance of texture and flavor.
Despite the room for variation, many seafood pasta recipes rely on a fairly light sauce. This ensures you can taste all the nuances of your seafood and that nothing gets overpowered.
Chicken Parmesan Pasta
With chicken parmesan pasta, you’re basically getting two meals for the price of one. The pasta side of the dish often relies on fettuccine or spaghetti, although you’ll sometimes see penne pasta used instead.
The chicken is the most interesting part, as it has been thoroughly coated with flour and breadcrumb mixture, then shallow fried and baked. There is marinara sauce and cheese as well, which further adds to the texture and flavor.
You end up with a decadent dish that can be easily varied to match your preferences. You can even make a healthier version by baking the chicken.
Plus, you get a decent amount of chicken with this meal. This makes it more filling than many pasta dishes and a fantastic choice for dinner.
Spaghetti Alle Vongole
Spaghetti alle vogole is simply spaghetti with clams. It’s a simple and surprisingly tasty Italian dish, where the briny taste of the claims really shines through.
Because of this, it’s crucial to choose fresh and high-quality clams. These will be complemented by a light olive oil and white wine-based sauce, plus a few extra ingredients.
Some versions of the recipe offer a white clam sauce, while others include tomatoes, which create a slightly sweeter red sauce.
Amatriciana
Amatriciana is a staple pasta dish in Italy, one that uses six classic ingredients – pork jowl, pecorino cheese, tomatoes, pepper, chili, and white wine. This combo makes it another tomato-based sauce, but one with a very specific flavor profile.
Indeed, the dish is famous for how strictly the ingredients are followed. A famous Italian chef even landed himself in hot water for daring to add garlic to the traditional recipe.
Some traditionalists claim that the entire dish should be made authentically, which includes using bucatini as the pasta of choice. However, others say only the sauce needs to stick with tradition. If this is made correctly, then any type of pasta can be used.