6 Simple Pasta Recipes to Know

Here are 6 pasta dishes I could eat every day (but probably shouldn’t). They’re easy, comforting, and always hit the spot when I want something tasty and quick. 

I haven’t included exact quantities, because nothing here is that serious. These recipes are easy enough to eyeball, whether you're cooking for yourself or feeding a few people. Just add more if you're cooking for more. Trust your instincts!

Spaghetti Puttanesca

The first recipe I ever learned how to make as a kid. It uses mostly staple pantry ingredients, which is where it got its name. Italians use the word ‘puttana’ (meaning whore or prostitute) interchangeably with ‘shit’ – as in, all the shit from the pantry goes in the sauce. Cool!

Ingredients:

Spaghetti 
Capers
Anchovies
Olives
Garlic
Olive Oil
Tomato Paste
Chilli Flakes
Dried Basil
Paprika
Canned Tomatoes
Salt & Pepper 
Parmesan
Fresh Parsley

Method:

Finely chop your garlic, capers, anchovies, and olives. The more you add, the chunkier the sauce will be. I always go heavy on the anchovies because they’re my favourite, but you do you.

Heat a generous drizzle of olive oil in a pan over high heat. Add your chopped ingredients and cook until the anchovies melt into the oil and the garlic starts to brown. Turn the heat down if anything starts to burn. 

Stir in a spoonful or two of tomato paste, plus dried basil, paprika and chilli flakes. Let that cook for a couple of minutes, then pour in your canned tomatoes (two cans for four people, one for a solo serving). Add salt and pepper to taste, then turn down your sauce to a low simmer while you cook your pasta. 

Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook your spaghetti according to the packet instructions. Once it’s cooked and drained, serve with a generous scoop of sauce, and top with parmesan and fresh parsley if you have it.

Ego Noodles (as in ‘good for the…’)

Another spaghetti recipe. This is a tasty asian-fusion style dish that will seriously make you seem like you’ve got your life together.

Ingredients:

Spaghetti
Oil
Onion
Garlic
Sesame Oil
Ginger (fresh or powdered)
Chilli Powder
Nutmeg
Silverbeet (or Kale)
Parmesan
Feta
Black Pepper

Method:

Bring a pot of salted water to boil and get the spaghetti cooking.

Meanwhile, heat a bit of olive oil in a wok or large pan. Add chopped onion and garlic, then stir in sesame oil, ginger, chilli powder, and a pinch of nutmeg. Once everything’s smelling amazing, toss in your chopped, washed silverbeet (or kale) and cook until soft and wilted.

Pile on top of cooked spaghetti in bowls, and then sprinkle on the feta, grated parmesan and black pepper.

Serve with lots of crusty bread and red wine!

Pesto Pasta with Potatoes & Green Beans

Penne and a pottle of pesto is a depressing student classic we’ve all lived through. But just because those days are behind you doesn’t mean you have to give up on pesto pasta entirely. This version keeps the convenience but adds a bit of sophistication.

Ingredients:

Waxy New Potatoes
Penne Pasta
Green Beans (frozen or fresh)
Pesto
Parmesan

Method:

Peel and chop your potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Boil them in salted water for about 10 minutes, or until tender but not falling apart.

In a second pot of salty water, cook the pasta according to packet instructions, adding the green beans in the last 4 minutes.

Once everything’s cooked, drain it all and return it to one pot. Stir through a few spoonfuls of pesto while everything is still hot. You may want to save a bit of pasta water to splash in, if it’s looking a bit dry.

Serve with plenty of grated parmesan cheese!

Crunchy Anchovy & Walnut Pasta

A lovely sauceless pasta with loads of texture and flavour. You can use whatever pasta you have on hand: penne, spaghetti, farfalle (which actually means butterfly, not “bow tie,” btw), or even shells. Just go with your mood.

Ingredients:

Pasta
Olive Oil
Garlic
Chilli Flakes
Walnuts
Anchovies
Parmesan

Method:

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions (it will finish cooking later in the pan).

While the pasta’s cooking, heat some olive oil in a large pan and fry the garlic, chilli flakes, walnuts, and anchovies until the garlic is golden and the anchovies have melted into the oil.

Add a splash of pasta water to the pan to loosen things up, then toss in your drained pasta. Stir everything together and cook for another couple of minutes until the water reduces.

Season with salt and pepper, serve in bowls, and top with grated parmesan and a final drizzle of olive oil. So good!

Newspaper Sausage Pasta

The second pasta dish I learned to make as a kid. My friend at primary school (when we were aged about 11) suggested it to me after she tore the recipe out of a newspaper. I came home ready to tell Mum — only to find that she’d already ripped out the exact same recipe from our copy. Clearly, it was meant to be!

This dish is such a crowd-pleaser. If you’re feeling guilty about the lack of nutrition, you can always toss in a whole bag of baby spinach to balance things out.

Ingredients:

Penne Pasta
Olive oil
Beef or Pork Sausages
Beef Stock
Canned Tomatoes
Dried Basil
Fresh or dried Parsley
Baby Spinach (optional)
Bread Crumbs
Parmesan

Method:

Drizzle olive oil into a large pan. Squeeze the sausage meat out of the casings into small bite-sized blobs and cook over medium-high heat until browned and sealed.

Add the beef stock, canned tomatoes, dried basil, parsley, and baby spinach (if using). Let it simmer while you get the rest sorted.

In a separate pan, fry some breadcrumbs in olive oil until golden and crispy.

Cook your pasta according to the packet instructions. Once it’s ready, plate it up with a generous spoonful of the sausage sauce, then sprinkle with the toasted breadcrumbs and lots of parmesan. Yum!

Orecchiette Pasta with Broccoli & Anchovies

I found this recipe years ago from a free leaflet in an Italian grocery store, and my flatmates and I made it on repeat. It’s simple, salty, and addictive. If you can’t find orecchiette, then shell pasta is the next best thing. You want the broccoli and anchovy bits to get stuck inside the pasta’s little curves. Yummy!

Ingredients:

Broccoli
Pasta
Olive Oil
Chilli Flakes
Garlic
Anchovies
Chicken Stock
Parmesan
Lemon (rind and juice)
Salt & Peppper

Method:

Chop the broccoli into small pieces and cook in boiling water for about 5 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside.

In a separate pot, cook the pasta in salted water until about 2 minutes before al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water, then drain and set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a pan and cook the chilli flakes, garlic, and anchovies until the garlic is golden and the anchovies have melted.

Add the cooked broccoli and chicken stock to the pan, and cook for around 8 minutes. Break the broccoli up even further with your stirring spoon.

Add the pasta, reserved water, lemon zest and juice, and toss everything together for a couple more minutes until the sauce coats the pasta.

Season with salt and pepper, top with grated parmesan, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil. Buon appetito!