Pasta might just be the ultimate comfort food. It's always there for you, ready in a matter of minutes and perfect with whatever sauce or topping you happen to be craving, be it a rich ragu or simple dressing of garlic and olive oil. Read on for 20 of our all-time favourite pasta recipes from vegan jackfruit spaghetti to classic mac and cheese.
Aubergine and Puy Lentil Bolognese from Table Manners: The Cookbook by Jessie and Lennie Ware
A vegetarian bolognese from the Table Manners podcast team, this dish has it all: silky aubergines, nutty lentils, and strands of spaghetti coated in a rich, wine-infused sauce.
Get your copy of Table Manners: The Cookbook here.
Pasta Three Ways from Veganeasy: Delicious Food in 5 Ingredients by Denise Smart
Denise Smart brings us 3 lipsmacking vegan pasta recipes, one with spinach and cashew pesto, one with fresh tomato sauce, and another with lemon and courgette.
Get your copy of Veganeasy: Delicious Food in 5 Ingredients here.
Sporki Macaroni from Rick Stein: From Venice to Istanbul by Rick Stein
Rick Stein's Croatian-inspired recipe is a great way to make the most out of lean cuts of beef – the meat is cooked slowly to create a rich sauce for the penne.
Get your copy of Rick Stein: From Venice to Istanbul here.
Roasted Aubergine, Courgette and Macaroni Bake from The Quick Roasting Tin by Rukmini Iyer
An easy and deeply comforting one-tin recipe from Rukmini Iyer, this pasta bake uses Boursin cheese to add that addictive garlic-and-herb flavour without having to actually chop any garlic and herbs!
Get your copy of The Quick Roasting Tin here.
Broccoli Pasta from Jamie's 15-Minute Meals by Jamie Oliver
A green, fresh tasting orecchiette recipe with basil, lemon, anchovies, and pine nuts, this tasty dish from Jamie Oliver can be on the table in just 15 minutes.
Get your copy of Jamie's 15-Minute Meals here.
Mustard Kale Mac and Cheese from Nadiya's Kitchen by Nadiya Hussain
Nadiya Hussain's indulgent, mustard kale mac and cheese is a great way of upping your intake of leafy green vegetables while also satisfying your comfort food cravings.
Get your copy of Nadiya's Kitchen here.
Linguine with Cauliflower Pesto from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman
This linguine recipe from Deb Perelman, made with cauliflower, almonds, capers, and sun-dried tomatoes, makes for a quick, nourishing, and tasty vegetarian dinner.
Get your copy of The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook here.
Vegan Juna Pasta from Rachel Ama’s Vegan Eats by Rachel Ama
Tinned jackfruit is the perfect thing to liven up your store cupboard, and this recipe from Rachel Ama makes an excellent vegan alternative to that comfort food classic – cheesy pasta with tuna.
Get your copy of Rachel Ama’s Vegan Eats here.
Green Pea Pesto from The Five O'Clock Apron by Claire Thomson
A delicious alternative to traditional basil pesto, this sauce is made with frozen peas, meaning it's ideal for a quick midweek supper. Peas are packed with protein, too, which makes this a filling and nutritious dish.
Get your copy of The Five O'Clock Apron here.
Smoked Sausage Stroganoff (Korv Stroganof) from The Little Swedish Kitchen by Rachel Khoo
This Swedish comfort food classic is usually made with falukorv, but any kind of smoked sausage would work well with the creamy sauce, salty capers and strands of tagliatelle or pappardelle.
Get your copy of The Little Swedish Kitchen here.
Spaghetti Pomodori e Olio from Vegan on the Go: Fast, Easy, Affordable – Anytime, Anywhere by Jérôme Eckmeier & Daniela Lais
A simple pasta dish of tomatoes, pine nuts, and garlic, which makes for a quick and easy vegan meal.
Get your copy of Vegan on the Go here.
Macaroni Cheese from Hawksmoor at Home by Hawksmoor
This is quite possibly the ultimate mac and cheese recipe; with three types of cheese and a gooey, fondue-like consistency, it's comfort food at its very finest.
Get your copy of Hawksmoor at Home here.
Avocado Pasta with Peas and Mint from Nadiya's Family Favourites by Nadiya Hussain
Avocado with pasta might seem like an odd concept, but once you've tried it you'll never look back!
Get your copy of Nadiya's Family Favourites here.
One-pan Creamy Squash Pasta from Stirring Slowly: Recipes to Restore and Revive by Georgina Hayden
Georgie Hayden uses an unconventional method to achieve this silky pasta sauce, cooking the pasta, vegetables, and sauce all together in a single pot.
Get your copy of Stirring Slowly here.
One Pan Lemon Garlic Pasta from One Pan. 100 Brilliant Meals by Mari Mererid Williams
Another delicious one-pan pasta recipe, this linguine dish has a fresh, lemony flavour and an irresistably creamy texture.
Get your copy of One Pan. 100 Brilliant Meals here.
15-minute Pasta from Mary Berry Cooks by Mary Berry
A super-speedy pasta standby, this Mary Berry recipe uses Parma ham, though Black Forest ham or Serrano ham would be equally tasty.
Get your copy of Mary Berry Cooks here.
Pici Cacio e Pepe from Trullo by Tim Siadatan
A classic Roman dish, cacio e pepe is essentially Italian mac and cheese, and is a failsafe weeknight comfort meal.
Get your copy of Trullo here.
Spelt Spaghetti with Spicy Sesame Mushrooms from At My Table: A Celebration of Home Cooking by Nigella Lawson
In this recipe, Nigella Lawson uses robust spelt spaghetti as a substitute for noodles to create a spicy, Asian-influenced dish. Any leftovers can be eaten cold, as a tasty salad.
Get your copy of At My Table here.
Perfect Spaghetti Carbonara from Perfect Too by Felicity Cloake
Felicity Cloake talks us through the Perfect Spaghetti Carbonara – trust us, it more than lives up to the title!
Get your copy of Perfect Too here.
Pasta Frittata Lots of Ways from Jamie's Food Tube: The Pasta Book by Gennaro Contaldo
Transform leftover cooked pasta into a delicious frittata with this flexible, adaptable recipe. Customise your frittata by adding cherry tomatoes, peas, herbs, pancetta, cheese – or any tasty bits and pieces you might have lying around.
