Mangia Mangia
If there's one thing Italians know, it's pasta. If there's one thing we know, it's that there are few problems in life that a big bowl of warm pasta won't fix. If you're looking to shake things up from your weekly spaghetti and meatballs/mac and cheese dinners, why not try one of these diverse pasta dishes from all across Italy?
1. Pasta Alla Norma
Named after Sicilian composer Vincenzo Bellini's most famous opera, Pasta alla Norma is a simple dish with spectacular results. Best enjoyed in late summer or early fall, the pasta is covered with roasted eggplant, grated ricotta, and a hearty helping of basil.
2. Penne All'arrabbiata
Leave it to the Romans to invent an angry pasta dish, penne all'arrabbiata is a dish with a kick. The "anger" comes from a spicy sauce made of tomato, garlic, and chili peppers cooked in olive oil to draw the flavor out. Make sure you have water on hand when you eat this.
Giovanni JL from Singapore on Wikimedia
3. Vincisgrassi
If you want to shake things up from your sunday lasagne, but not too much, vincisgrassi is a dish worth your time. Vincisgrassi is a labor of love; seven layers of hand-rolled pasta, béchamel and ragù sauces, oh, and chicken giblets. The chicken giblets are imperative to deepening the flavor of the dish.
Daniele La Monaca on Wikimedia
4. Ciceri E Tria
Ciceri e tria comes from the "heel" part of southern Italy. This dish is unique on this list, as it uses both boiled and fried pasta. While the ciceri in the name refers to chickpeas, one third of the pasta is fried and used as a topping, to simulate the mouthfeel of meat during times of scarcity.
5. Cacio E Pepe
Sometimes, less is more. Cacio e pepe is a simple dish with just three ingredients: spaghetti, pecorino romano, and black papper. While this may seem like a walk in the park, scientists have actually experimented with the best way to make this dish without the cheese growing lumpy.
6. Spaghetti All'assassina
Don't worry if you're still learning to cook, assassin's spaghetti is one pasta you want to burn. Rather than boiling in water, the spaghetti is cooked directly in tomato sauce until it's browned, crispy, and delicious. In this way, spaghetti all'assassina is closer to a risotto than other spaghetti dishes.
7. Hirtenmakkaroni
Born in the northernmost part of Italy, hirtenmakkaroni takes influence from neighboring Austria and Switzerland. This shepherd-style dish consist of penne, cream, peas, champignon mushrooms, ham, and grated parmesan.
8. Pasta Allo Zafferano
Have money to burn or really want to impress at a dinner party? Whip up a batch of saffron-infused pasta. The most expensive spice in the world by weight, saffron gives this dish a gorgeous yellow shade.
9. Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca
A dish associated with the world's oldest profession, spaghetti alla puttanesca comes from mid 20th-century Naples. Somewhat similar to marinara sauce, puttanesca is a tomato-based sauce packed with umami from capers and anchovies. This dish was intended to be made and consumed quickly in working-class neighborhoods.
10. Pasta Al Tonno
Eating on a budget doesn't mean instant noodles and boxed mac & cheese every night. Pasta al tonno is a quick and easy dish that relies on shelf-stable ingredients like canned tomato and tuna. The whole dish comes together in 30 minutes for a bright and briny bite on a budget.
11. Casunziei Ampezzani
Casunziei is a pasta that looks like a pierogi. Hailing from the mountainous Dolomites area, casunziei are thin, half-moon pasta filled with, well, whatever you feel like! Toppings typically include butter, poppy seeds, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
12. Pasta Alla Norcina
Make this dish as soon as you feel a chill in the air. Pasta all norcina combines two of the things the ancient town of Norcia is town for: sausage and truffle. Decadent, creamy, and comforting, this is a pasta fit for a king. If truffles, understandably, aren't in your buget, shaved mushrooms will work just as well!
13. Spaghetti Alle Vongole
Given Italy's extensive coastline, it's no surprise that a lot of traditional dishes highlight the fruit of the sea. Spaghetti alle vongole, a dish from Italy's southern coast, tosses spaghetti with fresh clams. Two distinct varieties of this dish exist: in bianco with oil, garlic, parsley, and a splash of white wine, and in rosso, which is similar but with tomatoes and fresh basil.
14. Pappardelle Al Cinghiale
If you want a bit of the Tuscan sun in the cold midwinter, then give this rich wild boar ragù a shot. The boat is marinated in red wine, aromatics, and veggies for at least 12 hours until it falls apart in your mouth. Pappardelle's wide, flat shape makes it the perfect canvas for this rich sauce.
Catia Giaccherini on Wikimedia
15. Spaghetti Alla Gricia
Spaghetti alla gricia is one of the most basic Roman dishes, made with just four ingredients: spaghetti, pecorino romano, black pepper, and guanciale. What is guanciale, you may ask? Guanciale is salt-cured pork jowl with a strong flavor and delicate taste.
Luca Nebuloni from Milan, Italy on Wikimedia
16. Anelletti Al Forno
Anelletti al forno looks like a lasagne made of spaghettiOs, but we promise it tastes so much better. This is a traditional dish of Palermom and consists of ring-shaped pasta, eggplant, meat sauce, cheese, and peas. While anelletti is a restaurant and bar food, it's also a holiday dish to be best shared with loved ones.
17. Spaghetti Alla Nerano
Spaghetti alla Nerona was invented by a restaurant owner named Maria Grazia in 1952. This dish combines spaghetti, fresh zucchini and provolone del Monaco. This semi-hard aged cheese was named not for the microstate, but for the garb that its makers would wear: sackcloth cloaks not unlike those worn by monks.
18. Trofie Al Pesto
Pesto originiated in Genoa, and this dish uses the bright green sauce to its fullest potential. Even if you've never made pasta from scratch before, trofie's distinctive wood shaving shape relies on human imperfection. Using jarred pesto—pine nuts are seriously expensive—and grocery store pasta will make this even easier.
19. Pasta Al Limone
Like cacio e pepe, pasta al limone is a deceptively difficult dish. While only using 5 ingredients you probably have lying around, and coming together in 15 minutes, this bright, lemony dish is a test of patience. Pasta al limone is best enjoyed on a sunlight balcony.
20. Tumact Me Tulez
Did you know that Italy has been a refuge for Albanians since Medieval times? Tumact me tulez is one dish that arose following the Ottoman invasion of the Balkans. This fision fish combines tagliatelle pasta, tomato, anchovy, chopped walnuts, and fried beadcrumbs.
