Different versions of pasta can be found in cuisines all over the world but are most strongly associated with the delights of Italian cooking. Pasta has an affinity with so many ingredients and is equally delicious in a light, citrus-spiked seafood sauce as it is in a rich, creamy baked lasagnas à la bolognaise.
One of the easiest and most versatile items to have in your store cupboard, there is a pasta recipe to suit everyone, and it's practically good when you need something warm and comforting. Next time you need a cozy pasta dish to hunker down with, pick your favorite from these fabulous ideas.
1. Creamy tomato spinach pasta (h/t Budget Bytes)Pasta is such a great comfort food - easy, adaptable and completely delicious. This recipe is ideal for when you need something soothing to eat on a budget. The natural sweetness of the sautéed onions combines beautifully with the creamy tomato sauce for a brilliant family-friendly dish.
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hicken parmesan baked pasta (h/t Tracey's Culinary Adventures)
Pasta is such a favorite comfort food, this time in the form of shells, cooked with succulent chicken pieces in a delicious sauce of mozzarella, herbs, and garlic. Served piping hot, this delightful Italian-inspired recipe will nourish and satisfy the heartiest appetites!
3. Homemade chili mac bake ( h/t The Chunky Chef)Seriously comforting and deeply satisfying, this wonderful dish is a real crowd-pleaser! Cheese, beef and a creamy spiced sauce combine with elbow pasta for a really hearty recipe that will become a firm favorite. Dial the chili heat up or down according to taste and make this recipe your own!
4. Dump and bake meatball casserole (h/t The Seasoned Mom)
Comfort food doesn't have to mean slaving over the stove for hours; this recipe is designed for busy, hungry people in mind! Merely stir marinara sauce, meatballs, and uncooked pasta together, bake and add a mozzarella topping. The prep time takes a minute or so, making it perfect to throw together after a long day at work.
5. Creamy garlic pasta nests with pesto chicken meatballs (h/t A Farm Girl's Dabbles) Just how amazing does this look? These little meatballs nestled in angel hair pasta and bathed in herb-flecked, creamy garlic sauce are an absolute joy to serve up and eat! Delicious, rich and thoroughly satisfying, this will quickly become a family favorite!
6. Slow cooked shredded beef ragu pasta (h/t Recipe Tin Eats)One of the most delicious pasta dishes around, slow-cooked beef ragu served merely over pappardelle is a glorious thing. This recipe sticks pretty closely to a traditional Italian recipe, with bay leaves and red wine adding rich flavor to that simmering meat.
7. Mexican chicken pasta (h/t Julia's Album)
A vibrant, nourishing fusion of Italian and Mexican tastes, this recipe is just so good to eat. Peppers, cheese, cream, chili and chicken combine with the pasta to create big flavors and big satisfaction! Comfort food at it's spicy best!
8. Philly cheesesteak mac cheese (h/t Wine And Glue) Five ingredients, your favorite Philly Cheesesteak flavors and a fabulous dish of comforting pasta that will warm stomachs and hearts throughout the cooler months. The green pepper adds a bit of fresh bite to the creamy sauce and the whole thing adds up to the perfect family dinner!
9. Creamy seafood pasta (h/t Cooktoria)Seafood works beautifully with pasta, especially when bound together with a lightly creamy sauce, as it is here. The flecks of fresh parsley and the lemon juice aren't just for garnish - they really bring the dish together and add a bright flavor that is absolutely irresistible.
10. Easy one pot lasagna soup (h/t Carl's Bad Cravings)
Lasagna? Comfort food extraordinaire. Soup? Ditto. Lasagne soup? If a dish ever demanded to be eaten in a snuggly onesie, this is it. This genius fusion of one of our most-loved pasta dishes, with soothing soup, is just fabulous. Cheesy, creamy and incredibly satisfying, serve this up to the people you love most in the world!
