PHOTOGRAPHY BY BETH GALTON
Recipes

20 Spaghetti Recipes That Go Way Beyond Spaghetti and Meatballs

Try another classic like pasta carbonara or primavera, or cook the noodles in red wine or a flower-infused broth

By SAVEUR Editors


Published on June 26, 2019

Spaghetti has got to be the most popular pasta variety, at least here in the U.S. It's a staple for any pasta-lover's pantry—and probably the most called-for noodle in SAVEUR's pasta recipes. Although we appreciate the beloved red-sauced spaghetti and meatballs, some days call for a more unique twist. Spaghetti is super versatile—it plays well with all kinds of vegetables and proteins and can even be cooked in red wine or a flower-infused broth instead of the usual salted water for a colorful—and flavorful—supper. Whether you're looking to twirl your fork into an Italian classic like pasta carbonara, amatriciana, puttanesca, or pomodoro, or an all-American casserole like turkey tetrazzini, our best spaghetti recipes have you covered.

spaghetti carbonara
Spaghetti Carbonara

Real Roman spaghetti carbonara should never be made with cream.

Seafood Pasta with Tomatoes, Chiles, and Mint
Seafood Pasta with Tomatoes, Chiles, and Mint

Cooling fresh mint tempers the heat of the spicy tomato sauce in this bountiful seafood pasta.Get the recipe for Seafood Pasta with Tomatoes, Chiles, and Mint »

Spaghetti all'Amatriciana
Spaghetti all'Amatriciana

Chef Rachael Grossman of Artigiano in Portland produces a flawless version of this Italian pasta classic, which uses a slow-simmered tomato sauce infused with lots of bacon. This recipe first appeared in our June/July 2012 issue along with Dana Bowen’s story Food of the People. Get the recipe for Spaghetti all’Amatriciana »

Spaghetti alla Chitarra with Lamb and Sweet Pepper Ragù
Spaghetti alla Chitarra with Lamb and Sweet Pepper Ragù

Spaghetti alla Chitarra with Lamb and Sweet Pepper Ragù

Classically Roman, this garlicky pasta dish—as interpreted by Nick Anderer of Maialino and Marta in New York City—is brightened with pepperoncino and a handful of vibrant parsley. It gets a hit of salt from grated Grana Padano and roundness from extra-virgin olive oil. Get the recipe for Nick Anderer’s Spaghetti with Garlic and Olive Oil »

Drunken Spaghetti

Get the recipe for Drunken Spaghetti »

Garlic Scape and Cherry Tomato Pasta
Garlic Scape and Cherry Tomato Pasta

Roasting garlic scapes with tomatoes and red onion sweetens them and enriches their flavor; toss them with pasta, lemon juice, and arugula for a simple summer meal. Get the recipe for Garlic Scape and Cherry Tomato Pasta »

Simple Week Night Meal Tetrazzini
Turkey Tetrazzini

Turkey Tetrazzini

plate of pasta puttanesca and a glass of red wine
Simple Weeknight Meal, Summer bolognese
Summer Bolognese

This recipe for summer bolognese has the classic comfort of bolognese, but without the heaviness of a red sauce, instead embracing the summer’s bounty of gorgeous tomatoes and fresh basil.

Spaghetti with Oven-Roasted Tomatoes and Caramelized Fennel
Spaghetti with Oven-Roasted Tomatoes and Caramelized Fennel

We like to serve this pasta topped with a little shaved bottarga, the dried salted roe of tuna or gray mullet; a sprinkle adds a briny, salty note that beautifully offsets sweet, oven roasted plum tomatoes. Get the recipe for Spaghetti with Oven-Roasted Tomatoes and Caramelized Fennel »

Wayne Thiebaud's Spaghetti with Mizithra Cheese

In the spirit of a classic carbonara, artist Wayne Thiebaud’s recipe from the California Artists Cookbook (Abbeville Press, 1982) combines smoky bacon and prosciutto with egg yolks and mizithra, an aged sheep’s milk cheese from Greece, for a gloriously rich dish. Get the recipe for Wayne Thiebaud’s Spaghetti with Mizithra Cheese »

Spaghetti Con Gamberi
Spaghetti Con Gamberi

Sweet langoustines are the ideal foil for fresh cherry tomato sauce in this simple, flavorful pasta dish. Slivers of roasted seaweed add a surprisingly delicious hit of umami. Get the recipe for Spaghetti Con Gamberi »

Morel and Asparagus Spaghetti
Morel and Asparagus Spaghetti

In this bright spring pasta dish of morels, asparagus, and cream, dried morels are rehydrated in boiling water that is then used to cook spaghetti, infusing the pasta with an earthy, mushroomy flavor. Get the recipe for Morel and Asparagus Spaghetti »

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