Pasta is my ultimate comfort food. Just hearing the word makes me think of cozy Italian restaurants with steaming plates of noodles covered in rich, velvety sauces. I’ve always wanted to recreate that magic at home, but let’s be real most recipes sound like a project. They use a gazillion ingredients, like heavy cream or moody spice, and instructions that sound like they’d better be on the Food Network. And grocery bills? Yikes. No rent money I’d rather spend on dinner.
But here’s the thing: you don’t need to have all that in order to make pasta that tastes like it’s from a fancy-pants trattoria. I’m referring recipes that only use three ubiquitous ingredients you likely already have on your shelf in your pantry. These meals aren’t just easy, but weeknight night savers when you need something amazing without the drudgery or expense. They’re that amazing, you’ll fool all of your guests into thinking you worked yourself to death for hours over the stove. Let us begin with five of my favourite three ingredient pasta dishes that will turn your weeknights into a Roman holiday.
 1. Creamy Pink Sauce Pasta
My favourite when I feel like something indulgent and rich without even having to lift a finger.
Marinara Sauce
Equipment
- 1 Large Skillet 12-inch
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Chef’s knife
- 1 Wooden Spoon or Spatula
- 1 Measuring Utensils Spoons and cups for accuracy
Ingredients
Main
- 1 tablespoon good olive oil
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion 1 onion
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/2 cup good red wine such as Chianti
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 15 minutes.
Notes
The magic? Cream cheese. Yes, the same that you slather on your morning bagel are the key to a sauce so rich and creamy, you’d have believed you’d ordered it from one of those trendy restaurants. I adore the way it melts into tomato sauce, forming this beautiful, silky pink sauce that’s silky every time. Unlike heavy cream, which will curdle if you’re not incredibly, incredibly gentle, cream cheese is amazingly forgiving. I’ve been seeing people on TikTok going wild over whipped cream cheese because it’s not as much work to mix, but the regular kind is fine too. What I do is add a good tomato basil sauce like Rao’s or Trader Joe’s if you can get your hands on it. The basil provides it with that wonderful herby bright flavor which works so well with the richness of the cream cheese, and the tomato acidity keeps it from being too rich.
Paul’s Crafty Mac N Cheese with Pancetta
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot For cooking pasta
- 1 Saute Pan Medium to large, for pancetta and sauce
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Large Baking Dish or Cast Iron Skillet Oven-safe
- 1 Colander For straining pasta
Ingredients
Main
- 1 1/2 pounds ziti pasta
- 1/2 pound pancetta chopped
- 1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack plus extra for topping
- 1 1/2 cups grated Asiago plus extra for topping
- 1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar plus extra for topping
- 1 1/2 cups grated Provolone plus extra for topping
- 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan plus extra for topping
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook ziti until al dente. Strain and rinse in cool water. In a saute pan over medium-high heat, cook pancetta until it is crispy and the fat has rendered. In the same pan, add all of the cheeses and the cream and whisk until blended. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Slowly add the cooked ziti to the cheese mixture, stirring gently. Transfer the ziti and cheese mixture to a large baking dish or cast iron skillet. Top off with more cheese and bake for 24 to 30 minutes.
Notes
Warm the sauce over a medium heat in a pan for 3–4 minutes, stirring so that it does not stick to the bottom. Chop your cream cheese into small pieces, place it in the pan, and stir wildly for 2–3 minutes until smooth and melted. Combine with whatever pasta you like that is al dente and toss with some of the pasta water starchy reserve you set aside to make it shiny and immaculate. It serves four for under ten dollars, and the cream cheese is so plentiful that you won’t need to add meat. Leftovers heat up like alchemy when you add a dash of milk, and you can freeze individual servings for three months. Total victory.
2. Mix and Match Pasta
Shapes I adore one thing about these recipes: They don’t mind what pasta you have. Got a box of fusilli hiding in the pantry?
Truffle Pasta
Equipment
- 1 Food Processor
- 1 Pasta Machine
- 1 Large Pot for boiling pasta
- 1 Large Pan for sauce
- 1 Fine Grater for truffle and Parmesan
Ingredients
Main
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
- 3 large whole eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
- Kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 ounces Parmesan finely grated, plus more for garnish
- 2 ounces black truffle finely shaved
Instructions
- For the fresh pasta: Combine the flour, eggs and yolk in a food processor and pulse until a dough comes together. Transfer to a counter dusted lightly with flour and knead gently until the dough comes together and is smooth, about 1 minute. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
- Divide the dough into 4 pieces. With your hands, flatten and shape one piece of dough into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Dust it lightly with flour and pass it through the widest setting on a pasta machine. (If the dough comes out oddly shaped, re-form into a rectangle.) Fold it into thirds, like a letter, and if necessary, flatten it to a 1/2-inch thickness. Pass it through the widest setting again with the seam of the letter perpendicular to the rollers. Repeat this folding and rolling step 10 to 12 times, dusting the dough with flour if it becomes sticky.
- Without folding the dough, pass it through the next setting on the pasta machine. Continue to pass the dough through the machine, reducing the space between the rollers after each pass and lightly dusting the pasta with flour on both sides each time, until the pasta is about 1/16-inch thick and 3 inches wide.
- Lay the rolled-out dough on a floured counter. Roll out the remaining dough in the same manner. Cut each piece of dough into 11-inch lengths. Cut the dough into fettuccine by hand, or by passing through the pasta machine on the fettucine setting.
- For the black truffle sauce: Boil a large pot of salted water. Add the pasta and boil until al dente, about 3 minutes. Strain, reserving 2 cups of pasta water.
- Add the butter to a large pan over medium heat and let melt. Add half the Parmesan and 1/2 cup pasta water and stir to combine. Add the pasta and toss to coat. Add the remaining Parmesan and stir to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add more pasta water. Divide pasta among 4 bowls. Top with shaved truffle and more Parmesan. Enjoy!
Notes
Wonderful. Only spaghetti? Fine. The creamy sauce sticks to every shape, from penne’s tubes to rigatoni’s ridges to spaghetti’s long strands. I’m a sucker for fusilli because those little spirals grab onto the sauce like nobody’s business, but spaghetti’s twirls look so pretty on the plate. Simply boil your pasta al dente to firm but not hard so it’s resilient enough to withstand being tossed with the sauce. Timing is everything here. You prefer to have the pasta cooked simultaneously the sauce is finished, so the hotness of the noodles invites all the ingredients together into harmony.
The texture is ruined if the pasta sits too long or the sauce is cooked too much. Feel like making it your own? Add a dash of red pepper flakes for a bit of heat or a sprinkle of dried oregano for added flavor. If you’ve got leftover veggies like spinach or even some shredded chicken, throw them in. A sprinkle of Parmesan is not a choice it makes the dish go from wonderful to mind-blowing and a sprinkle of minced parsley (either fresh or dried) provides a cheerful splash of color. Easy, however; the beauty of these recipes is allowing those three ingredients to drive. Leftovers retain four days refrigerated or three months frozen. Reheat with splash of milk, stirring 30 seconds at a time, or slowly heat on stovetop.
3. Creamy Garlic Butter Pasta
This is the recipe I resort to when I am tired and just need to be hugged. It’s total comfort to wrap yourself up in a cloud of buttery, garlicky goodness.
Summer Garden Pasta
Equipment
- 1 Large Bowl
- 1 Plastic Wrap
- 1 Large Pot
- 1 Colander
- 1 Sharp Knife
Ingredients
Main
- 4 pints cherry tomatoes halved
- Good olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic 6 cloves
- 18 large basil leaves julienned, plus extra for serving
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound dried angel hair pasta
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for serving
Instructions
- Combine the cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, basil leaves, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature for about 4 hours.
- Just before you’re ready to serve, bring a large pot of water with a splash of olive oil and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil and add the pasta. Cook al dente according to the directions on the package (be careful – it only takes 2 to 3 minutes!). Drain the pasta well and add to the bowl with the cherry tomatoes. Add the cheese and some extra fresh basil leaves and toss well. Serve in big bowls with extra cheese on each serving.
Notes
Heavy cream, butter, and pasta are all that you require. Melt some nice piece of butter in a pan on medium heat, add some minced garlic, and stir-fry it just until it will smell heavenly don’t let it caramelize, or it’ll taste bitter. Add the heavy cream and let it simmer for a couple of minutes until it thickens slightly. Add some grated Parmesan (I know that technically means it’s a fourth ingredient, but you won’t omit it), and a sprinkle of the pasta water if it’s too thick. Toss with al dente fettuccine or whatever pasta you have on hand, salt and pepper, and maybe a pinch of red pepper flakes for some heat. Top with parsley, and you have a dish that is absolute comfort food in every bite.
4. Tomato Basil Spaghetti
It’s a bowl of summer, but it’s mid-winter. All you need is spaghetti, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil.
Spaghetti Marinara
Equipment
- 1 Large Skillet
- 1 Large Pot
- 1 Chef’s knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Colander
Ingredients
Main
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Kosher salt
- 1 28- ounce can whole peeled tomatoes crushed by hand
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into cubes
Instructions
- Combine the olive oil and garlic in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat until the garlic is golden around the edges, about 3 minutes. Add the onion, oregano and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the onion is soft but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices and 1/2 cup water; continue cooking until the sauce is slightly reduced, about 20 minutes. Stir in the basil and season with salt. Keep warm over low heat.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain.
- Add the pasta to the sauce along with the butter and 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water. Increase the heat to medium and toss to coat, adding the remaining cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce. Transfer the pasta to bowls and drizzle with olive oil.
Notes
It’s light and crisp but somehow like a treat. In a pan, heat some olive oil, add minced garlic and red pepper flakes if you desire some kick, and sauté for 30 seconds or so until fragrant. Add halved cherry tomatoes and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they pop and become juicy. Press them gently with your spoon to break down into saucy consistency. Toss with al dente spaghetti and a splash of reserved pasta water, and top with a few shreds of some chopped fresh basil and Parmesan. The ripe tomatoes, hot basil, and garlicky sauce meld together in this incredible, rainbow-hued masterpiece that makes you feel like you’re having dinner on an Italian patio.
Spicy Shrimp and Spaghetti Aglio Olio (Garlic and Oil)
Equipment
- 1 Large Nonstick Skillet
- 1 Large Pot For cooking spaghetti
- 1 Wooden Spoon For breaking up anchovies and tossing pasta
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Chef’s knife
Ingredients
Main
- 2 pounds jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley a couple of handfuls
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 cloves garlic crushed and peeled
- Coarse salt about 1 teaspoon
- 2 tablespoons a couple of generous drizzles extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup 4 turns around the pan in a light stream extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 2-ounce tin anchovy fillets
- 6 to 8 large cloves garlic crushed and minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley a couple of handfuls
- Coarse salt
- 1 pound spaghetti cooked to al dente
- Tomato and Onion Salad as an accompaniment
- Crusty bread as an accompaniment
- 5 medium plum tomatoes halved lengthwise, gently seeded, and thinly sliced
- 1 small white skinned onion peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley a couple of handfuls
- A generous drizzle extra-virgin olive oil about 2 tablespoons
- Coarse salt and black pepper
- Crusty Bread as an accompaniment
Instructions
- Combine shrimp with next 6 ingredients and toss to coat shrimp evenly.
- Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium high heat, then add half of the shrimp. Cook shrimp 3 minutes until pink and just firm. Remove shrimp to a warm platter and repeat process with remaining shrimp.
- Return pan to heat and reduce heat to medium low. Add 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Add anchovies, garlic, and pepper flakes to oil. Break up anchovies with a wooden spoon until they melt away into the oil and garlic mixture.
- Toss spaghetti in the pan with parsley and the garlic oil, then season with a little coarse salt, to your taste. Top servings of garlic and oil spaghetti with spicy shrimp and serve with Tomato and Onion Salad and Crusty Bread.
- Prep your garlic and parsley for aglio olio and set them, as well as drained pasta and remaining ingredients all within arm’s reach of your stove top.
- The aroma will be intense! Cooked anchovies have a salted-nutty (rather than fishy) taste that compliments the garlic as it sweetens and softens.
Notes
5. Cacio e Pepe
My schmancy-sounding go-to when I want something simple but excessive. A Roman classic, cacio e pepe, has nothing more than spaghetti, black pepper, and Pecorino Romano cheese.
Mac and Cheese with Broccoli and Tomatoes
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot For boiling pasta and blanching vegetables.
- 1 Slotted Spoon For safely removing broccoli from boiling water.
- 1 Large Saucepan For preparing the cheese sauce.
- 1 Whisk Essential for a smooth, lump-free cheese sauce.
- 1 3-quart Baking Dish For assembling and broiling the mac and cheese.
Ingredients
Main
- Kosher salt
- 1 head broccoli cut into small florets (about 4 cups)
- 8 ounces campanelle or short pasta
- 2 large eggs
- 1 12- ounce can evaporated milk
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend about 8 ounces
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese about 1 1/2 ounces
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup grape tomatoes halved
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook until bright green and crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon; let cool. Return the water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain.
- Whisk the eggs, evaporated milk, the reserved cooking water, the Mexican cheese, 1/2 cup parmesan, the mustard, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture starts to thicken and bubble, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the pasta and broccoli until coated. Transfer the mixture to a 3-quart baking dish and top with the tomatoes.
- Preheat the broiler. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan, the breadcrumbs and melted butter in a small bowl; sprinkle over the macaroni and cheese. Broil, rotating the pan, until the topping is golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
Notes
Dry-toasting the pepper in a pan for a minute or until it just makes the flavor pop. Cook your spaghetti al dente in salt water and save some of that starchy water. Spoon hot pasta into pepper pan, and stir in gradually some finely grated Pecorino Romano and some little pasta water over low heat. Stir until it’s cheesed up all and creamy and coats every strand of pasta. Peppery bite and nutty cheese is so rich and satisfying it’s incredible that it’s just three ingredients. It’s the little black dinner dress: simple, elegant, and never out of style. These are my proof that a person does not need a recipe of ingredients or preparation skills to create something amazing. They’re perfect for the evenings when you’re too tired even to think about it but want it to be special.
Cacio e Pepe
Equipment
- 1 Wide Pasta Pan Large enough to comfortably hold the pasta in a single layer.
- 1 Small skillet For toasting black pepper.
- 1 Whisk or Tongs For vigorous mixing and tossing to emulsify the sauce.
- 1 Cheese Grater For freshly grating Pecorino-Romano cheese.
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl For tossing and finishing the pasta.
Ingredients
Main
- 12 ounces thick-cut dry pasta
- Kosher salt
- 30 turns freshly ground black pepper on the coarsest setting, plus more for serving
- 1/3 cup grated Pecorino-Romano cheese plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons high-quality extra-virgin olive oil plus more for serving
Instructions
- In a pan just wide enough to hold the pasta, place enough water to fill the pan 1 inch from the bottom. Season the water with a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Spread the pasta in the pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Allow the pasta water to reduce; do not add more, as you want the starchy water to be minimal when the remaining ingredients are added.
- Meanwhile, add the coarse black pepper to a separate small pan over medium heat. Toast a minute or two until fragrant.
- Once the pasta is al dente and the pasta water has reduced so only a slight coating remains at the bottom of the pan, turn off the heat and add the toasted ground black pepper and Pecorino-Romano. Stir and toss vigorously until both ingredients are well incorporated into the pasta. Toss in the olive oil and season with salt.
- Transfer the pasta to a large bowl and garnish with more black pepper, Pecorino-Romano and extra-virgin olive oil.
Notes
If you’re a beginner in the kitchen, these are perfect because they’re so relaxed. Cream cheese, naturally enough, is a rockstar it can’t be overdone, and even if your sauce is slightly lumpy, it’s going to taste just great with a bit of additional stirring. And these dinners won’t break the bank! The majority of them cost less than ten dollars to feed a family, and they’re hearty enough to be used as a main course on their own. I also appreciate how versatile these recipes are. Got some miscellaneous veggies or herbs just sitting in the fridge?
Throw ’em in. Want to turn it into a complete meal? Throw in some protein, like chicken or beans. They’re a canvas for whatever your mood strikes. Leftovers are meal prep heaven store them in the fridge or freezer, and reheat wonderfully. The next time you are standing in your pantry with no idea whatsoever what to cook, try one of these. They’re easy, delicious, and will make you a kitchen rockstar without driving you crazy. Pick up your pasta and get cooking your taste buds will be thanking you!
