Pasta to Please Any Palate
Pasta saved my life. OK, well, not really. But when I had small children, whipping up a quick bowl of pasta to satisfy the kids’ ravenous hunger and tamp down their hangriness felt like a lifesaver. My kids basically survived on buttered noodles and mac and cheese.
Nowadays, their palates are elevated and their demands rich. It’s Bolognese-this and mafaldine-that. But I often still tempt them with weeknight pasta offerings that make them think I’ve gone out of my way to please them. Really, I just know a few things about flavor combinations.
If this sounds anything like your life, then you’ll appreciate this all-star lineup of weeknight pastas my colleagues and I developed that go from boil to bowl in 45 minutes or (much) less. These 10 recipes enliven everyday pasta with unexpected ingredients. And the results are excellent.
We’ve got global inspiration, like ’Nduja Carbonara (a spicy take on the Roman favorite) and Goan Keema Pasta, which blends warming spices with hearty meat sauce. South Texas Green Spaghetti brings bold regional flair and vibrant color.
There are also bowls of classic comfort foods—but not quite how you’ve seen them before. Super-Savory Mushroom-Bacon Spaghetti boasts a balanced array of umami-rich ingredients. If you crave intensity, our After-Midnight Anchovy-Garlic Pasta delivers big, punchy flavor, while Caramelized Meyer Lemon Pasta offers a perfect harmony of sweet and tangy.
Spring Vegetable Pasta with Crispy Mortadella and Pistachio Cream is a little lighter, with seasonal freshness blanketed in an unforgettable sauce. Linguine with Chickpeas and Zucchini is a simple yet satisfying plant-forward dish, destined to become a weeknight staple—it already has in my house!
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