Quick Pasta

Hirsheimer and Hamilton

From rich and creamy fusilli with three cheeses to penne with spicy tomato sauce and shrimp, these quick and easy pasta dishes are ready in 45 minutes or less.

Start Slideshow

1 of 25

Casarecce with Sausage, Pickled Cherries and Pistachios

Go to Recipe

This creamy pasta from star chef Tom Colicchio comes together in just minutes, though you'll have to make the pickled cherries the night before.

2 of 25

Penne with Shrimp and Spicy Tomato Sauce

Go to Recipe

Paprika, cumin, and ginger lend their aromatic alchemy to a simple, no-cook tomato sauce. You can use the sauce with a wide range of ingredients.

Healthy Pasta Recipes

3 of 25

Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Basil, Olives, and Fresh Mozzarella

Go to Recipe

This quick and easy summer pasta is equally good warm and at room temperature.

Fresh Pasta Recipes

4 of 25

Cheese Tortellini with Walnut Pesto

Christina Holmes

Go to Recipe

Here's one of the quickest pesto sauces you'll come across. It's a perfect match for cheese tortellini, but you can use other tortellini such as mushroom or meat instead. The pesto is also great with just about any plain pasta.

More Tasty Pesto Recipes

5 of 25

Country-Style Rigatoni

Go to Recipe

Sausage, escarole, and white beans join chunky rigatoni in a garlicky broth slightly thickened with Parmesan. Don't stir too much after adding the beans, or they'll break up.

More Meaty Pastas

6 of 25

Spaghettini with Mushrooms, Garlic, and Oil

Go to Recipe

We've added sautéed mushrooms to the classic—and very simple—spaghetti with garlic and oil, but the dish can still be made in no time at all. Regular white mushrooms are excellent here; portobellos or wild mushrooms would be great, too.

More Mushroom Recipes

7 of 25

Macaroni with Summer Squash, Salami, and Ricotta Tomato Sauce

Go to Recipe

Sun-dried tomatoes add lots of flavor to the sauce. If you prefer zucchini, you can use it in place of the summer squash.

More Recipes with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

8 of 25

Penne with Smoked Chicken and Mascarpone

Go to Recipe

This quick recipe features penne tossed with smoked chicken and creamy mascarpone.

More Penne Recipes

9 of 25

Linguine Carbonara

Go to Recipe

No book about quick pastas would be complete without a version of this classic. It's made with little more than bacon and eggs.

More Linguine Recipes

10 of 25

Fusilli with Three Cheeses and Red Bell Pepper

Go to Recipe

Macaroni and cheese goes upscale with fontina, mozzarella, and Parmesan. This particular combination provides plenty of flavor and meltability, but don't limit yourself to our selection: Make your own trio from the cheeses you have on hand.

More Delicious Macaroni and Cheese Recipes

11 of 25

Cavatappi with Pepperoni

Go to Recipe

Pepperoni gives this sauce its kick. Or try other hot sausages such as cured chorizo.

More Sausage Recipes

12 of 25

Bow Ties with Sweet Potatoes and Canadian Bacon

Go to Recipe

Bow-tie pasta with slices of sweet potato, diced Canadian bacon, and tomato puree form a harmonious dish of varied flavors, shapes, and colors. We use sage here, but if you don't care for it, try the same quantity of thyme instead.

More Fast Pasta Dishes

13 of 25

Cavatelli with Sardinian Meat Sauce

Go to Recipe

If you can't find hot Italian sausage, use ground pork or mild sausage and a quarter teaspoon of dried red-pepper flakes.

More Meaty Pastas

14 of 25

Ziti with Roasted Vegetables

Go to Recipe

Roasting vegetables at a high temperature caramelizes them, making them intensely flavorful. You may think of roasting as a long process, but we cut each of the vegetables into small cubes or thin slices so they need only thirty minutes in the oven.

More Vegetarian Pasta Recipes

15 of 25

Fettuccine with Turkey and Brandied Mushrooms

Go to Recipe

A hint of brandy flavors the sautéed mushrooms. You might use port or sherry. For a special treat, try an assortment of wild mushrooms.

More Fettuccine Recipes

16 of 25

Spaghetti with Parsley Almond Pesto

Go to Recipe

Parsley, rather than the traditional basil, makes this pesto a year-round staple. Because the taste of almonds is more delicate than that of the usual pine nuts, we have chopped rather than ground them. Their flavor really comes through when you bite in to a nutty chunk.

More Tasty Pesto Recipes

17 of 25

Penne with Swordfish, Mint, and Pine Nuts

Go to Recipe

In this Sicilian dish, pasta, pine nuts, and chunks of swordfish are tossed in mint-spiked olive oil, with more fresh mint thrown in at the end. The combination is irresistible.

More Penne Recipes

18 of 25

Linguine with Ratatouille Sauce

Go to Recipe

The vegetables that make up traditional Provençal ratatouille—eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and bell peppers—all go particularly well with basil. We've turned them into a pasta sauce that can also be served on polenta or on a hero with sausages.

More Provençal Recipes

19 of 25

Farfalle with Yogurt and Zucchini

Go to Recipe

Shredded zucchini cooks along with the farfalle in this tangy pasta.

More Zucchini Recipes

20 of 25

Fettuccine with Five-Spice Pork and Carrots

Go to Recipe

Don't be tempted to cook the pork tenderloin any longer than specified, or you'll risk losing its juicy tenderness. By the time you combine it with the hot carrots and sauce and toss it with the pasta, it will be perfectly done.

More Pasta Recipes

21 of 25

Bow Ties with Chicken, Watercress, and Walnuts

Go to Recipe

Chicken and walnuts always taste great together. Here the combination is enhanced by the peppery bite of watercress.

More Chicken Recipes

22 of 25

Orecchiette with Indian-Spiced Cauliflower and Peas

Go to Recipe

Vegetables play an important role in the cuisine of India, and cauliflower and peas are a favorite combination. Here Italian orecchiette catches the peas and the sauce so that each bite is full of flavor.

Healthy Indian Reicpes

23 of 25

Ziti with Portobello Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions, and Goat Cheese

Go to Recipe

Meaty mushrooms are enhanced by sweet caramelized onions and just enough tangy melted goat cheese in this delicious year-round pasta.

More Vegetarian Pasta Recipes

24 of 25

Fettuccine with Mushrooms, Tarragon, and Goat-Cheese Sauce

Go to Recipe

The delectably rich-tasting sauce that clings to each strand of fettuccine here requires no cooking. Just combine goat cheese, Parmesan, milk, and some of the still-hot pasta-cooking water, and it's done.

More Fast Weekday Pastas

25 of 25

Pasta With Radicchio and Pancetta

Hirsheimer and Hamilton

Go to Recipe

Chicories pair naturally with cured, fat-streaked meats: They absorb the rendered drippings and extra salt without losing their vibrancy and pleasantly bitter notes. This pasta from Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer matches radicchio with pancetta, garlic, cream, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Use a nonreactive pan so the radicchio leaves retain their color.

Replay gallery

Your Profile

Quick Pasta

1 of 25

Casarecce with Sausage, Pickled Cherries and Pistachios

1 of 25

2 of 25

Penne with Shrimp and Spicy Tomato Sauce

2 of 25

3 of 25

Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Basil, Olives, and Fresh Mozzarella

3 of 25

4 of 25

Cheese Tortellini with Walnut Pesto

4 of 25

5 of 25

Country-Style Rigatoni

5 of 25

6 of 25

Spaghettini with Mushrooms, Garlic, and Oil

6 of 25

7 of 25

Macaroni with Summer Squash, Salami, and Ricotta Tomato Sauce

7 of 25

8 of 25

Penne with Smoked Chicken and Mascarpone

8 of 25

9 of 25

Linguine Carbonara

9 of 25

10 of 25

Fusilli with Three Cheeses and Red Bell Pepper

10 of 25

11 of 25

Cavatappi with Pepperoni

11 of 25

12 of 25

Bow Ties with Sweet Potatoes and Canadian Bacon

12 of 25

13 of 25

Cavatelli with Sardinian Meat Sauce

13 of 25

14 of 25

Ziti with Roasted Vegetables

14 of 25

15 of 25

Fettuccine with Turkey and Brandied Mushrooms

15 of 25

16 of 25

Spaghetti with Parsley Almond Pesto

16 of 25

17 of 25

Penne with Swordfish, Mint, and Pine Nuts

17 of 25

18 of 25

Linguine with Ratatouille Sauce

18 of 25

19 of 25

Farfalle with Yogurt and Zucchini

19 of 25

20 of 25

Fettuccine with Five-Spice Pork and Carrots

20 of 25

21 of 25

Bow Ties with Chicken, Watercress, and Walnuts

21 of 25

22 of 25

Orecchiette with Indian-Spiced Cauliflower and Peas

22 of 25

23 of 25

Ziti with Portobello Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions, and Goat Cheese

23 of 25

24 of 25

Fettuccine with Mushrooms, Tarragon, and Goat-Cheese Sauce

24 of 25

25 of 25

Pasta With Radicchio and Pancetta

25 of 25

Share the Gallery

Up Next

Share the Gallery