15 Fall Pasta Dishes

Miso Carbonara from The Kitchn

Hero Ingredient: The miso’s earthy, salty savoriness beautifully balances the egg yolks’ rich flavor, making this recipe hearty without feeling heavy.

Turkey Tetrazzini from Adventures in Cooking

Hero Ingredient: While surprisingly polarizing in terms of taste, the health benefits of mushrooms can’t be denied, and when they’ve taken a spin in a sauté pan with a good glug of olive oil, you might even be able to make the most mushroom-averse diner change their tune.

One Skillet Butternut Squash Gnocchi With Italian Sausage from Well Plated

Hero Ingredient: Simple sauces can sometimes fall flat, but the addition of nutmeg brings a hit of quintessential fall flavor while lending a welcome mix of warmth and spice to this streamlined dish. Consider this recipe the equivalent of sliding into your softest, coziest fall sweater.

Quick Ragù With Ricotta and Lemon from The New York Times Cooking

Hero Ingredient: This ragù owes its slow-cooked flavor to the addition of sambal oelek, an easy-to-find Indonesian chile paste that provides complex heat and tastes like you’ve gone to the effort of cooking with fresh chiles—minus the protective gloves.

Creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta from Gimme Delicious

Hero Ingredient: The base of this sauce requires a heavy pour of cream, and with chicken and parmesan added to the mix, this comes dangerously close to being a nap-inducing dish. But stirring in a heaping cup of diced tomatoes cuts the richness of the cream, and the final result is beautifully balanced while still feeling incredibly indulgent.

Easy Chicken Pesto Pasta from Preppy Kitchen

Hero Ingredient: Lemon enhances the pesto’s herby zing. Using both the juice and the zest gives this pasta the purest citrus flavor, brightening up every beautiful bite.

Pasta With Salmon, Broccoli Rabe, and Garlic from Martha Stewart

Hero Ingredient: Trimmed and chopped bites of broccoli rabe give this otherwise mostly monochromatic dish visual interest while balancing out the salmon’s richer flavor.

Linguine and Clams With Almonds and Herbs from Bon Appétit

Hero Ingredient: Bon Appétit called it: Almonds are the new breadcrumbs. While definitely a bold statement, this recipe makes perhaps the most convincing argument. We’d never say no to a little crunch.

Spicy Tomato Seafood Pasta from The Original Dish

Hero Ingredient: While the strong licorice-like flavor of raw fennel turns many otherwise adventurous diners off, here, you’re caramelizing the hardy herb until it’s delectably golden and sweet. Garnish your dish with a few fennel fronds and you’ll have a show-stopper on the table for everyone to enjoy.

Lemon Garlic Parmesan Shrimp Pasta from The Recipe Critic

Hero Ingredient: The red pepper flakes diversify the dish’s flavor and bring a welcome bit of heat.

Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta With Tahini Sauce from Eating Bird Food

Hero Ingredient: Tahini is showing up more and more as a go-to base for all sorts of sauces—and for good reason. The subtle sesame flavor makes itself known while also being light enough to let the other ingredients shine.

Vegan Lentil Bolognese from The Toasted Pine Nut

Hero Ingredient: Lentils are the real MVP here. They give bite and body to the sauce, and when simmered with tomatoes and just a few seasonings, the result is an impressively-filling vegan substitute for this traditionally meat-based dish.

Creamy Eggplant Pasta With Walnuts and Spiced Breadcrumbs from The First Mess

Hero Ingredient: Is there anything walnuts can’t do? Given a blitz in the food processor with the softened eggplant, the walnuts add bulk and body to this super satiating sauce.

Brown Butter Pumpkin Alla Vodka Tortellini from Half Baked Harvest

Hero Ingredient: Browning the butter results in a complex flavor that’s nutty and not overwhelmingly strong, sealing the deal on this autumn-inspired dish.

Garlic Herb Mushroom Pasta from Love & Lemons

Hero Ingredient: A touch of dijon mustard gives just enough acidity and punch to the cashew cream sauce, making it hard not to dive into your leftovers spoon-first.

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