The Pasta Dinners Our Readers Relied on Most in 2025

The magical thing about pasta is that it works just as well on a random Tuesday as it does when you actually have a plan. It's comforting without being fussy, flexible without feeling like a compromise. And, judging by what Serious Eats readers saved most this year on MyRecipes, our free tool for keeping track of all your favorite dishes, it's still the meal you turn to when you want something reliable, satisfying, and worth making again.

These pasta dishes were the ones readers returned to most: recipes that balance ease with real payoff, lean on smart technique, and deliver big flavor without demanding your entire evening. Some are weeknight staples, others feel a little more special—but all of them earned a spot in readers' personal recipe boxes, which is maybe the highest compliment there is.

Below, you'll find the 10 most-saved pasta recipes of the year. Whether you're looking for something quick, cozy, or just very good in that unmistakable Serious Eats way, this is a solid place to start—and restart—your pasta rotation.

Love these recipes? With MyRecipes, your personal home for recipes, easily save and organize your favorites, plus thousands more, in one convenient place.

Penne alla Vodka Recipe

Daniel Gritzer

This vodka sauce is a powerhouse of tomato flavor smoothed over with the silky richness of heavy cream.

Penne alla Vodka Recipe
Sicilian-Style Spaghetti Alla Carrettiera (Fresh Tomato and Garlic Sauce)

Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

Fresh tomatoes, basil, and a few other pantry staples are all you need to whip up a wonderfully fresh Sicilian pasta sauce.

Sicilian-Style Spaghetti Alla Carrettiera (Fresh Tomato and Garlic Sauce)
3-Ingredient Stovetop Mac and Cheese Recipe

Photographs: Vicky Wasik. Video: J. Kenji López-Alt

This recipe has fewer ingredients than the boxed version but comes together in almost the same amount of time.

3-Ingredient Stovetop Mac and Cheese Recipe
Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Bean and Pasta Soup)

Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

This pared-down pasta e fagioli relies on dried beans to create a thick, creamy broth without cream. It’s classic Italian comfort food, refined and deeply satisfying.

Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Bean and Pasta Soup)

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Spaghetti alla Nerano (Spaghetti With Fried Zucchini)

Serious Eats / Qi Ai

Fried zucchini turns into a creamy sauce for this iconic Amalfi Coast spaghetti dish.

Spaghetti alla Nerano (Spaghetti With Fried Zucchini)
Pasta e Ceci (Pasta With Chickpeas)

Andrew Janjigian

Pasta e ceci—pasta with chickpeas simmered in a brothy, garlicky base—is Italian comfort food at its most elemental. As the chickpeas break down, they naturally thicken the broth, creating a sauce that’s rich, savory, and deeply satisfying without feeling heavy.

Pasta e Ceci (Pasta With Chickpeas)
Macarona Forn (Egyptian Baked Pasta Dish)

Serious Eats / Niedle Creative

This Egyptian baked pasta layers penne with a fragrant meat sauce and a creamy béchamel that melts together in the oven. It’s familiar, filling comfort food with big payoff, which makes it exactly the kind of recipe readers come back to again and again.

Macarona Forn (Egyptian Baked Pasta Dish)
Spaghetti With Carbonara Sauce Recipe

This spaghetti carbonara nails the balance between richness and restraint by using mostly egg yolks with a few whole eggs for structure. A 50/50 blend of Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano delivers classic Roman flavor, while a gentle double-boiler finish ensures a silky, foolproof sauce that never curdles.

Spaghetti With Carbonara Sauce Recipe

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Lemony Orzo Pasta Salad

Serious Eats / Qi Ai

This no-fuss lemony orzo pasta salad works just as well for potlucks as it does for make-ahead lunches. Tossing the orzo with some of the vinaigrette while it’s still hot helps it absorb flavor and prevents sticking, while radicchio, chickpeas, basil, and banana peppers add contrast with almost no extra prep.

Lemony Orzo Pasta Salad
Pasta With Butternut Squash and Sage Brown Butter

Vicky Wasik

This fast, flavorful pasta proves that the hardest part is simply dicing the squash. Cooking the butternut squash in olive oil first prevents the butter from burning, while crisped sage, a splash of lemon, and starchy pasta water come together to form a glossy, perfectly emulsified sauce.

Pasta With Butternut Squash and Sage Brown Butter

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The Pasta Dinners Our Readers Relied on Most in 2025

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