Love Pasta? Best Pasta Recipes You Cannot Miss Out On!

Pasta, the beloved Italian staple, is not only versatile but also a strong contender to pizza in Italy's dominance of world cuisine. With a myriad of shapes and sizes, pasta offers endless possibilities for creativity and customisation. From the comforting mac and cheese to classic spaghetti meatballs, pasta can boast of its numerous delicious variant, but today let’s focus on fixing easy pasta recipes at home.

Pink Sauce Pasta

Easily considered to be the best of both worlds, combining the creaminess of the white sauce and the tanginess of red sauce in one dish is the delicious pink sauce pasta.

Ingredients for Pink Sauce Pasta:

• 400g pasta of your choice 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 400g canned tomato puree
• 200ml heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Parmesan cheese, grated
• Fresh basil leaves, chopped (optional)

Instructions:

1. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and diced onion and sauté until fragrant and translucent.
3. Pour in the canned tomato puree and stir well. Season with dried basil, salt, and pepper.
4. Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Pour in the heavy cream and stir well to combine. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens.
6. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss until well coated.
7. Sprinkle-grated Parmesan cheese on top and garnish with fresh basil leaves, if desired.

Pesto Pasta

The greeny goodness of the nutty pesto is best paired with longer and thinner cuts of  pasta such as Bucatini, Spaghettini, or Fettuccine, as their shape allows the sauce to coat the pasta evenly.

Ingredients for Pesto Pasta:

• 400g pasta of your choice
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 3-4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. In a food processor, pulse the basil leaves, garlic, parmesan cheese, and pine nuts until finely chopped.
3. With the food processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil until a smooth paste forms. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Toss the pesto sauce with the cooked pasta until well-coated.
5. Sprinkle-grated Parmesan cheese on top and garnish with fresh basil leaves, if desired.

Lasagne

Starring pasta sheets, bechamel and a delicious meaty (or veggie) sauce; the lasagne is the epitome of a classic filling dinner! The delicious Italian lasagne has several variants since whenever recipes cross seas, there are always newer additions! Here is the recipe for a veggie-loving lasagna, baked to steal hearts!

Ingredients for Lasagne:

• 12 lasagne sheets
• 3 cups of chopped veggies of choice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Ingredients for the Bechamel Sauce:

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 4 cups milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Cook the lasagne sheets according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
3. In a large skillet, sauté the mushrooms, onion, and garlic over medium-high heat until soft and fragrant. You can also add any veggies of your choice.
4. Add the tomato sauce, vegetable broth, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper to the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
5. To make the bechamel sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until the mixture turns light brown.
6. Gradually add the milk to the saucepan, whisking constantly until the mixture is smooth. Add the salt, black pepper, and nutmeg, and continue to whisk until the sauce thickens.
7. Spread a thin layer of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Place a layer of lasagne sheets over the sauce, followed by a layer of the bechamel sauce, and another layer of tomato sauce.
8. Repeat the layers, ending with a layer of tomato sauce on top. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese and grated parmesan cheese on top.
9. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 25 minutes until the cheese on top is golden brown.
10. Let the lasagne cool for a few minutes before serving. 

Here were some quick pasta recipes you have to try! For a meaty twist, you can always add a meat of your choice such as chicken or shrimp to these easy veg pasta recipes.