Effortless Pasta Recipes for Any Night

Pasta is a pantry staple for good reason: it is cheap, speedy, and endlessly flexible. The difference between flat, soggy noodles and a dish that tastes like a trattoria usually comes down to a few details, such as salting the water, saving some of the cooking liquid, and finishing the pasta in the sauce rather than just pouring sauce on top.

Below are five recipes that serve about four, along with the techniques that make them work. Each can be ready in under 40 minutes.

Core techniques

Use a large pot with at least 4 quarts of water for 1 pound of pasta, and add about 1 tablespoon of salt once it boils. Cook until al dente, which means firm to the bite, usually 1 minute less than the package suggests. Before draining, scoop out a cup of starchy pasta water. Adding a few tablespoons helps sauce cling to the pasta and become silky.

Tip: Do not add oil to the cooking water. It does not stop sticking and makes sauce slide off the pasta.

Spaghetti aglio e olio

Cook 12 ounces spaghetti. Meanwhile, snug one-third cup olive oil in a skillet over low heat with 5 thinly sliced garlic cloves and half a teaspoon of red pepper flakes for 3 to 4 minutes until fragrant and pale gold. Do not let the garlic brown, since it turns bitter. Toss the drained pasta in the oil with half a cup of pasta water and a handful of parsley.

Creamy lemon pasta

Boil 12 ounces fettuccine. In a pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter, stir in three-quarter cup heavy cream and the zest of one lemon, and simmer 3 minutes. Add the pasta, half a cup of grated Parmesan, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and a splash of pasta water. Season with salt and pepper. Add cooked peas or grilled chicken to make it a full meal.

Weeknight marinara with meatballs

Mix 1 pound ground beef with half a cup of breadcrumbs, 1 egg, a quarter cup of Parmesan, and 1 teaspoon each of salt and garlic powder. Roll into 16 meatballs and brown in a skillet for about 6 minutes. Pour in a 24-ounce jar of marinara, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Meatballs are done at 160F. Serve over spaghetti.

Baked rigatoni with three cheeses

Cook 1 pound rigatoni for 2 minutes less than the package says. Toss with 3 cups marinara, one cup ricotta, and 1 cup shredded mozzarella. Pour into a 9 by 13 inch dish, top with another cup of mozzarella and a quarter cup of Parmesan, cover with foil, and bake at 375F for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes more until bubbly.

Pesto pasta with cherry tomatoes

Cook 12 ounces of fusilli. Halve 2 cups of cherry tomatoes and snug them in a skillet with a little oil for 3 minutes. Stir the pasta with half a cup of pesto and a few tablespoons of pasta water, then fold in the tomatoes. Pesto should be added off the heat, because high heat dulls its color and flavor.

Storage and reheating

• Refrigerate leftover pasta within two hours, and eat within three to four days.
• Reheat with a splash of water or sauce in a covered skillet, or in the microwave, stirring halfway.
• Store sauce and pasta separately for better texture.
• Freeze baked pasta dishes, tightly covered, for up to three months.

Choosing the right shape

Long strands like spaghetti and fettuccine suit oil-based and creamy sauces that coat them evenly. Short shapes such as penne, rigatoni, and fusilli catch chunky sauces in their ridges and tubes. Little shapes like ditalini and orzo belong in soups. Matching shape to sauce makes the same ingredients taste better, and costs nothing extra.

Effortless upgrades for any recipe

Stir a handful of spinach or frozen peas into the pot during the last minute of cooking. Add a spoonful of tomato paste to the sauce for depth. Finish with a little lemon zest or a drizzle of good olive oil. Grate Parmesan fresh from a wedge, since pre-grated cheese contains anti-caking agents and does not melt as smoothly.

Common pitfalls to avoid

• Overcooking pasta, which continues to soften in the sauce.
• Rinsing pasta, which washes away starch needed for the sauce to stick.
• Draining all the water and forgetting to save any.
• Using too little a pot, which causes sticking and uneven cooking.

Master these techniques, and you can improvise with whatever is in the fridge. Good pasta is about timing, salt, and a little bit of pasta water.