Ingredient Guide
What to Cook With Pasta: 8 Weeknight Dinners in 30 Minutes
Pasta is the universal weeknight answer — the question is rarely whether you can make something with it, but which recipe to choose. What to cook with pasta spans from five-ingredient aglio e olio to creamy vodka sauce, and recipes with pasta can use up nearly any vegetable, protein, or leftover in your fridge. Here's how to use up pasta and make dinner feel like an occasion.
8 Recipes With Pasta
Pasta Aglio e Olio
Toast thinly sliced garlic in olive oil until golden, add a pinch of chili flakes and parsley, then toss with pasta and pasta water for a silky coating.
Cacio e Pepe
Combine finely grated pecorino, parmesan, and lots of freshly cracked black pepper with pasta water into a creamy, clingy sauce — no cream needed.
Quick Tomato Basil Pasta
Blister cherry tomatoes in olive oil until they burst, tear in fresh basil, and toss with pasta and a handful of parmesan.
Pasta e Fagioli
Simmer canned cannellini beans with soffritto, tomatoes, and broth until thick, then add short pasta and cook directly in the soup.
Creamy Vodka Penne
Make a concentrated tomato paste and cream sauce with a splash of vodka, parmesan, and butter — the vodka unlocks flavors in the tomato you can't get any other way.
Pasta Primavera with Spring Vegetables
Blanch asparagus, peas, and zucchini, then toss with pasta in a bright lemon and herb sauce with parmesan.
Spicy Sausage Orecchiette
Brown Italian sausage, wilt in spinach or broccoli rabe, add pasta and pasta water to create a glossy, spicy sauce.
Cold Sesame Peanut Noodles
Cook pasta and toss while warm with a peanut-soy-ginger sauce, chili oil, and cucumber — best served cold or at room temperature.
Pro Tips for Cooking With Pasta
- 1
Save 1–2 cups of pasta water before draining — the starchy water emulsifies fat and sauce into a silky coating that doesn't slide off the pasta.
- 2
Salt pasta water aggressively — it should taste like mildly salted broth. This is the only chance to season the pasta itself, not just the sauce.
- 3
Pull pasta out of the boiling water 1–2 minutes before the package says and finish it in the sauce — it absorbs the flavor and the starches help the sauce cling.
Ingredients That Pair Well With Pasta
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View guide →Frequently Asked Questions
How long does dry pasta last in the pantry?
Properly stored dry pasta lasts 2 years in an airtight container, and many sources say it's safe indefinitely past the 'best by' date. Whole wheat pasta has more oils and lasts about 1 year. Cooked pasta lasts 3–5 days in the fridge and can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Does pasta shape matter for a recipe?
Yes — shape is designed around sauce structure. Long, smooth noodles (spaghetti, linguine) need light oil-based or thin cream sauces that coat without clumping. Short ridged pasta (rigatoni, penne) catches chunky meat and vegetable sauces in their tubes. Small pasta (orzo, ditalini) works best in soups. Matching shape to sauce isn't snobby — it genuinely makes the dish work better.
What's the difference between fresh and dried pasta?
Fresh pasta (made with eggs) cooks in 2–3 minutes and has a tender, silky texture — best with butter, cream, or light sauces. Dried pasta (made with semolina flour and water) has a firmer chew that holds up to heavy tomato and meat sauces and is more pantry-stable. For weeknight cooking, dried pasta is almost always the right choice.
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