Which Of These Crazy Delicious Pasta Recipes Should You Try Tonight?

Satisfy your sweet tooth and your overwhelming perpetual need for cheese with this surprisingly delightful and strange combination of chocolate and cheese!

Here's what you'll need:
Salt
1/2 pound large elbow macaroni
2 cups milk
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 cup white chocolate chips
6 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sage leaves, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 pound brie
1/2 pound white sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shaved

Here's how to make it:
1. In a large stockpot, bring generously salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook until it's al dente, about 5-7 minutes. Strain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Wipe stockpot clean.

2. In a small saucepan, heat milk, half-and-half, nutmeg, and pepper over low heat until small bubbles begin to form, about 7-10 minutes. Add white chocolate chips, and stir until melted. Turn off the flame, but keep the pan on the stove for later use.

3. Meanwhile, in another small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. When it starts to foam, add sage and cook until sage is crisp and the butter begins to turn golden brown. Turn off the flame, but keep the pan on the stove for later use.

4. In the stockpot, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over low heat. Add flour, and whisk constantly for 2 minutes, until a smooth paste forms. Slowly stir in the milk mixture in 1/4 cup increments. Be careful, as it will bubble. Stir with each addition of milk, so no clumps form in the sauce. Continue to stir and cook for 1-2 minutes more, until it thickens and is smooth. Add the brie and cheddar, and whisk until the cheese melts completely into the sauce. Stir in the sage browned butter and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the pasta, and continue cooking until mixture is heated through and simmering.

5. Garnish with Parmesan.

From Brandi Milloy on Popsugar

You're always ready to add a little spice to your life, and this Mexican twist on classic spaghetti will give your dinner that much-needed kick!

Here's what you'll need:
1 pound bow-tie pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons shallot, minced
1 cup pasta water
1 chipotle in adobo sauce, seeds removed, minced
1 4.25-ounce can chopped black olives
1 24-ounce jar tomato pasta sauce
1½ teaspoon garlic salt
1 to 1½ cups mild cheddar cheese, shredded
Thin parmesan cheese slices

Here's how to make it:

1. In a large pot, bring salted and oiled water to a boil. Add pasta, cook slightly past al dente. Drain, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, set aside.

2. In the same pot, on medium heat, add the olive oil, shallot, garlic, and cook until soft and it begins to brown (about one minute). Add ¾ cup of the pasta water and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any stuck onion or garlic pieces. Add the minced chipotle, simmer till the pasta water has reduced to half the amount.

3. Add the chopped olive and pasta sauce. Use the remaining pasta water to rinse out any remaining sauce in the jar. Pour that into the pot as well and add the garlic salt. Simmer covered on medium low for 15 minutes.

4. Turn off heat, add the cooked pasta, mix together well. Add the cheddar cheese (amount depends on how cheesy you want it), mix well again. Serve with slices of parmesan cheese.

From Stephanie Chavez on Popsugar

You need a classed up pasta to match your sophisticated palate, and this beautiful rigatoni pie is as easy on the tastebuds as it is on the eyes!

What you'll need:
1 pound rigatoni pasta (the biggest variety you can find)
4 cups cubed butternut squash (about 1 small butternut squash)
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt + pepper
4-6 ounces gorgonzola, plus more for topping
8 ounces burrata cheese (may sub fresh mozzarella)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk (I used 2 percent)
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
3 cups chicken broth
1 bunch sage, dived
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to your liking)
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 pepperoni rounds (optional)

Here's how to make it:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Peel the squash, deseed and cut into cubes. Place them on a baking sheet. Coat them with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast the squash at 400 degrees for 45 minutes until it is tender. Remove and allow to cool for 15 minutes or so.

3. In the meantime, cook the rigatoni until it's slightly underdone. Drain and rinse with cool water and set aside. Lightly oil an 8 or 9-inch spring form pan (I used an 8 inch)

4. .Once the squash is ready, transfer squash to a food processor add the egg, gorgonzola cheese, burrata cheese and the milk. Puree until smooth.Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the onion and cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Transfer the butternut squash puree to the skillet, add 2 cups of the chicken broth, the cayenne, 1 tablespoons chopped sage, nutmeg, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine and cook about 2 minutes. If the sauce seems too thick add more chicken broth to thin, I used the full 3 cups.

5. Spoon about a 1/4 cup of the sauce into the bottom of the spring form pan. Grab the rigatoni and pack the rigatoni in the pan, standing on their ends. Pour the remaining sauce over the pasta. Push the sauce down into the holes as best you can. Cover with the mozzarella cheese. Place in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove, spread with the remaining burrata cheese and the pepperonis, and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is browned and bubbly. Let sit 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

6. While the pie sits fry the sage, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a sauce pan. Add sage leaves. Cook on medium-low for 1 minute, flip and cook one more minutes or until the sage has darkened in color, but is not burnt. Remove from the heat and place the fried sage leaves on the top of the pie. Serve!

From Tieghan Gerard at Half Baked Harvest

You need something warm, savory, and unbelievably tasty this evening, so try this comforting dish, which is basically a mix between mom's pot roast and her spaghetti!

Here's what you'll need:
2.5lb / 1.2kg beek brisket or any other slow cooking beef, cut into equal 4 pieces
1 tbsp salt
Black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil, separated
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 cup carrots, diced (optional)
1 cup celery, diced (optional)
28oz/800g crushed canned tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 beef bouillon cubes
3 cups water
3 dried bay leaves
Extra salt and pepper, to taste
1lb/500g dried spaghetti or other pasta of choice (rigatoni and pappardelle are ideal)
Freshly grated parmesan cheese or parmigiano reggiano
Fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Here's how to make it:
1. Pat beef dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper

2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over high heat in a heavy based pot.

3. Add beef and sear each piece on all sides until browned (around 3 minutes in total), then remove onto a plate.

4. Turn stove down to medium low and add remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil.

5. Add garlic and onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Then add the carrots and celery and sauté slowly for 5 minutes.

6. Add remaining Ragu ingredients (except extra salt and pepper) and return the beef to the pot (add the juices too). Turn the stove up and bring it to a simmer, then turn it down to low.

7. Cover the pot and let it cook for 1 hr 45 minutes. Then remove the lid and let it cook for a further 30 minutes until the beef is tender enough to pull apart with forks and the liquid has reduced to be a thick sauce. Do a taste test and adjust the seasoning to your taste with salt and pepper. ALSO add a little but of sugar (1/2 tsp at a time!) if it is a bit sour for your taste.

8. Turn the stove off and remove the beef from the sauce into a large bowl. Shred it coarsely with two forks. Then return it to the sauce. Place the lid on and set aside until ready to serve (it's even better the next day!).

9. Bring a very large pot of water with 1 tbsp of salt to the boil. Add pasta and cook for 2 minutes less than the recommended cooking time as per the packet instructions.

10. Meanwhile, place 5 cups of the Ragu in a very large fry pan, or use 2 normal size fry pans. Heat over high heat while the pasta is cooking.

11. When the pasta is ready, transfer it directly from the pot into the fry pan using tongs.

12. Add 1 cup of pasta water into the fry pan.

13. Gently toss the pasta (I use 2 wooden spoons) for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sauce water evaporates and leaves you with a thick Ragu sauce that coats the pasta.

14. Serve with plenty of freshly grated parmesan, or even better, with parmigiano reggiano.

From Nagi on RecipeTin Eats

These healthy noodles are vegan if you leave off the cheese and are a super delicious alternative to heavier cream sauces!

Here's what you'll need:
2 cup cherry tomatoes
12 baby bell peppers
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
pinch of salt + pepper
3/4 pound thin spaghetti, use gluten free if needed OR more zucchini "noodles"
3/4 cup of your favorite hummus (I just used plain hummus)
1 cup pasta cooking water
2 tablespoons basil pesto (use a vegan pesto or omit if needed)
1 cup fresh basil
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
2 medium zucchini, spiralized using a veggie spiralizer*
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts, chopped
1/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

Here's how to make it:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. While the water comes to a boil, heat a grill or grill pan to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss in the tomatoes and baby bell peppers with a pinch of salt and pepper. Grill the peppers until grill marks appear on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. If using an outdoor grill, place the tomatoes on skewers and grill for 30 seconds per "side" or until the tomatoes just start to blister. Remove from the heat. Set aside.

3. Once the water is boiling, boil the pasta until al dente. Just before draining the pasta, reserve at least 1 cup of the cooking water. This is SO important as the water is used to make the sauce. Drain the pasta.

4. Add the hummus, pesto, basil and crushed red pepper flakes to a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add 1 cup of pasta water to the hummus mixture and whisk to combine. Add the hot pasta and zucchini, toss well to combine. Allow the noodles to sit five minutes so the sauce has time to thicken.

5. Grab half of the blistered tomatoes from earlier. Add them to a bowl and lightly mash with a fork, be careful, they will splatter. Stir in the pine nuts, olives, oregano, balsamic vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Divide the pasta among bowls and top with the tomato sauce, grilled peppers and the remaining blistered tomatoes. Add a handful of feta. Enjoy warm!

From Tieghan Gerard at Half Baked Harvest

You need the ultimate pasta dish. You're ready. You've waited your whole life for this moment. The moment you've earned the right to the holy grail: Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Roll-Ups.

What you'll need:
3 tbsp. butter (plus more greasing the dish)
3 tbsp. flour
2 1/4 c. milk (preferably 2% or whole)
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. chopped parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp. cream cheese, softened
2 c. shredded rotisserie chicken
1/2 c. finely grated Parmesan
8 cooked lasagna noodles
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

How to make it:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a large casserole dish and set aside.

2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk the flour into the butter and garlic and cook until the mixture is bubbling and golden, 1 minute more. Gradually pour in milk, whisking constantly. Bring mixture to a simmer, then stir in cream cheese and Parmesan. Let simmer until the sauce thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add lemon juice and about 1 teaspoon of parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Then stir in shredded chicken.

3. Spoon a thin layer of sauce onto the bottom of the baking dish.

4. Lay cooked noodles in a single layer on a cutting board or baking sheet. Spread chicken Alfredo mixture on each noodle, then roll up the lasagna noodle. Lay the roll-ups in the baking dish seam side-down. Spoon more sauce on top of the roll-ups.

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and beginning to brown. Garnish with more parsley and serve warm.

From Lauren Miyashiro at Delish.