15 Restaurant-Worthy Pasta Recipes for Two That Come Together in 35 Minutes or Less

Date night at home sounds great until you open the fridge and realize cooking for two feels either too small or too fussy. Most pasta recipes serve four to six, so you end up with a pot of leftovers or a lot of awkward math.

These pasta recipes for two fix that. Nearly every dish here uses about 6 ounces of dry pasta, which fills two generous bowls with nothing wasted. The flavors come from dishes you would order at a good Italian restaurant, like carbonara, cacio e pepe, penne alla vodka, and creamy Tuscan chicken. You make them in one pan, in 35 minutes or less, with ingredients from a regular grocery store.

You will find quick weeknight dinners, rich cream sauces, spicy tomato bowls, and a few pantry meals for the nights when you do not want to shop. Each recipe comes with exact amounts and simple steps, so the sauce turns out glossy instead of watery or clumpy.

Pick one, set the table, and start cooking. Dinner for two can taste like a reservation without ever leaving your kitchen.

1. Creamy Garlic Shrimp Linguine

Shrimp cook in about three minutes, so this is the quickest dish on the list. The sauce is just butter, garlic, cream, and parmesan. A squeeze of lemon at the end keeps it from feeling heavy.

Recipe
Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 oz linguine
• 8 oz large shrimp, peeled
• 3 tbsp butter
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1/2 lemon
• Salt and black pepper

Steps

1. Boil the linguine in well salted water until 1 minute short of done. Save 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
2. Pat the shrimp dry and season. Sear in 1 tbsp butter for 1 to 2 minutes per side. Move to a plate.
3. Melt the rest of the butter in the same pan. Cook the garlic for 30 seconds.
4. Add the cream and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the parmesan.
5. Add the pasta, shrimp, and a splash of pasta water. Toss until glossy. Finish with lemon juice and parsley.

2. Classic Spaghetti Carbonara

Real carbonara has no cream. The silky sauce comes from egg yolks, pecorino, and starchy pasta water. The one rule is to mix off the heat so the eggs turn creamy instead of scrambled.

Recipe
Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 oz spaghetti
• 3 oz guanciale or pancetta, diced
• 2 egg yolks plus 1 whole egg
• 1/2 cup finely grated pecorino romano
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• Salt for the pasta water

Steps

1. Cook the guanciale in a cold pan over medium heat for about 7 minutes, until crisp. Turn off the heat.
2. Whisk the eggs, pecorino, and pepper in a bowl.
3. Boil the spaghetti until al dente. Save 1 cup of pasta water.
4. Move the pasta into the pan with the guanciale. Add a splash of pasta water.
5. Pour in the egg mixture and toss fast. Add more pasta water until the sauce coats every strand.

3. Lemon Chicken Piccata Pasta

Crisp chicken, bright lemon, and salty capers sit on a bed of angel hair. It tastes like a bistro dinner but needs one pan and one pot.

Recipe
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 oz angel hair
• 2 thin chicken cutlets, about 10 oz total
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup dry white wine, or more broth
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp capers
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper

Steps

1. Season the chicken and dredge in flour. Shake off the extra.
2. Brown in olive oil, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Move to a plate.
3. Add the wine and broth to the pan and scrape up the browned bits. Simmer for 3 minutes.
4. Whisk in the butter, lemon juice, and capers.
5. Cook the pasta, toss it in the sauce, and top with the sliced chicken and parsley.

4. Cacio e Pepe With Fresh Cracked Pepper

Three ingredients and a lot of technique. Use less water than usual so the pasta water is extra starchy, and add the cheese a little at a time. If the sauce clumps, the pan was too hot.

Recipe
Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 oz spaghetti
• 3/4 cup finely grated pecorino romano
• 1 1/2 tsp coarsely cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp butter, optional
• Salt, a small amount

Steps

1. Boil the spaghetti in about 2 quarts of lightly salted water.
2. Toast the pepper in a dry pan over medium heat for 1 minute.
3. Add 1/2 cup of pasta water to the pepper. Lift the pasta straight into the pan with tongs.
4. Take the pan off the heat. Add the cheese a handful at a time, tossing hard after each one.
5. Add splashes of pasta water until the sauce looks creamy. Serve right away.

5. Creamy Tuscan Chicken Penne

Here is a dinner that tastes rich but still has greens in it. The spinach wilts in the sauce, and the tomatoes give each bite a little sweetness.

Recipe
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 oz penne
• 1 large chicken breast, sliced into thin strips
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper

Steps

1. Cook the penne and save 1/2 cup of pasta water.
2. Season the chicken and cook in olive oil for 5 to 6 minutes until golden. Move to a plate.
3. Cook the tomatoes and garlic in the same pan for 2 minutes.
4. Add the cream, Italian seasoning, and parmesan. Simmer for 2 minutes.
5. Stir in the spinach until wilted. Add the pasta, chicken, and a splash of pasta water.

6. Penne alla Vodka

Tomato paste cooked until it darkens is what gives this sauce its deep flavor. The vodka loosens the paste and the cream rounds it out. The alcohol cooks off, so the pan ends up smelling sweet and tomatoey.

Recipe
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 oz penne
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/4 cup vodka
• 3/4 cup crushed tomatoes
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• Basil to finish

Steps

1. Cook the shallot in the oil and butter for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.
2. Stir in the tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes until it turns a deeper red.
3. Add the vodka and simmer until it nearly disappears, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes and pepper flakes. Simmer 8 minutes.
5. Stir in the cream and parmesan. Toss with cooked penne and a splash of pasta water.

7. Spicy Sausage and Broccolini Orecchiette

Little ear shaped pasta scoops up crumbled sausage like tiny spoons. The broccolini cooks in the same pot as the pasta, so there is one less pan to wash.

Recipe
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 oz orecchiette
• 6 oz Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 bunch broccolini, about 6 oz, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• Salt

Steps

1. Brown the sausage in the oil, breaking it into small bits, for 6 to 7 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and pepper flakes. Cook for 30 seconds.
3. Boil the orecchiette. Add the broccolini for the last 3 minutes.
4. Scoop pasta and broccolini into the pan with 1/4 cup of pasta water.
5. Toss well and top with parmesan.

8. Mushroom Marsala Fettuccine

Let the mushrooms sit untouched in the pan until they turn deep brown. That browning is where the flavor lives. Marsala adds a sweet, nutty note that makes the cream sauce taste like it took much longer.

Recipe
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 oz fettuccine
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup dry marsala
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan

Steps

1. Cook the mushrooms in the oil over medium high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring only now and then.
2. Add the butter, shallot, and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes.
3. Pour in the marsala and scrape the pan. Simmer until reduced by half.
4. Add the cream and thyme. Simmer for 3 minutes.
5. Toss with cooked fettuccine, parmesan, and a splash of pasta water.

9. Pesto Fusilli With Blistered Tomatoes and Burrata

The twists hold onto pesto better than flat pasta does. Warm tomatoes burst and add a little juice, and the burrata melts into creamy pools on top.

Recipe
Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 oz fusilli
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup basil pesto
• 1 ball burrata, about 4 oz
• 2 tbsp pasta water
• 1 tbsp toasted pine nuts, optional
• Salt

Steps

1. Cook the tomatoes in the oil over medium high heat for 4 to 5 minutes until they blister and split.
2. Cook the fusilli and save a little pasta water.
3. Toss the hot pasta with the pesto and pasta water off the heat. Direct heat can turn pesto dull and bitter.
4. Fold in the tomatoes.
5. Tear the burrata over the top and add pine nuts.

10. Spicy Rigatoni Arrabbiata

“Arrabbiata” means angry, and the chili flakes earn that name. Start with 1 teaspoon and add more if you like real heat. Hand crushed whole tomatoes give a chunkier sauce than canned crushed ones.

Recipe
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 oz rigatoni
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 to 2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 can, 14 oz, whole peeled tomatoes
• Fresh basil
• Pecorino romano for serving
• Salt

Steps

1. Warm the oil over medium heat. Cook the garlic and pepper flakes for 1 minute, without browning the garlic.
2. Crush the tomatoes by hand into the pan with their juice. Add a pinch of salt.
3. Simmer for 15 minutes until thickened.
4. Cook the rigatoni 1 minute short of done.
5. Toss the pasta in the sauce with a splash of pasta water. Top with basil and pecorino.

11. Restaurant Style Fettuccine Alfredo

Butter, cream, and a lot of freshly grated parmesan make a sauce that clings to every ribbon. Pre-shredded cheese has coatings that keep it from melting smooth, so grate your own.

Recipe
Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 oz fettuccine
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• Black pepper
• Salt

Steps

1. Cook the fettuccine and save 1/2 cup of pasta water.
2. Melt the butter in a wide pan over medium low heat. Add the cream and simmer gently for 2 minutes.
3. Turn the heat to low. Stir in the parmesan a little at a time until smooth.
4. Add the pasta, nutmeg, and pepper.
5. Toss, adding pasta water until it reaches a creamy, flowing texture.

12. Bucatini all’Amatriciana

Bucatini is spaghetti with a hole through the middle, so it is a bit fun to eat. The salty, crisp pork fat flavors the whole sauce, and a little chili gives it a gentle kick.

Recipe
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 oz bucatini
• 3 oz guanciale or pancetta, cut in small strips
• 1/4 cup dry white wine, optional
• 1 can, 14 oz, crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup grated pecorino romano

Steps

1. Cook the guanciale in a cold pan over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes until crisp and rendered.
2. Add the wine, if using, and let it bubble for 1 minute.
3. Add the tomatoes and pepper flakes. Simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Cook the bucatini 1 minute short of done.
5. Toss in the sauce with pecorino and a splash of pasta water.

13. One Pan Skillet Lasagna for Two

You get the layered lasagna feel without building layers or heating the oven. Broken noodles cook right in the sauce. Dollops of ricotta and a lid of melted mozzarella finish it.

Recipe
Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 oz broken lasagna noodles or mafalda pasta
• 6 oz ground beef or Italian sausage
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
• 3/4 cup water or broth
• 1/2 cup ricotta
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
• Basil to finish

Steps

1. Brown the meat with the onion for 6 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic for the last 30 seconds.
2. Stir in the marinara and water. Bring to a simmer.
3. Add the broken noodles and press them into the sauce. Cover and cook 12 to 15 minutes, stirring now and then.
4. Drop spoonfuls of ricotta on top and sprinkle with mozzarella.
5. Cover again for 3 minutes until the cheese melts. Add basil.

14. Creamy Lemon Salmon Pasta With Spinach

Salmon flakes into soft chunks that mix right into the sauce. Lemon zest and a little dill keep the cream from tasting too heavy.

Recipe
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 oz penne
• 2 salmon fillets, about 5 oz each, skin removed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp lemon juice plus 1 tsp zest
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 tbsp chopped dill
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• Salt and pepper

Steps

1. Season the salmon and cook in the oil for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Move to a plate and flake it into chunks.
2. Cook the garlic in the same pan for 30 seconds.
3. Add the cream, lemon zest, and parmesan. Simmer for 3 minutes.
4. Stir in the spinach until it wilts.
5. Add the cooked penne, salmon, lemon juice, and dill. Toss gently so the salmon stays in pieces.

15. Spaghetti Puttanesca

Pantry night, handled. Olives, capers, and anchovies bring plenty of salty, tangy flavor without much work. The anchovies melt into the oil, so they add depth without tasting fishy.

Recipe
Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 oz spaghetti
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 3 anchovy fillets
• 1 can, 14 oz, diced or whole tomatoes
• 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
• 1 tbsp capers
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley

Steps

1. Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the anchovies and garlic. Stir until the anchovies dissolve, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and pepper flakes. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the olives and capers.
4. Cook the spaghetti 1 minute short of done.
5. Toss in the sauce with a splash of pasta water. Top with parsley.

Restaurant-style pasta does not need a giant pot, a long ingredient list, or a table for six. With the right amount of pasta, a splash of starchy water, and a little patience with the sauce, you can make any of these on a regular Tuesday night.

Start with the one that matches your mood tonight, then come back for the rest. If you want more easy pasta recipes for two, save this post to your Pinterest board so it is ready the next time you want dinner to feel a little more special.

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