Step back in time with these classic Italian pasta recipes.
21 Pasta Recipes That Would Make an Italian Grandmother Proud
Updated on Jun. 25, 2024
Chicken Cacciatore
This easy chicken cacciatore recipe makes a good Sunday dinner, since it’s so simple to prepare. This recipe is the best because it’s loaded with lots of vegetables and is a family favorite. —Barbara Roberts, Courtenay, British Columbia
1/21
2/21
Nana’s Italian Roulade
Total Time
2 hours
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
My great-aunt from Sicily taught my mother how to stuff and bake a steak in a jelly-roll style. It’s unique and really special in our family. —Roseanne McDonald, Days Creek, Oregon. Also, try these Italian Pasta Dishes that’ll make you say mangia!
Nutrition Facts:
1 slice with 3/4 cup sauce (calculated without spaghetti): 331 calories, 15g fat (5g saturated fat), 119mg cholesterol, 1491mg sodium, 24g carbohydrate (17g sugars, 4g fiber), 26g protein.
3/21
Manicotti Shells
Total Time
1 hour 50 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
These tender manicotti are much easier to stuff than the purchased variety. People are always amazed when I say I make my own noodles. My son fixed this recipe for several of his friends, and they were extremely impressed with his cooking skills. —Sue Ann Bunt, Painted Post, New York
Nutrition Facts:
3 manicotti: 480 calories, 22g fat (11g saturated fat), 201mg cholesterol, 1128mg sodium, 44g carbohydrate (17g sugars, 3g fiber), 27g protein.
4/21
Linguine with Fresh Tomatoes
Total Time
20 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This garlic and basil linguine is a perfect way to use up your late-summer tomato harvest. It makes a great light supper when paired with a salad, or you can make it heartier with some chopped chicken. —Susan Jones, Downers Grove, Illinois
Nutrition Facts:
1 cup: 233 calories, 9g fat (5g saturated fat), 21mg cholesterol, 567mg sodium, 32g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 3g fiber), 8g protein.
5/21
Asparagus Shrimp Linguine
Total Time
30 min
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
My family really enjoys asparagus and shrimp. We often have this on busy weeknights because its healthy and cooks quickly. —Ehnes Wannetta, Eagle Bend, Minnesota
Nutrition Facts:
2 cups: 444 calories, 16g fat (5g saturated fat), 221mg cholesterol, 685mg sodium, 41g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 6g fiber), 38g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 4 lean meat, 2 starch, 2 fat, 1 vegetable.
6/21
Ricotta Gnocchi with Spinach & Gorgonzola
Total Time
2 hours 10 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
When my family comes for a visit, they always ask me to make this unique dish for dinner. Homemade cheesy gnocchi is topped with a rich sauce made with butternut squash, spinach and Gorgonzola.— Brud Holland, Watkins Glen, New York
Nutrition Facts:
1-1/2 cups gnocchi with 3/4 cup spinach mixture: 833 calories, 35g fat (17g saturated fat), 248mg cholesterol, 1420mg sodium, 101g carbohydrate (10g sugars, 7g fiber), 29g protein.
7/21
Great-Grandma's Italian Meatballs
Total Time
50 min
Servings
8 servings
Nutrition Facts:
About 7 meatballs: 271 calories, 13g fat (5g saturated fat), 125mg cholesterol, 569mg sodium, 10g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 1g fiber), 27g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 4 lean meat, 1 fat, 1/2 starch.
8/21
Fettuccine Carbonara
Total Time
30 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
When a man at church found out how much my family likes fettuccine, he shared his Italian grandmother's carbonara recipe with us. I've made it my own over the last 25 years. Grated Parmesan cheese works just as well as Romano. —Kristine Chayes, Smithtown, New York
Nutrition Facts:
1 cup (calculated without additional cheese): 495 calories, 19g fat (9g saturated fat), 162mg cholesterol, 684mg sodium, 56g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 3g fiber), 25g protein.
9/21
Penne alla Vodka
Total Time
30 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This easy and impressive pasta is always on the menu when my husband and I invite first-time guests over for dinner. Many friends have asked me to make the recipe again years after they first tried it. —Cara Langer, Overland Park, Kansas
Nutrition Facts:
1-1/3 cups: 504 calories, 19g fat (11g saturated fat), 64mg cholesterol, 966mg sodium, 62g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 4g fiber), 19g protein.
10/21
Homemade Ravioli
Total Time
2 hours 10 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I love to bake and cook—especially Italian dishes like this homemade ravioli recipe. In fact, my idea of a perfect day consists of cooking my family's favorite foods then watching them dig in!—Lori Daniels, Hartland, Michigan
Nutrition Facts:
10 ravioli: 856 calories, 27g fat (13g saturated fat), 279mg cholesterol, 1139mg sodium, 110g carbohydrate (19g sugars, 7g fiber), 42g protein.
Also check out these 21 easy and delicious ravioli recipe ideas.
11/21
Creamy Sausage-Mushroom Rigatoni
Total Time
30 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
In Rome, we dined near the Pantheon. The amazing restaurant is now history, but its memory lives on in this tasty pasta with mushrooms and sausage. —Barbara Roozrokh, Brookfield, Wisconsin.
Don’t feel like cooking? Here’s our round-up of the best Italian restaurant in every state.
Nutrition Facts:
1/2 cup meat mixture with 1 cup pasta: 570 calories, 37g fat (19g saturated fat), 115mg cholesterol, 529mg sodium, 46g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 3g fiber), 17g protein.
12/21
Spaghetti Sauce Without Meat
Total Time
3 hours 35 min
Servings
2 quarts
From the Recipe Creator:
When my tomatoes ripen, the first things I make are BLTs and this homemade spaghetti sauce. —Sondra Bergy, Lowell, Michigan
Nutrition Facts:
1/2 cup: 133 calories, 7g fat (1g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 614mg sodium, 17g carbohydrate (12g sugars, 3g fiber), 2g protein.
13/21
Stuffed Shells with Meat
Total Time
1 hour 30 min
Servings
10 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Here’s a rich and comforting dish that’s terrific right away or made ahead and baked the next day. Pesto makes a surprising filling for these cheesy and satisfying shells. —Blair Lonergan, Rochelle, Virginia
Nutrition Facts:
2 stuffed shells: 405 calories, 22g fat (10g saturated fat), 90mg cholesterol, 730mg sodium, 26g carbohydrate (8g sugars, 2g fiber), 25g protein.
14/21
Shrimp Asparagus Pasta
Total Time
30 min
Servings
2 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
We’ve all heard that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, so when I plan a romantic dinner, this shrimp asparagus pasta with angel hair is one dish I like to serve. It is easy on the budget and turns out perfectly for two. —Shari Neff, Takoma Park, Maryland
Nutrition Facts:
1-3/4 cups: 488 calories, 19g fat (4g saturated fat), 132mg cholesterol, 584mg sodium, 41g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 3g fiber), 29g protein.
15/21
Lemon Chicken Orzo
Total Time
40 min
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Here's a dish that's light and summery but still filling. My kids love all the veggies...for real! If you like a lot of lemon, stir in an extra splash of lemon juice just before serving. —Shannon Humphrey, Hampton, Virginia
Nutrition Facts:
1-1/4 cups: 399 calories, 11g fat (2g saturated fat), 63mg cholesterol, 807mg sodium, 43g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 9g fiber), 32g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2 starch, 1-1/2 fat, 1 vegetable.
16/21
No-Cook Fresh Tomato Sauce
Total Time
15 min
Servings
about 3-1/2 cups
From the Recipe Creator:
Try this sauce at times when you have a box of pasta or a store-bought pizza shell and need a sure-fire topping. Dinner is served. —Julianne Schnuck, Taste Recipes Designer
Nutrition Facts:
3/4 cup sauce: 64 calories, 4g fat (1g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 9mg sodium, 7g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 2g fiber), 2g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1 fat.
17/21
Homemade Pasta
Total Time
40 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Try your hand at homemade pasta with this easy spinach dough. You don't need a pasta maker or other special equipment! —Taste Recipes Test Kitchen
Nutrition Facts:
1 cup (calculated without sauce): 259 calories, 5g fat (1g saturated fat), 106mg cholesterol, 211mg sodium, 43g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 3g fiber), 10g protein.
18/21
Pasta Fagioli al Forno
Total Time
1 hour 5 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
The term al forno means “baked pasta with beans.” But my busy family translates it as “super satisfying dinner.” —Cindy Preller, Grayslake, Illinois
Nutrition Facts:
1 serving: 440 calories, 23g fat (10g saturated fat), 66mg cholesterol, 1029mg sodium, 37g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 6g fiber), 22g protein.
19/21
Slow-Simmered Meat Ragu
Total Time
6 hours 30 min
Servings
10 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
After a day of simmering in the slow-cooker, this ragu is not your typical spaghetti sauce. It's almost like a stew, so feel free to skip the pasta. —Laurie LaClair, North Richland Hills, Texas
Nutrition Facts:
1 cup: 341 calories, 20g fat (5g saturated fat), 64mg cholesterol, 1294mg sodium, 18g carbohydrate (10g sugars, 4g fiber), 26g protein.
20/21
Shrimp Puttanesca
Total Time
30 min
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I throw together these bold ingredients for a feisty seafood pasta. —Lynda Balslev, Sausalito, California
Nutrition Facts:
1 cup shrimp mixture: 228 calories, 12g fat (2g saturated fat), 140mg cholesterol, 579mg sodium, 8g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 1g fiber), 20g protein.
21/21
Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce
Total Time
45 min
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
When my mom made this spaghetti sauce, the house would smell so good that I'd open the windows to torture the neighbors. It even tastes wonderful the next day, when the flavors have really melded. —Vera Schulze, Holbrook, New York
Nutrition Facts:
1 cup spaghetti with 3/4 cup sauce (calculated without cheese): 327 calories, 8g fat (1g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 607mg sodium, 55g carbohydrate (9g sugars, 5g fiber), 10g protein.
