I am very happy to offer my dear spaghetti recipes; they are so various I’m not sure where to begin. Spaghetti Bolognese is a warm, reliable kind of dish.

But I also adore the very creamy and dreamy Carbonara (along with my zesty Lemon and Ricotta spaghetti). Those of you who want to take a real plunge into flavor can try my Aglio e Olio and alla Puttanesca.

And, oh, the truffle cream sauce!

The 10 Best spaghetti recipes

1. Spaghetti Bolognese

Spaghetti Bolognese is a traditional dish from Italy where the spaghetti is served with a rich sauce made from beef or pork, onions, garlic, and canned tomatoes. The dish’s flavor is accentuated by the use of tomato paste, salt, and pepper in its preparation.

Ingredients

200g spaghetti
300g ground beef or pork
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
400g canned chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Take a big pot and fill it with water. Add salt to the water. Bring the water to a boil. When the water is boiling, add spaghetti to the pot. Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions. Make sure not to overcook it; it should be cooked to the al dente stage. Drain the spaghetti in a colander. Set the colander with the spaghetti in it aside.

2. In a big frying pan over medium heat, place the ground beef or pork and cook it until it’s brown. If there’s an amount of fat that seems too much, pour it off.

3. Sauté the chopped onion and minced garlic with the meat until the onion is soft and translucent.

4. Mix in the diced tomatoes and tomato purée, then season as you like with salt and pepper. Let the sauce simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve this over the cooked spaghetti.

2. Spaghetti Carbonara

A classic Italian pasta dish, Spaghetti Carbonara is made with spaghetti, pancetta or guanciale, eggs, Pecorino Romano, Parmesan, and pepper. What’s so special about it?

This is the only recipe in the world for this dish because it has no right or wrong way to serve it and no set ingredients to use (other than the ones listed here).

Ingredients

400g spaghetti
150g pancetta or guanciale, diced
2 large eggs
50g grated Pecorino Romano cheese
50g grated Parmesan cheese
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. In a big pot of boiling salted water, cook the spaghetti until it’s al dente. Keep some of the pasta water, then drain the spaghetti.

2. As the pasta cooks, place the pancetta or guanciale in a large pan over medium heat, and render them until they’re crispy. Achieve this delightful texture without burning the meat or cooking it too long. Remove from heat before you do any of those three things.

3. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, Pecorino Romano, Parmesan, and a nice amount of black pepper together.

4. Combine the hot pasta with the pancetta in the frying pan. Pour the egg mixture over the spaghetti, working quickly to toss and coat the pasta, and adding just enough of the reserved pasta water to create a creamy sauce. Serve at once.

3. Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Aglio e Olio is a classic Italian pasta dish, featuring spaghetti that has been tossed with not just olive oil, but extra virgin olive oil; with not just garlic, but thinly sliced garlic; and with not just red pepper, but red pepper (or red chili flakes), which in Italian is chiamata chili in fette sottili. It’s garnished with fresh parsley, or, if you’re not Italian and/or it’s not an Italian household, then, quite possibly, it’s not garnished with anything at all.

And then there’s the possibility of adding some cheese. Spaghetti Aglio e Olio is a quick dish, but if you want to make it even quicker, consider using pre-minced garlic from a jar.

Ingredients

• 400g spaghetti
• 60ml extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes (adjust to taste)
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare a big pot of water with salt so it can attain a rolling boil. Immerse the spaghetti in this vigorous boil, cooking until it has reached a stage very near doneness. When it has not quite cooked all the way to al dente, you will want to accomplish two tasks very quickly:

1. Save a cup of that precious, starchy spaghetti water (the secret almost all Italian cooks know) and

2. Drain the pasta promptly.

2. In a big frying pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Toss in the sliced garlic and cook, stirring, until the slices are golden brown, taking care not to let them burn. Stir in the red chili flakes.

3. Combine the drained spaghetti with the garlic and oil in a large skillet, tossing it to coat. If needed, add some of the reserved pasta water to help the sauce cling to the pasta and make it looser and silkier. You may or may not need all of the reserved water.

4. Add salt to your liking and then sprinkle parsley over the food. Serve directly, with a dusting of Parmesan if you feel like jazzing it up.

4. Spaghetti Marinara

Marinara sauce is a classic Italian preparation that originates in Naples and is made with tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil. While it is commonly used in dishes like lasagna, the most quintessential way to enjoy it is tossed with pasta.

Certain parts of Italy serve spaghetti with tomato sauce and call it “spaghetti marinara.” But in my experience, that’s not as common. In fact, quite a few Italian restaurants in the U.S.

serve “spaghetti marinara” with copious amounts of sauce.

Ingredients

Spaghetti (400g)
Olive oil (2 tablespoons)
Garlic cloves, minced (2)
Crushed tomatoes (800g can)
Fresh basil leaves, chopped (a handful)
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)

Instructions

1. Prepare the spaghetti as instructed on the package; cook until just shy of done (this means “al dente,” which is Italian for “to the tooth”). Drain, and set the spaghetti aside.

2. In a large pan, medium heat the olive oil. Add the minced garlic and fragrant it in about 1 minute.

3. Add the salt and pepper to taste and stir in the tomatoes. Let the sauce simmer for around 10 minutes, stirring it from time to time. It should be bubbly but not boiling.

4. Combine the sauce with the spaghetti well. Serve it garnished with fresh basil.

5. Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe
is a classic pasta dish from Italy that translates to “cheese and pepper.” It features spaghetti, Pecorino Romano cheese, fresh black pepper that is ground right before use, and salt. The combination creates a sauce that is creamy and flavorful with no fuss and no muss.

Ingredients

Spaghetti (400g)
Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated (200g)
Black pepper, freshly ground (2 teaspoons)
Salt (for pasta water)
Water (for boiling)

Instructions

1. Make sure to use a large pot and fill it with plenty of water seasoning it with salt. When the water is at a rolling boil, add the spaghetti. When the pasta is almost done, and you have roughly 1 cup of the pasta water set aside, then it’s time to combine the sauce and the pasta.

2. In a big skillet, over medium heat, warm the freshly ground black pepper until it becomes fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Incorporate a portion of the reserved pasta water into the pan, then add the drained spaghetti and toss to combine.

4. Take it off the heat. Then, add the grated Pecorino Romano cheese. Stir quickly and vigorously, and add a little more of the reserved pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Adjust the seasoning with more black pepper, if you’d like. Serve right away.

6. Spaghetti with Truffle Cream Sauce

Spaghetti with Truffle Cream Sauce is a rich and luxurious dish. It features al dente spaghetti enveloped in a sauce made from heavy cream, truffle oil, and Parmesan cheese, with salt and pepper to season.

Prepare it as a starter, but be warned: the richness might overshadow any potential main course. Indeed, you could skip the next course altogether and instead finish the meal off with dessert.

Ingredients
12 oz spaghetti
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp truffle oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Optional: 1 tbsp unsalted butter
Optional: Fresh parsley or chives for garnish

Instructions

1. Prepare the spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water. Follow the package directions. Cook until the pasta is al dente. Reserve a cup of the water in which the pasta cooked. Then drain the pasta.

2. In a big frying pan set over medium heat, warm the truffle oil and melt the butter, if using. Pour in the heavy cream and let it simmer, stirring every now and then, for about 2-3 minutes.

3. Mix the grated Parmesan into the dish, adding salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook on medium heat, not letting the sauce simmer, and keep stirring until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is smooth.

4. Mix the sauce with the cooked spaghetti, using reserved pasta water if necessary to achieve the right consistency. Serve right away, and top with fresh herbs if you like. Helene’s boyfriend suggests chives.

7. Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

A traditional Italian pasta is Spaghetti alla Puttanesca. It has spaghetti as its base and a sauce as its topping—a sauce that is supremely well-balanced and has all the qualities that make an Italian sauce great.

It is composed mainly of olive oil and garlic, as are many Italian sauces, and it is seasoned with red pepper flakes and then thickened with crushed tomatoes. The sauce also contains black olives and capers, which lend it a sort of salty, briny quality.

Ingredients

12 ounces spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups canned whole tomatoes, crushed
1/2 cup black olives, pitted and sliced
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed

Instructions

1. In a large pot of rapidly boiling salted water, cook the spaghetti until it is al dente. Drain the pasta and set aside.

2. In a large frying pan, warm olive oil over medium heat. Stir in minced garlic and red pepper flakes, then sauté until the mixture exudes a mouthwatering aroma.

3. Mix in the crushed tomatoes, olives, and capers. Let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes.

4. Mix the sauce with the cooked spaghetti until well combined, then serve hot.

8. Spaghetti with Lemon and Ricotta

Lemon and Ricotta Spaghetti features perfectly cooked spaghetti, creamy ricotta, and just the right amount of lemon. The key to this simple, bright, and refreshing pasta dish is using only the best quality ingredients.

Pasta and cheese are two of my favorite foods, and while I could happily eat them together for the rest of my life, I’m constantly searching for new combinations to keep things interesting.

Ingredients

12 oz spaghetti
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 lemon (zest and juice)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh basil leaves (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

1. Boil a large pot of salted water, and cook the pasta in it according to the package directions until al dente. When the pasta is done, drain it, reserving at least 1 cup of the starchy cooking water.

2. In a big bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, grated lemon peel, lemon juice, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese together well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Combine the hot spaghetti with the ricotta mixture and toss to mix, using reserved pasta water as necessary to make a creamy sauce. Add more salt and pepper if needed to make the dish taste right. Adjustments are mandatory.

4. Serve immediately the spaghetti, if desired, garnished with fresh basil leaves.

9. Spaghetti Al Nero di Seppia (Squid Ink Spaghetti)

Squid Ink Spaghetti, or Spaghetti Al Nero di Seppia, is a fetching dish from Italy. Much like its name, this dish looks dark and scary at first glance.

But that can be said for many an Italian sauce. Here, the sauce is coaxed forth with plenty of tender sautéed squid and garlic, and, oh my, it is rich.

Ingredients

400g spaghetti
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 chili peppers, chopped (optional)
300g fresh squid, cleaned and cut into rings
3-4 packets of squid ink (approximately 12g total)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Prepare a large pot of boiling, salted water and add the spaghetti, cooking it until al dente, according to the package directions. When done, drain and put the pasta aside, saving a bit of the water that was in the pot.

2. In a big frying pan, warm olive oil on medium. Throw in the minced garlic and, if you’re using them, the chopped chili peppers. Sauté until the garlic is fragrant. Avoid letting it brown.

3. Add to the pan the squid rings and cook for about 3-4 minutes until they are tender. Stir in the squid ink and mix thoroughly, adding a little reserved pasta water to create a smooth sauce.

4. Mix together the cooked spaghetti and the squid and ink mixture, tossing well so the pasta is evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper as needed, and serve right away.

10. Spaghetti with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Spaghetti with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto unites the delicious sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and pine nuts in a potion of pesto that’s rich with olive oil, garlic, and basil. It clings to the nearly al dente spaghetti and offers a great mouthfeel.

It’s the kind of spaghetti dish that stands up to its own ingredients.

Ingredients

• 12 oz spaghetti
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil, drained)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

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Instructions

1. Prepare the spaghetti as directed in the package instructions in a large, pot of plentiful salted boiling water, ensuring that it cooks long enough to reach the al dente stage. Afterward, pour out most of the water, saving about 1/2 cup of it for use later. Then, let the spaghetti reach the half minute to one minute cool down when al dente has been achieved.

2. A food processor is used to mix together sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic, and basil. They are chopped very finely. In fact, the consistency of what you are chopping in a food processor is generally quite different from what you do in your kitchen with a knife. Food processors are often a step up in power from blenders. When you use one, you want to be careful not to overdo it. (The picture above right shows the empty bowl of a food processor. The processor itself sits on a countertop.)

3. While the processor is running, very slowly pour in the olive oil until the blend is smooth and creamy. If you find the pesto too thick, stir in reserved pasta water, adding a tablespoon at a time, until the pesto reaches your desired consistency.

4. Mix the cooked noodles with the pesto until they glisten. Adjust the flavors with added salt and pepper. Serve.